Physical Evidence

Last updated
Physical Evidence
Physical Evidence.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Michael Crichton
Screenplay byBill Phillips
Story byBill Phillips
Steve Ransohoff
Produced by Martin Ransohoff
Starring
Cinematography John A. Alonzo
Edited by Glenn Farr
Music by Henry Mancini
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • January 27, 1989 (1989-01-27)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$17 million
Box office$3,560,932 [1]

Physical Evidence is a 1989 American crime thriller film directed by Michael Crichton (in his final film as a director), and starring Burt Reynolds, Theresa Russell and Ned Beatty.

Contents

Plot

After parking his car and wearing a "Happy Now?" sign, a man finds extortionist Jake Farley lying under the bridge. He grabs his foot with the rope and discovers he is dead.

Meanwhile, beleaguered ex-police officer Joe Paris wakes up with a splitting headache and blood on his shirt after a night of drinking, and cannot recall events of the previous night. His blood is discovered on the murder weapon planted at the apartment and he is arrested by detectives. Public defender Jenny Hudson is assigned to meet and represent Joe. Investigating the case, Joe and Jenny arrive at the bar, where Joe meets Jake's son, Matt, who, believing Joe killed his father, has an employee tell them to leave. Joe and Jenny leave the bar, and see what seems to be a policeman watching them. They attempt to give chase, but a near head-on collision forces them to abandon their tail.

Deborah Quinn, with whom Joe was having an affair, tells Jenny that Joe was with her the night of the murder, but she fears her husband, Vincent, a violent crime boss. Joe, believing an old nemesis, Harry Norton, may be involved, tracks him down at his business. But it turns out Norton was out of the country with his new wife.

It is revealed at the trial that Farley was disliked by nearly everyone. Farley taped his conversations with people, including Joe, and many of the tapes contained incriminating evidence he was using to blackmail people, including police officers.

A convict named Tony Sklar contacts Jenny and tells her he has evidence that could clear Joe, but he would tell her only in exchange for a deal to lessen his sentence. She visits him in the hospital infirmary and tells her he was hired by Norton to kill Farley and his new wife, Celeste, who had been married to Norton, before Norton was incarcerated. Norton blamed Joe, who had arrested him when Joe was a police officer. Before a deal can be finalized, though, Norton has Sklar killed in prison.

However, Joe doctors a tape of Sklar to make Norton believe he is still alive. Norton comes to exact revenge and find Sklar, killing three police officers and shooting Joe, before finding Jenny. Norton confesses to arranging Farley's murder and pinning it on Joe, believing he could fulfill two vendettas at once. Jenny tells him that she can take him to Sklar. Jenny kills Norton and reunites with Joe outside the building.

Cast

Production

The film was originally conceived as a sequel to Jagged Edge and was meant to have Glenn Close and Robert Loggia reprise their roles. The story was about a private investigator framed for murder and the female lawyer who defends him. The project was developed at Columbia Pictures but then head of production Guy McElwaine was replaced by David Puttnam, who, according to producer Martin Ransohoff, said that he did not want to make sequels (Puttnam denied this, saying his problem was the script "wasn't good and for no other reason... when there's a terrific script for Jagged Edge II Columbia will be anxious to make it".). Ransohoff decided to turn the script into an original story. "It's a good mystery on its own terms", he said. "I think the story is really more effective as an original. Because there wasn't an agreement with Loggia and Close, we had always designed the project to go either as a sequel or on its own terms." [2]

The film was distributed by Columbia Pictures between in the United States and Canada, with Rank Film Distributors handling foreign distribution. The film was produced by Martin Ransohoff who formed with Columbia, Rank Film Distributors and Vestron Video in 1986.

The male lead went to Burt Reynolds, after starring in Switching Channels . "Joe is a ballsy character", said Reynolds, "kind of like Dirty Harry gone amok. He's around the edge of having a nervous breakdown but he has a strange sense of humor about it all." [3]

It was filmed in Boston, Massachusetts, and around Canada between Toronto and Montreal, and began production in September 1987. It was filmed under the working title Smoke. [2]

Russell later recalled her part "was a little more difficult than I thought it would be, being someone who was that in control. Michael Crichton, who is a doctor -- and his ex-wife is a lawyer -- was very helpful in that regard. I always felt I wasn't doing anything. It was happening inside, but I didn't feel it would show. But they'd say, `No, if anything, do less.' You can't show your emotions when you're in that lawyer mode. With me (Crichton) was very specific. I had to rely on him a little more than I normally do (on a director) because I was so unsure of that thing of it being so controlled. He had a lot of pre-conceived ideas of how this was supposed to be -- and he was probably right. A couple of times I tried to try to be jokier, funnier, 'cause I felt so boring all the time. Everybody else got to do all this fun stuff and then I tried it and he said, `No, don't do that.' So I said, `Print it. I'd just like to see it.' And then we'd watch it and I'd turn around and say, `You're right, you're right. God, burn it! It just stinks!' So, I just kind of had to prove that to myself." [4]

Reception

The film was described by the Chicago Tribune as a "feeble thriller... the worst case of filmmaking-by-numbers, reflecting not an ounce of commitment or conviction". [5] The Los Angeles Times called it "flat and remote... a thriller that doesn't thrill." [6] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 22% based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 3.9/10. [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>The 13th Warrior</i> 1999 film by John McTiernan

The 13th Warrior is a 1999 American historical fiction action film based on Michael Crichton's 1976 novel Eaters of the Dead, which is a loose adaptation of the tale of Beowulf combined with Ahmad ibn Fadlan's historical account of the Volga Vikings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burt Reynolds</span> American actor (1936–2018)

Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. was an American actor and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series, such as Gunsmoke (1962–1965), Hawk (1966), and Dan August (1970–1971). He had leading roles in films, such as Navajo Joe (1966) and 100 Rifles (1969), and his breakthrough role was as Lewis Medlock in Deliverance (1972).

<i>Guilty as Sin</i> 1993 drama thriller film by Sidney Lumet

Guilty as Sin is a 1993 American legal thriller film written by Larry Cohen, directed by Sidney Lumet and produced by Martin Ransohoff. It stars Rebecca De Mornay and Don Johnson, and was produced by Hollywood Pictures.

<i>Switching Channels</i> 1988 film by Ted Kotcheff

Switching Channels is a 1988 American comedy film remake of the 1928 play The Front Page, the 1931 film of the same name, and the 1940 film His Girl Friday. It stars Kathleen Turner as Christy Colleran, Burt Reynolds as John L. Sullivan IV, Christopher Reeve as Blaine Bingham, Ned Beatty as Roy Ridnitz, Henry Gibson as Ike Roscoe, and George Newbern as Sigenthaler. The film was notorious for its harsh infighting between Reynolds and Turner during filming. The film was a box office failure and received mixed reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Forsyth</span> Scottish film director and writer

William David Forsyth. known as Bill Forsyth, is a Scottish film director and writer known for his films Gregory's Girl (1981), Local Hero (1983) and Comfort and Joy (1984) as well as his adaptation of the Marilynne Robinson novel Housekeeping (1987).

<i>Jagged Edge</i> (film) 1985 thriller film by Richard Marquand

Jagged Edge is a 1985 American neo-noir legal thriller film written by Joe Eszterhas, and directed by Richard Marquand, the last of his films to be released during his lifetime. The film stars Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, Peter Coyote and Robert Loggia. A lawyer reluctantly takes the case of a man accused of killing his wife, but remains uncertain if he is guilty or not.

Martin Nelson Ransohoff was an American film and television producer, and member of the Ransohoff family.

<i>100 Rifles</i> 1969 American Western film

100 Rifles is a 1969 American Western film directed by Tom Gries and starring Jim Brown, Raquel Welch and Burt Reynolds. It is based on Robert MacLeod's 1966 novel The Californio. The film was shot in Spain. The original music score was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, who had previously also scored Bandolero!, another Western starring Welch.

<i>Stick</i> (film) 1985 American crime film by Burt Reynolds

Stick is a 1985 American crime film based on Elmore Leonard's 1983 novel, and starring and directed by Burt Reynolds.

<i>The Man Who Loved Women</i> (1983 film) 1983 film by Blake Edwards

The Man Who Loved Women is a 1983 American comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Burt Reynolds, Julie Andrews and Kim Basinger. It is a remake of the 1977 François Truffaut's film L'Homme qui aimait les femmes.

<i>Navajo Joe</i> 1966 film by Sergio Corbucci

Navajo Joe is a 1966 spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Burt Reynolds as the titular Navajo Indian who opposes a group of bandits responsible for killing his tribe.

<i>White Lightning</i> (1973 film) 1973 film by Joseph Sargent

White Lightning is a 1973 American action film directed by Joseph Sargent, written by William W. Norton, and starring Burt Reynolds, Jennifer Billingsley, Ned Beatty, Bo Hopkins, R. G. Armstrong and Diane Ladd. It marked Laura Dern's film debut.

<i>Malone</i> (film) 1987 film by Harley Cokeliss

Malone is a 1987 American action thriller film starring Burt Reynolds in the eponymous role alongside Cliff Robertson, Cynthia Gibb, Lauren Hutton, Scott Wilson, and Kenneth McMillan. It is an adaptation of William P. Wingate's novel Shotgun, written by Christopher Frank and Rudy Wurlitzer, and directed by Harley Cokeliss.

<i>Sharkys Machine</i> 1981 film by Burt Reynolds

Sharky's Machine is a 1981 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Burt Reynolds, who stars in the title role. It is the film adaptation of William Diehl's 1978 novel of the same name, with a screenplay by Gerald Di Pego. It also stars Vittorio Gassman, Brian Keith, Charles Durning, Earl Holliman, Bernie Casey, Henry Silva, Darryl Hickman, Richard Libertini, Rachel Ward and Joseph Mascolo.

<i>The Big Town</i> (1987 film) 1987 film by Harold Becker

The Big Town is a 1987 American drama neo-noir thriller film about a young man who comes to the big city to work as a professional gambler, in the process becoming romantically involved with two women—one of whom is already married. The film was directed by Ben Bolt and Harold Becker (uncredited) and it stars Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, and Tommy Lee Jones.

<i>Heat</i> (1986 film) 1986 film by Dick Richards, Jerry Jameson

Heat is a 1986 American neo-noir dramatic action thriller film about an ex-mercenary working as a bodyguard in Las Vegas. The film was written by William Goldman, based on his 1985 novel of the same name. Heat was directed by Dick Richards and Jerry Jameson. The film stars Burt Reynolds, Karen Young, Peter MacNicol, Howard Hesseman, Neill Barry and Joseph Mascolo.

<i>Rent-a-Cop</i> 1988 film by Jerry London

Rent-a-Cop is a 1987 American thriller comedy starring Burt Reynolds and Liza Minnelli. Reynolds plays a disgraced police officer, now working as a security guard, who falls in love with Minnelli, who plays a prostitute.

<i>Shamus</i> (film) 1973 film by Buzz Kulik

Shamus is a 1973 American comedy thriller film directed by Buzz Kulik, and starring Burt Reynolds and Dyan Cannon. The word "shamus" means "detective" in American slang.

<i>Angel Baby</i> (1961 film) 1961 film by Paul Wendkos

Angel Baby is a 1961 American drama film directed by Paul Wendkos and starring Salome Jens, George Hamilton and Mercedes McCambridge. It was Burt Reynolds's film debut.

<i>The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing</i> (film) 1973 film

The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing is a 1973 American Western film adaptation of Marilyn Durham's novel of the same name directed by Richard C. Sarafian, written by Eleanor Perry and William W. Norton, and starring Burt Reynolds and Sarah Miles.

References

  1. ↑ Physical Evidence at Box Office Mojo
  2. 1 2 Klady, L. (Aug 9, 1987). "OUTTAKES". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest   816516564.
  3. ↑ Zekas, R. (Dec 6, 1987). "Where there's smoke-there's burt while filming in toronto for the second time this year. reynolds talks about sports, marriage and that infamous centrefold photo". Toronto Star. ProQuest   435711136.
  4. ↑ Jim Emerson (Jan 29, 1989). "Actress keeps 'em guessing". Orange County Register. ProQuest   272320130.
  5. ↑ "Physical Evidence' has nothing to build its case". Chicago Tribune. 27 Jan 1989. p. CN37A.
  6. ↑ Wilmington, Michael (27 Jan 1989). "'Evidence' Guilty of Retrying Old Plots". Los Angeles Times. p. E6.
  7. ↑ "Physical Evidence". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved May 17, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.