December 17, 1995
TRUE CRIME
Screenplay by Paul Brickman, Novel by Andrew Klavan
Synopsis by Brian Aldrich
St. Louis reporter MICHELLE ZIEGLER is pissed. Her paper is playing politics and refuses to print her story about the possible innocence of a convicted murderer, FRANK BEACHUM, who is about to be executed the next day. She gets drunk, has sex with a stranger, and kills herself in a car accident at Dead Man's Curve. She was due to cover Beachum's last day alive, so city editor BOB FINDLEY assigns screwup STEVE EVERETT the job. Meanwhile, Everett is having an affair with PATRICIA, Findley's wife. On this day, high school student and aspiring reporter SKIP LANGLEY is allowed to accompany Everett as a school project. So, Everett, who has had one too many DUI's, lets Skip chauffeur him around. Meanwhile, Beachum works out the details of his last day. He meets with the WARDEN, turns away a MINISTER, and lunches with his wife and young daughter.
As Everett reviews the Beachum case, he begins to question the evidence. He and Skip visit the market where Beachum was supposed to have shot the cashier. Everett takes his girlfriend's baby son on a speedy trip through the zoo. He drops the kid off and gets back to investigating the case. Beachum's lawyer, LEESHA TYRONE, informs him that the appeal has been denied. Everett questions the witnesses and doubts their testimony. The prison personnel and the executioner begin to prepare for the execution. Everett interviews Beachum. Everett acts sick to get the guard to leave for help while he questions Beachum about details. The guards force Everett out. Everett fails to get the name of the third witness from the PROSECUTOR, but gets the info from Michele's notes. Everett figures the third witness, WARREN RUSSEL, a black man with a criminal record, to be the real murderer. He visits Warren's GRANDMOTHER and learns Warren is dead. Hope gone, Everett breaks up with his girlfriend and gets drunk. Then, he realizes the Grandmother was wearing the dead girl's locket. Drunk, he picks up the Grandmother and drives crazily to reach the Governor in time to save Beachum from execution. Everett is fired, but gets a better job and a Pulitzer.
Summary Criticism: The story is familiar and so is the journey. The plot and characters are contrived and the ending predictable.
True Crime (1999) - imdb
True Crime (1999) - wiki
No comments:
Post a Comment