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:
20th Century Fox
GENRE:
Drama/Thriller
INTENDED AUDIENCE:
Teenagers and adults
Please Note
In providing movie reviews on our site, CBN.com is not endorsing or recommending films we review. Our goal is to provide Christians with information about the latest movies, both the good and the bad, so that our readers may make an informed decision as to whether or not films are appropriate for them and their families.
MOVIE REVIEW
High Crimes
By Movieguide Magazine
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
The previous reviews are a selected sample of informative reviews from MOVIEGUIDE:
A FAMILY GUIDE TO MOVIES AND ENTERTAINMENT, a syndicated feature of Good News
Communications, Inc. To subscribe to MOVIEGUIDE, which includes a complete
set of at least 10 reviews of the latest movies as well as many informative
articles, please visit their Web site at http://www.movieguide.org/,
or write or call:
MOVIEGUIDE
P.O. Box 190010
Atlanta, GA 31119
(800) 899-6684
DISCLAIMER: "The publications that carry MOVIEGUIDE and the organizations
that distribute MOVIEGUIDE are not responsible for these reviews, nor is MOVIEGUIDE
responsible for the opinions and positions of those publications and organizations."
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