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Actors: Sean Connery, Blair Underwood, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Capshaw
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Just Cause |
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In the Florida Everglades Bobby Earl (Underwood) is facing the electric chair for the rape and murder of a young girl. In desperation he contacts a retired professor of law, and one of the foremost advocates against the death penalty, Paul Armstrong (Connery) to plead his case. Earl tells Armstrong that he was forced to confess to the crime under extreme duress by the bullying Sheriff Tanny Brown (Fishburne). He professes his innocence and says that he will soon die if Armstrong doesn't help save him. Armstrong agrees to take on his case and begins his own form of investigation.
He soon uncovers evidence that was overlooked when Earl was first charged but the local police are not interested in talking with him. The truth is that Earl really is the killer and he makes a deal with another prisoner in order to be freed. The deal is that if the other prisoner admits to the killing of the little girl, when Earl is released he will kill the other man's parents. The plan works brilliantly. Armstrong gets Earl off but instead of going after the other man's parents, he turns his vengeance on Armstrong's wife Laurie (Capshaw), a former parole officer who he has always had it in for. By the time Armstrong finds out the shocking truth, the deranged Bobby Earl has kidnapped his wife and daughter and is holding them hostage in a deserted cabin with alligators in the water just inches from the cabin. Armstrong must defend himself and his family from the crazed killer he helped get released from prison.
(This movie is based on the novel by John Katzenbach)
--Patti Illsley, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Just Cause |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
books by breaking them down into many different literary
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 30%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Time/Era of Movie:
- 1980's-1999
Legal/Political Thriller?
Yes
Crime & Police Story?
Yes
Crime story:
- catching/stopping killer
Legal Thriller Plotlets:
- finding out whether someone is really guilty
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
Age:
- 60's-90's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- white
Hair style
- short/standard straight (man)
Body type
- average (man)
Events of movie makes character more...
- sensitive
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- (man) short/standard wavy
Body type
- average build (man)
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Black
Main Adversary
Identity:
- fight for survival
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Jungles?
Yes
Jungles
- alligators/crocs
- heat/bugs
Water?
Yes
City?
Yes
City:
- rude people
Misc setting
- prison
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately messy visuals of dead
Movie makes you feel...
- depressed/sad
How many deaths in film?
- 3-4
How much use of techno gadgets?
- 1 (None)
Kind of violence:
- guns
- knives
Any profanity?
- A lot of foul language
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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