Movie Info

RATING:

PG-13 for violence, sexual content and language

RELEASE:

April 5, 2002

TIME:

120 minutes

STARRING:

Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, James Caviezel, Amanda Peet, and Tom Bower

DIRECTOR:

Carl Franklin

PRODUCERS:

Arnon Milchan, Janet Yang and Jesse BFranklin

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:

Lisa Henson and Kevin Reidy

WRITERS:

Yuri Zeltser and Cary Bickley

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY:

Joseph Finder

DISTRIBUTOR:

20^th Century Fox

GENRE:

Drama/Thriller

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

Teenagers and adults

 

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MOVIE REVIEW

High Crimes

By Movieguide Magazine

What's This?

CBN.com - High Crimes begins with grainy news shots of a small U.S. military skirmish in El Salvador in 1988 where several civilians are interrogated at gunpoint, then shot to death. Jump to present day, where feisty attorney Claire Kubik (Ashley Judd) and her handsome husband, Tom (James Caviezel), are trying to get pregnant. The couple shares a number of fun excursions together, including playing pool at their favorite hangout, walking through San Francisco hand in hand, dining, and generally being in love.

One night their revelry is interrupted in a startling way, when their home is burglarized. The police take fingerprints, and a week later, the couple finds themselves surrounded by military police. The police handcuff Tom and drag him off to a marine base in California. Claire quickly dons her lawyer hat, determined to get to the bottom of an obvious case of mistaken identity. After all, the police claim to be arresting someone named Ron Chapman, not Tom Kubik. She takes a leave of absence from her prestigious law firm (which doesnt want any publicity) and sets about to join the young, inexperienced military lawyer assigned to her husbands case.

When she gets to the base, she finds out that her husband is being charged with desertion and murder and is facing the death penalty. A big shot prosecutor, Major Lucas Waldren, is handling the case, and there might be a grand cover-up that involves top-level politicians as well.

Claire decides to get the help of a once-famous but now alcoholic lawyer, Charles Grimes (Morgan Freeman). At the same time, her financially- and morally challenged sister, Jackie (Amanda Peet), moves into the small home Claire has rented near the base.

With this motley bunch as the defense team, they take on the big military system and seek to clear Tom of all charges. Its tougher than it looks, however. Claire must deal with secret visitors, hidden testimony, mystifying photographs, strange messages in grocery stores, her partners skeletons of the past, a possible deadly love triangle involving her sister, and the power of officials in high places. As the investigation continues, both sides receive some shocking new evidence that might reveal some unthinkable answers to their dangerous and unwelcome questions. Claire must risk her career, her family and even her life in the quest for truth.

High Crimes is fast moving, entertaining, well-acted by top stars, and gripping in its suspense. It plays on one of a womans greatest fears . . . that she might not really know her mate. It challenges the audience to dig deeply and ask themselves how far they would be willing to go to find and defend hard truth. Though the movie contains too much of the typical Hollywood violence, sex and language, the story and pacing of suspense are great.

High Crimes has a moral worldview that values truth above all, but there are elements that disparage the military and patriotism, and the characters make many relativistic choices throughout the story. Since the sex, language, nudity, and alcohol themes are widespread, this movie is unsuitable for teenagers .

Please address your comments to:

Peter Chernin,
Chairman & CEO
The Fox Group
Tom Rothman & Jim Gianopulos, Chairmen
Fox Filmed Entertainment
20th Century Fox Film Corp.
A division of Fox, Inc. & News Corp.
10201 West Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Phone: (310) 369-1000
Website: www.fox.com

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