Reversal of Fortune
| Reversal of Fortune | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Barbet Schroeder |
| Screenplay by | Nicholas Kazan |
| Produced by | Edward R. Pressman Oliver Stone |
| Starring | Glenn Close Jeremy Irons Ron Silver |
| Cinematography | Luciano Tovoli |
| Edited by | Lee Percy |
| Music by | Mark Isham Josh Clayton-Felt Joseph Hooven Michael Ward Jerry Winn |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | Template:Film US |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $15,445,131 |
Reversal of Fortune is a 1990 film adapted from the 1985 book Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case, written by law professor Alan Dershowitz. It recounts the true story of the unexplained coma of socialite Sunny von Bülow, the subsequent attempted murder trial, and the eventual acquittal of her husband, Claus von Bülow, who had Dershowitz acting as his defense.[1]
Plot
The story is narrated by Sunny von Bülow who is in a coma after falling into diabetic shock after a Christmas party. Her husband, the dissolute European aristocrat Claus von Bülow is charged with attempting to murder her by giving the hypoglycemic Sunny an overdose of insulin. Claus' strained relationship with his wife and his cold and haughty personal demeanor lead most people to conclude that he is guilty. In need of an innovative defense, Claus turns to law professor Alan Dershowitz. Dershowitz is initially convinced of Claus' guilt, but takes the case because von Bülow agrees to fund Dershowitz' defense of two poor black teenagers accused of capital murder. Employing his law students as workers, Dershowitz proceeds to defend Claus, wrestling with his client's unnerving personal style and questions of von Bülow's guilt or innocence.
Cast
- Jeremy Irons as Claus von Bülow
- Ron Silver as Alan Dershowitz
- Glenn Close as Sunny von Bülow
- Annabella Sciorra as Sarah
- Fisher Stevens as David Marriott
- Jack Gilpin as Peter MacIntosh
- Christine Baranski as Andrea Reynolds
- Stephen Mailer as Elon Dershowitz
- Christine Dunford as Ellen
- Felicity Huffman as Minnie
- Mano Singh as Raj
- Johann Carlo as Nancy
- Keith Reddin as Dobbs
- Alan Pottinger as Chuck
- Mitchell Whitfield as Curly
- Tom Wright as Jack
- Gordon Joseph Weiss as Tom Berman
- Michael Lord as Ed
- Lisa Gay Hamilton as Mary
- Bill Camp as Bill
Awards and honors
Irons was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actor, Schroeder was nominated for Best Director, and Kazan was nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay award. Irons was also awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.
American Film Institute recognition:
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains:
- Claus von Bülow - Nominated Hero[2]
Location
The film was shot in numerous estates in Rhode Island and the Knole house in Old Westbury.
Reception
The film received mostly positive reviews and holds a 94% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 7.7 out of 10 from 32 reviews.[3]
References
- ^ State v. von Bulow, 475 A.2d 995 (R.I. 1984).
- ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains Nominees
- ^ "Reversal of Fortune Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
External links
- 1990 films
- American films
- English-language films
- 1990s drama films
- American drama films
- Films based on actual events
- Films based on non-fiction books
- Films directed by Barbet Schroeder
- Films featuring a Best Actor Academy Award winning performance
- Films set in the 1980s
- Courtroom dramas
- Films set in Rhode Island