Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009 film)
Encyclopedia
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, a 2009 American
film, is a remake of the 1956 film of the same name
by Fritz Lang. Written, directed and filmed by Peter Hyams
, the new version starred Michael Douglas
and Amber Tamblyn
. The production was announced in February 2008 and filming began the following month.
). After filming the report, CJ reveals his chagrin at filming such fluff. He heads to the courthouse to watch Shreveport District Attorney Mark Hunter (Michael Douglas
) give his final argument on a murder case. CJ pigeonholes Assistant D.A. Ella Crystal (Amber Tamblyn
) afterward and asks her for the videotape of the murderer's interrogation. He also presses her for a date. She reluctantly agrees to both.
At the TV station, CJ drags cameraman Corey Finley (Joel Moore
) into his editor's office and pitches a corruption story on Hunter. The video reveals that the interrogating officer, Lt. Merchant, offers the murderer a cigarette. CJ theorizes that Hunter instructed Merchant to plant the butt at the murder scene, as the DNA would incriminate the murderer. Nicholas argues that most of Hunter's high profile convictions rely too greatly on circumstantial evidence to be a coincidence. In this case, the cigarette butt is the only thing linking the accused murderer to the scene. The editor rejects the story, informing CJ and Corey that he is shutting down their investigative series because of low ratings.
The morning after their date, Ella notices a journalism award in CJ's apartment. He shows her a report he filed at his old station in Buffalo about a homeless woman whose baby froze to death on the streets, prompting the woman to commit suicide.
CJ convinces Corey to lay a trap for Hunter by planting circumstantial evidence that incriminates CJ. His plan is to document everything on video to prove that Hunter has been manipulating the evidence chain to secure convictions. After a prostitute is murdered, CJ pays off Detective Ben Nickerson (Orlando Jones
) to get access to the full report. A witness walking his Jack Russell terrier
claims to have seen the man in a black ski mask and sweat suit struggling with the victim. The witness' dog attacked, biting the murderer on the left calf. A footprint at the scene was made by a Montalvo tennis shoe, which is no longer produced. The murder weapon was determined to be a switchblade knife.
CJ and Corey start by buying the knife at a gun store, secretly videotaping their transaction. To prove the purchase occurred after the murder, CJ holds up the current newspaper before they enter the store. He buys a pair of Montalvos from BidMore4Le$$. They purchase the sweat suit and ski mask and then rescue a Jack Russell terrier from a shelter. CJ is alone with the dog when he cries out in pain. He claims to Corey that the dog bit him before he was ready. The wound is on his left calf, just as the police report indicates.
Finally, CJ douses himself in liquor and drives recklessly through town to get himself arrested. As Corey bails him out, Det. Nickerson notices his Montalvo shoes. Det. Nickerson gets a search warrant and finds all the evidence CJ has planted for them. Lt. Merchant takes over the investigation, which flusters Det. Nickerson.
During the trial, CJ lets D.A. Hunter lay out the entire case against him, which relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Lt. Merchant warns Hunter that when he looked at CJ's bank statements, all the purchases showed up. He says that his initial investigation revealed that Corey accompanied him for all the transactions. Merchant surmises that CJ is trying to trap them. Hunter says, "We can't have that, can we?"
When Hunter rests his prosecution, Corey races to his apartment to get the DVD which contains all the incriminating video. His apartment has been ransacked and the disc is missing. He rushes to a bank where he retrieves a copy from his safe deposit box. On his way back to the courtroom, Merchant chases Corey into a fatal accident, destroying the DVD.
CJ is sentenced to the death penalty, despite revealing the truth on the stand. The lack of any corroborating evidence dooms him. As Hunter points out, just because he has receipts for sweatpants and knives after the murder occurred, it does not eliminate the possibility that he already owned similar items prior to the murder. Once in prison, CJ reveals to Ella what he's been doing. Skeptical at first, Ella begins her own investigation into Hunter.
She eventually retrieves the crime scene photo from the first murder. Digital forensics reveal that the cigarette butt was inserted into the photo. As she leaves the lab, Lt. Merchant chases her through a parking lot. Just as he is about to run her over, Det. Nickerson shoots him. Nickerson informs Ella that he has suspected Merchant of corruption for a while.
Hunter is arrested, and CJ is freed. Back home together, Ella is watching the news as CJ sleeps beside her. The newscaster points out that CJ's exoneration means that the real murderer of the prostitute is still loose. When Ella sees the picture of the prostitute on the TV, she immediately recognizes the star tattoos on her hands as the same ones on the homeless woman from CJ's award-winning report. She quietly calls the cops and puts on her clothes. When CJ wakes, Ella confronts him. The homeless woman never existed, and CJ paid the prostitute to pose for the completely false story. She followed him to Shreveport and was blackmailing him. CJ insists that catching Hunter was worth the cost of the prostitute's life. Ella walks out on him, yelling at him "Fuck you", as the police arrive.
, based on 27 reviews. The New York Times
concluded that Amber Tamblyn looked "thoroughly bored" throughout the proceedings. Variety
called the remake "entirely soulless". The Los Angeles Times
wrote that "the leads can't lend either spunk or gravitas to what was already a preposterous yarn 50 years ago".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film, is a remake of the 1956 film of the same name
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt is a 1956 film directed by Fritz Lang and written by Douglas Morrow. The film, considered film noir, was the last American film directed by Lang.-Plot:...
by Fritz Lang. Written, directed and filmed by Peter Hyams
Peter Hyams
Peter Hyams is an American screenwriter, director and cinematographer, probably best known for directing the 1984 science fiction adventure 2010 , Capricorn One, the comic book adaptation Timecop and the Arnold Schwarzenegger horror/action film End of Days.-Family:Hyams was born in New York...
, the new version starred Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
and Amber Tamblyn
Amber Tamblyn
Amber Rose Tamblyn is an American actress and poet. She first came to national attention in her role on the soap opera General Hospital as Emily Quartermaine, followed by a starring role on the prime-time series Joan of Arcadia portraying the title character...
. The production was announced in February 2008 and filming began the following month.
Plot
The film opens on a close-up of a frightened woman's eyes. She is blindfolded by an unseen man. The camera pulls back to reveal that she's undergoing a blind tasting of coffee by local TV reporter CJ Nicholas (Jesse MetcalfeJesse Metcalfe
Jesse Eden Metcalfe is an American actor, best known for his role on Desperate Housewives as John Rowland. He is also notable for his portrayal of Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald on the soap opera Passions and his starring role as the title character in the movie John Tucker Must Die.-Early life:Metcalfe...
). After filming the report, CJ reveals his chagrin at filming such fluff. He heads to the courthouse to watch Shreveport District Attorney Mark Hunter (Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
) give his final argument on a murder case. CJ pigeonholes Assistant D.A. Ella Crystal (Amber Tamblyn
Amber Tamblyn
Amber Rose Tamblyn is an American actress and poet. She first came to national attention in her role on the soap opera General Hospital as Emily Quartermaine, followed by a starring role on the prime-time series Joan of Arcadia portraying the title character...
) afterward and asks her for the videotape of the murderer's interrogation. He also presses her for a date. She reluctantly agrees to both.
At the TV station, CJ drags cameraman Corey Finley (Joel Moore
Joel Moore
Joel David Moore is an American actor who has appeared in television commercials, feature films, and television series. He is best known for his roles as Owen Dittman in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Dr. Norm Spellman in Avatar, Colin Fisher in Bones and J.P...
) into his editor's office and pitches a corruption story on Hunter. The video reveals that the interrogating officer, Lt. Merchant, offers the murderer a cigarette. CJ theorizes that Hunter instructed Merchant to plant the butt at the murder scene, as the DNA would incriminate the murderer. Nicholas argues that most of Hunter's high profile convictions rely too greatly on circumstantial evidence to be a coincidence. In this case, the cigarette butt is the only thing linking the accused murderer to the scene. The editor rejects the story, informing CJ and Corey that he is shutting down their investigative series because of low ratings.
The morning after their date, Ella notices a journalism award in CJ's apartment. He shows her a report he filed at his old station in Buffalo about a homeless woman whose baby froze to death on the streets, prompting the woman to commit suicide.
CJ convinces Corey to lay a trap for Hunter by planting circumstantial evidence that incriminates CJ. His plan is to document everything on video to prove that Hunter has been manipulating the evidence chain to secure convictions. After a prostitute is murdered, CJ pays off Detective Ben Nickerson (Orlando Jones
Orlando Jones
Orlando Jones is an American comedian and film and television actor. He is notable for being one of the original cast members of the sketch comedy series MADtv and for his role as the 7 Up spokesman from 1999-2002.-Early life:...
) to get access to the full report. A witness walking his Jack Russell terrier
Jack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell terrier is a small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. It is principally white-bodied smooth, rough or broken-coated which is commonly confused with the Parson Russell terrier and the Russell terrier with the term "Jack Russell" commonly misapplied to other small white...
claims to have seen the man in a black ski mask and sweat suit struggling with the victim. The witness' dog attacked, biting the murderer on the left calf. A footprint at the scene was made by a Montalvo tennis shoe, which is no longer produced. The murder weapon was determined to be a switchblade knife.
CJ and Corey start by buying the knife at a gun store, secretly videotaping their transaction. To prove the purchase occurred after the murder, CJ holds up the current newspaper before they enter the store. He buys a pair of Montalvos from BidMore4Le$$. They purchase the sweat suit and ski mask and then rescue a Jack Russell terrier from a shelter. CJ is alone with the dog when he cries out in pain. He claims to Corey that the dog bit him before he was ready. The wound is on his left calf, just as the police report indicates.
Finally, CJ douses himself in liquor and drives recklessly through town to get himself arrested. As Corey bails him out, Det. Nickerson notices his Montalvo shoes. Det. Nickerson gets a search warrant and finds all the evidence CJ has planted for them. Lt. Merchant takes over the investigation, which flusters Det. Nickerson.
During the trial, CJ lets D.A. Hunter lay out the entire case against him, which relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Lt. Merchant warns Hunter that when he looked at CJ's bank statements, all the purchases showed up. He says that his initial investigation revealed that Corey accompanied him for all the transactions. Merchant surmises that CJ is trying to trap them. Hunter says, "We can't have that, can we?"
When Hunter rests his prosecution, Corey races to his apartment to get the DVD which contains all the incriminating video. His apartment has been ransacked and the disc is missing. He rushes to a bank where he retrieves a copy from his safe deposit box. On his way back to the courtroom, Merchant chases Corey into a fatal accident, destroying the DVD.
CJ is sentenced to the death penalty, despite revealing the truth on the stand. The lack of any corroborating evidence dooms him. As Hunter points out, just because he has receipts for sweatpants and knives after the murder occurred, it does not eliminate the possibility that he already owned similar items prior to the murder. Once in prison, CJ reveals to Ella what he's been doing. Skeptical at first, Ella begins her own investigation into Hunter.
She eventually retrieves the crime scene photo from the first murder. Digital forensics reveal that the cigarette butt was inserted into the photo. As she leaves the lab, Lt. Merchant chases her through a parking lot. Just as he is about to run her over, Det. Nickerson shoots him. Nickerson informs Ella that he has suspected Merchant of corruption for a while.
Hunter is arrested, and CJ is freed. Back home together, Ella is watching the news as CJ sleeps beside her. The newscaster points out that CJ's exoneration means that the real murderer of the prostitute is still loose. When Ella sees the picture of the prostitute on the TV, she immediately recognizes the star tattoos on her hands as the same ones on the homeless woman from CJ's award-winning report. She quietly calls the cops and puts on her clothes. When CJ wakes, Ella confronts him. The homeless woman never existed, and CJ paid the prostitute to pose for the completely false story. She followed him to Shreveport and was blackmailing him. CJ insists that catching Hunter was worth the cost of the prostitute's life. Ella walks out on him, yelling at him "Fuck you", as the police arrive.
Critical reception
The movie was a critical and commercial failure. It has a 7% rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, based on 27 reviews. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
concluded that Amber Tamblyn looked "thoroughly bored" throughout the proceedings. Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
called the remake "entirely soulless". The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote that "the leads can't lend either spunk or gravitas to what was already a preposterous yarn 50 years ago".