What it’s about
When tough, sexy, working-class girl Sarah Tobias (Foster) is gang-raped in the back room of a neighborhood bar, she finds an ally in district attorney Kathryn Murphy (McGillis). Initially considering a plea bargain, Kathryn ultimately persuades Sarah to use the full weight of the legal system against her attackers, knowing they'll impugn her character into the courtroom.
Why we love it
Based on a real-life incident, Jonathan Kaplan's hard-hitting courtroom nail-biter is quite an eye-opener, as it confronts head-on a woman's right to exhibit her sexuality and still not be physically violated against her will. Oscar-winner Foster is riveting in a gritty, largely unsympathetic role, and McGillis provides an ideal counterbalance as a somewhat sheltered lawyer whose social conscience gets re-awakened. Absorbing from start to finish, “The Accused” is definitely not for kids, or the squeamish.