Trust (2010 film)
Encyclopedia
Trust is a 2010 American drama film
directed by David Schwimmer
and based on a screenplay by Andy Bellin and Robert Festinger. It stars Clive Owen
, Catherine Keener
, Viola Davis
, and Noah Emmerich
.
) is living a happy life in suburban Chicago. She is on the volleyball team and has healthy relationships with her family. On her birthday, she is given a laptop and is thrilled about it. She meets a 16-year-old boy named Charlie (Chris Henry Coffey
) in an online chat room and seemingly connects with him. Over time as the two bond by sending phone text messages and IM'ing, he bumps his age up to 20, then 25. However, Annie dismisses these concerns not wanting to end things with him. After three months of texts, calling and IM'ing, they arrange to meet at the mall. When they finally meet, she finds out he is at least 35. Annie is upset he has lied about his age and at first cries about having been lied to, but is pleased when he compliments her looks and he eventually talks her into thinking their age difference does not matter. Charlie proceeds to seduce her and soon swoons her into really liking him. But he then takes her to a nearby hotel and once there in a private room, makes her model red lingerie bra and underwear he bought her as a present before he coaxes her onto the bed and then rapes her. All this while, also that is unknown to Annie, secretly filming it.
Afterwards, Annie tells her best friend, Brittany, about her sexual encounter with Charlie. Brittany is concerned about this and tells the school counselor, who then calls the police, starting an FBI investigation. Annie is forced to help trap Charlie, but he soon finds out what she is trying to do and breaks off contact with her before the police can track his location. Her father, Will (Clive Owen
), starts his own obsessive investigation, even stealing chat logs from the FBI. His relationship with his wife (Catherine Keener
) begins to deteriorate and he begins to doubt his work at an advertising firm, which involves provocative advertisements using underage teenagers. When Will tells his boss that his daughter was sexually assaulted, his boss is shocked, but then is relieved when he finds out it wasn't a violent assault by a stranger, and considers it sex with a "friend."
Annie is angry at Brittany for not keeping her relationship with Charlie secret, and angry at her parents for making her betray him and for forbidding her to contact him anymore. However, although Charlie is not identified, his collected DNA shows that he has done the same with three other young girls who all reported it to the police, leaving Annie devastated because she thought she was the only girl in his life. After seeing pictures of the other girls, she complains that they are not even pretty. As such, his compliments about her looks mean much less to her. She finally admits to herself, and to a hospital counselor, she was raped.
The next day she tries to move on with her life by participating in her school's volleyball game. There, Will sees a man in the crowd taking pictures of the girls in the game. This makes him walk right through the game and confront the man and beat him to the floor causing a scene. Will recognizes this man as the local neighborhood sex predator he found online, and the man doesn't press charges for fear that he will be outed to police. A girl in the game reveals the man to be her father and Will not only embarrasses himself but Annie is left humiliated as well. At home, Annie yells at her father saying she just wants to move on with her life and when Will states they were going through a tough time, Annie states that she's the victim, not him, and to stop acting like he knows what she is going through.
When walking in the hallway at school, Annie is confronted by Brittany, who apologizes for the "internet thing" insisting she had "nothing to do with it," leaving Annie confused as she doesn't know what she's talking about. She goes to a library computer and online to find a website in which people make fun of her rape, and post an image of her head pasted onto a pornographic picture, and giving out her address and phone number. This pushes her over the edge and she goes home. She locks herself in the bathroom and attempts suicide by overdosing herself with pills, but is saved by her father. Annie survives the suicide attempt, and is sent home. Her friend Brittany spends the night to keep her company mending their broken friendship.
Annie wakes up early the next day, and discovers her father sitting outside in the freezing cold weather. She approaches him, asking if he is alright. Will begins talking to her, reminiscing about the first time she ever got in the family pool, and how brave she was to do it. He tells her that she used to be confident, and nothing frightened her. He admired the way she loved the world and trusted the people in it and how now all that has changed. He weeps and pleads for forgiveness even though he believes he does not deserve it. Annie starts to cry, choosing to embrace him believing she finally got her father back.
As the credits roll, a home video reveals Charlie to be a high school physics teacher named Graham Weston, a married father of a young son.
, based on 43 reviews.
Roger Ebert
of the Chicago Sun-Times
gave the film four stars out of four, calling Liberato's performance "remarkable", while praising it as "one of the year’s best films: Powerfully emotional, yes, but also very perceptive."
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by David Schwimmer
David Schwimmer
David Lawrence Schwimmer is an American actor and director of television and film. He was born in New York City, and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was two. He began his acting career performing in school plays at Beverly Hills High School. In 1988, he graduated from Northwestern...
and based on a screenplay by Andy Bellin and Robert Festinger. It stars Clive Owen
Clive Owen
Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
, Catherine Keener
Catherine Keener
Catherine Ann Keener is an American actress. She has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Being John Malkovich and Capote...
, Viola Davis
Viola Davis
Viola Davis is an American actress.Known primarily as a stage actress, Davis won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award for her role in King Hedley II . She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role in the...
, and Noah Emmerich
Noah Emmerich
Noah Nicholas Emmerich is an American film actor who first broke out in the film Beautiful Girls. He was later seen in movies like The Truman Show, Cop Land, Frequency, Love & Sex, Windtalkers, Miracle, Super 8 and Little Children.-Early life:Emmerich was born in New York City to a Jewish family,...
.
Plot
14-year-old Annie (Liana LiberatoLiana Liberato
Liana Daine Liberato is an American television and film actress. Liana is known for the 2010 film, Trust. She starred in the Fox Faith film The Last Sin Eater and recently appeared in the House episode "It's a Wonderful Lie"...
) is living a happy life in suburban Chicago. She is on the volleyball team and has healthy relationships with her family. On her birthday, she is given a laptop and is thrilled about it. She meets a 16-year-old boy named Charlie (Chris Henry Coffey
Chris Henry Coffey
Chris Henry Coffey is an American-born actor best known for his portrayal of an internet predator in the 2010 film Trust, "one of the year's best films" according to Roger Ebert in his March 31, 2011 review. It also stars Clive Owen, Catherine Keener, Viola Davis, Noah Emmerich, and Liana...
) in an online chat room and seemingly connects with him. Over time as the two bond by sending phone text messages and IM'ing, he bumps his age up to 20, then 25. However, Annie dismisses these concerns not wanting to end things with him. After three months of texts, calling and IM'ing, they arrange to meet at the mall. When they finally meet, she finds out he is at least 35. Annie is upset he has lied about his age and at first cries about having been lied to, but is pleased when he compliments her looks and he eventually talks her into thinking their age difference does not matter. Charlie proceeds to seduce her and soon swoons her into really liking him. But he then takes her to a nearby hotel and once there in a private room, makes her model red lingerie bra and underwear he bought her as a present before he coaxes her onto the bed and then rapes her. All this while, also that is unknown to Annie, secretly filming it.
Afterwards, Annie tells her best friend, Brittany, about her sexual encounter with Charlie. Brittany is concerned about this and tells the school counselor, who then calls the police, starting an FBI investigation. Annie is forced to help trap Charlie, but he soon finds out what she is trying to do and breaks off contact with her before the police can track his location. Her father, Will (Clive Owen
Clive Owen
Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
), starts his own obsessive investigation, even stealing chat logs from the FBI. His relationship with his wife (Catherine Keener
Catherine Keener
Catherine Ann Keener is an American actress. She has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Being John Malkovich and Capote...
) begins to deteriorate and he begins to doubt his work at an advertising firm, which involves provocative advertisements using underage teenagers. When Will tells his boss that his daughter was sexually assaulted, his boss is shocked, but then is relieved when he finds out it wasn't a violent assault by a stranger, and considers it sex with a "friend."
Annie is angry at Brittany for not keeping her relationship with Charlie secret, and angry at her parents for making her betray him and for forbidding her to contact him anymore. However, although Charlie is not identified, his collected DNA shows that he has done the same with three other young girls who all reported it to the police, leaving Annie devastated because she thought she was the only girl in his life. After seeing pictures of the other girls, she complains that they are not even pretty. As such, his compliments about her looks mean much less to her. She finally admits to herself, and to a hospital counselor, she was raped.
The next day she tries to move on with her life by participating in her school's volleyball game. There, Will sees a man in the crowd taking pictures of the girls in the game. This makes him walk right through the game and confront the man and beat him to the floor causing a scene. Will recognizes this man as the local neighborhood sex predator he found online, and the man doesn't press charges for fear that he will be outed to police. A girl in the game reveals the man to be her father and Will not only embarrasses himself but Annie is left humiliated as well. At home, Annie yells at her father saying she just wants to move on with her life and when Will states they were going through a tough time, Annie states that she's the victim, not him, and to stop acting like he knows what she is going through.
When walking in the hallway at school, Annie is confronted by Brittany, who apologizes for the "internet thing" insisting she had "nothing to do with it," leaving Annie confused as she doesn't know what she's talking about. She goes to a library computer and online to find a website in which people make fun of her rape, and post an image of her head pasted onto a pornographic picture, and giving out her address and phone number. This pushes her over the edge and she goes home. She locks herself in the bathroom and attempts suicide by overdosing herself with pills, but is saved by her father. Annie survives the suicide attempt, and is sent home. Her friend Brittany spends the night to keep her company mending their broken friendship.
Annie wakes up early the next day, and discovers her father sitting outside in the freezing cold weather. She approaches him, asking if he is alright. Will begins talking to her, reminiscing about the first time she ever got in the family pool, and how brave she was to do it. He tells her that she used to be confident, and nothing frightened her. He admired the way she loved the world and trusted the people in it and how now all that has changed. He weeps and pleads for forgiveness even though he believes he does not deserve it. Annie starts to cry, choosing to embrace him believing she finally got her father back.
As the credits roll, a home video reveals Charlie to be a high school physics teacher named Graham Weston, a married father of a young son.
Cast
- Clive OwenClive OwenClive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
as Will Cameron - Catherine KeenerCatherine KeenerCatherine Ann Keener is an American actress. She has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Being John Malkovich and Capote...
as Lynn Cameron - Liana LiberatoLiana LiberatoLiana Daine Liberato is an American television and film actress. Liana is known for the 2010 film, Trust. She starred in the Fox Faith film The Last Sin Eater and recently appeared in the House episode "It's a Wonderful Lie"...
as Annie Cameron - Jason ClarkeJason Clarke (actor)Jason Clarke is an Australian actor.-Life and career:Clarke has made many television appearances, including Murder Call, Wildside, Home and Away, Blue Heelers, All Saints, Farscape, White Collar Blue and Stingers...
as Doug Tate - Viola DavisViola DavisViola Davis is an American actress.Known primarily as a stage actress, Davis won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award for her role in King Hedley II . She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role in the...
as Gail - Noah EmmerichNoah EmmerichNoah Nicholas Emmerich is an American film actor who first broke out in the film Beautiful Girls. He was later seen in movies like The Truman Show, Cop Land, Frequency, Love & Sex, Windtalkers, Miracle, Super 8 and Little Children.-Early life:Emmerich was born in New York City to a Jewish family,...
as Al Hart - Chris Henry CoffeyChris Henry CoffeyChris Henry Coffey is an American-born actor best known for his portrayal of an internet predator in the 2010 film Trust, "one of the year's best films" according to Roger Ebert in his March 31, 2011 review. It also stars Clive Owen, Catherine Keener, Viola Davis, Noah Emmerich, and Liana...
as Charlie/Graham Weston
Production
Set in Chicago and Wilmette, a village north of Chicago, the film was shot in Michigan. Filming locations include Dexter, Plymouth, and the University of Michigan Central Campus, Ann Arbor, as well as the Twelve Oaks Mall.Critical reception
As of August 21, 2011, the film has a 78% 'Fresh' 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 43 reviews.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
gave the film four stars out of four, calling Liberato's performance "remarkable", while praising it as "one of the year’s best films: Powerfully emotional, yes, but also very perceptive."