Miranda's Victim
| Miranda's Victim | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Michelle Danner |
| Screenplay by | J. Craig Stiles |
| Story by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Pierluigi Malavasi |
| Edited by | Teferi Seifu |
| Music by | Holly Amber Church |
Production company | Navesink River Productions |
| Distributed by | Vertical Entertainment |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 127 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Miranda's Victim is a 2023 American period drama film directed by Michelle Danner and starring Abigail Breslin, Luke Wilson, Kyle MacLachlan, Ryan Phillippe, Mireille Enos, Emily VanCamp, Andy Garcia, and Donald Sutherland.[2]
The film is based on the life of Patricia "Trish" Weir, who was kidnapped and raped by Ernesto Miranda in 1963.[3][4][5] The film also depicts the origin of the Miranda warning.[6][7][8][9]
It was released by Vertical Entertainment in the United States on October 6, 2023.
Plot
[edit]In June 1966, new mother and wife Trish Weir is shocked the Supreme Court has passed the Miranda Ruling, making evidence gleaned from a criminal suspect without reading them the 'Miranda warning' inadmissable in court.
Three years earlier, the introverted 18-year-old Trish was planning the future with her mother Zeola driving to work at the cinema. At the concession stand, the projectionist Jimmy suggests they head home together on the late bus. There, before Trish gets off the bus, they organize to meet up before work on Saturday.
Hours later, a traumatised and distraught Trish arrives home. Her initially scolding big sister Ann, realising something serious has happened, drives her to the doctor's at 4 a.m. to find evidence of rape.
On their return Trish goes to bed, while Ann informs Zeola and her husband Paul of what she understood from the shocked teen. Zeola laments the loss of Trish's purity, rather than showing empathy. Worrying Trish may not be accepted into secretarial school, Zeola insists the police will not believe her.
In the morning, Zeola offers Trish possible 'solutions' to the incident, including forcing the culprit to marry her, but at least not filing a police report. Appalled, Trish insists she has to help stop him, but her mother believes justice will not prevail and she will be considered damaged goods.
In the police station the next day, the Weirs respond differently, Zeola trying to convince Trish to not file charges, Ann firmly supporting Trish and Trish wanting to prevent the man from raping others. As she is trying to explain the details of the incident, Zeola constantly interjects.
Trish got off the bus at midnight. On the walk home, the perpetrator forced her into his sedan's back seat, tying her hands. Driving 20 minutes into the desert, he pulled over and raped her at knifepoint.
After a week, Trish returns to work. Trying to talk to Jimmy, he avoids her, likely due to the police questioning. When Paul is waiting for her by the bus stop, a sedan pulls up nearby. So, he gets the plate number. 16 Tracking down a sedan with nearly the same plate in the area registered to Twila Hoffman, detectives go to her address. Seeing rope in the back and her partner Ernesto Miranda fitting the description, they persuade him to go down to the station. There, he participates in a lineup, as he has a record.
Both Trish and recently engaged Barbara identify Ernesto as their assailant, although only Trish for rape. She asks to see him in glasses and to hear his voice, which help her confirm. The police then get Ernesto to confess, write it down, then sign it.
At the 1963 trial, Trish confirms Ernesto was the rapist. Although the defense tries to cast doubt on her testimony, the jury finds him guilty. In the meantime, Trish marries Charles and has her baby. Ernesto loses an appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court, so ACLU lawyer John Flynn takes the case to the SCOTUS, which grants a retrial in 1967.
Hearing of the upcoming trial Twila, who cut ties with Ernesto and reconciled with her former husband, offers to testify against him, as what they had gleaned from him after the lineup is considered inadmissable. Prosecutor Lawrence Turnoff tries to convince Trish to testify again, but she is hesitant as Charles is controlling. He loses his temper with Trish, once told of Turnoff's visit.
Charles goes on a bender, gets pulled over for DWI and taken into the station. Turnoff sits him down and explains that Trish is the only one of several victums brave enough to press charges. At the trial start, Judge Wren reminds the press they cannot divulge the complainant's identity.
Twila's testimony is key to the prosecution and admissable, as they were not married. Twila attests that Ernesto confessed the rape to her on a prison visit. Returning to the stand, Trish affirms she had been penetrated by a penis, having now been married three years and declares she feared for her life when it occurred.
Judge Wren and the jury find Miranda guilty as charged. Paroled after eight years, he earns money by selling his signature on copies of the Miranda Warning. Ernesto met his demise during an evening poker game.
Cast
[edit]- Abigail Breslin as Trish Weir[3]
- Luke Wilson as Lawrence Turoff[3]
- Andy García as Alvin Moore[3]
- Donald Sutherland as Judge Laurance T. Wren[7]
- Ryan Phillippe as John J. Flynn[7]
- Kyle MacLachlan as Chief Justice Earl Warren[4]
- Mireille Enos as Zeola[4]
- Taryn Manning as Twila Hoffman[7]
- Emily VanCamp as Ann Weir[10]
- Sebastian Quinn as Ernesto Miranda[10]
- Enrique Murciano as Detective Cooley[10]
- Brent Sexton as Sergeant Nealis[10]
- Nolan Gould as James Valenti
- Josh Bowman as Charles[10]
- Dan Lauria as Dr. Crawford
Production
[edit]In May 2022, it was announced that Breslin, Wilson, Sutherland and Garcia were cast in the film.[11] In June 2022, it was announced that Phillippe, MacLachlan, Enos and Manning were added to the cast.[12][13]
Filming began in New Jersey in June 2022.[7][14] The film was shot in Middletown Township, New Jersey, Red Bank, New Jersey and at Monmouth University.[15]
Release
[edit]Miranda's Victim had its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara, California.[16] It was released by Vertical Entertainment on October 6, 2023.[17]
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 81% of 27 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.0/10. The website's consensus reads: "Brought to life by a stellar cast, Miranda's Victim has a powerful message, albeit one that's occasionally undermined by its blunt approach to the issues."[18]
Phil Hoad of The Guardian gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and stated, "Danner essentially pits the rights of the suspect and the victim in a tug of war for the film's centre ground." Hoad also wrote, "It is meatily performed across the entire ensemble, with the curt and resolute Breslin selflessly letting the legal eagles fly high."[19]
Donald Liebenson of RogerEbert.com opined, "The script sometimes wields a heavy expository hand" and "The distinguished cast is uninformedly excellent in a film they clearly did not do for the money (one of the joys of the endangered mid-budget film)."[20]
Patrice Witherspoon of Screen Rant noted, "Crucially, Danner gives her actors the space to excel in every moment, giving us a compelling final product that is worth the watch. Abigail Breslin certifies her talent with every tear shed while giving an equally amazing physical performance. Ryan Phillippe also returns to form with his cutthroat approach to his character John Flynn."[21]
Olly Dyche of MovieWeb stated, "It sports an exceptional cast grounded by a fantastic performance from Abigail Breslin, as well as some gripping writing that will keep audiences hooked. Its production design is incredibly immersive, seamlessly sending audiences back in time to the '60s."[22]
John Serba of Decider described Miranda's Victim as "a thoroughly absorbing film that ably dramatizes thorny political-personal entanglements." Serba also remarked, "Its intent is pure and its foundational performances – from Breslin, Wilson, Enos, Quinn, VanCamp – are rock-solid."[23]
References
[edit]- ^ "Miranda's Victim (15)". British Board of Film Classification. November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ Bolton, Cameron (May 29, 2022). "Miranda's Victim Movie Gets All-Star Cast Including Abigail Breslin, Luke Wilson & More". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Grobar, Matt (May 27, 2022). "Abigail Breslin, Luke Wilson, Andy Garcia & Donald Sutherland To Star In Courtroom Drama 'Miranda's Victim' From Director Michelle Danner". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ a b c Grobar, Matt (June 2, 2022). "Ryan Phillippe, Mireille Enos, Kyle MacLachlan & Taryn Manning Join Michelle Danner's Courtroom Drama 'Miranda's Victim'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ O’Rourke, Ryan (June 8, 2022). "'Miranda's Victim' Adds Five to Cast Including Emily VanCamp, Sebastian Quinn, and More". Collider. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ Baldwin, Carly (May 18, 2022). "Movie Filmed At Middletown School Tells Origin Of U.S. Miranda Rights". Patch. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Kuperinsky, Amy (June 4, 2022). "'Miranda's Victim' movie, filming in N.J. with Abigail Breslin, adds Ryan Phillippe, Kyle MacLachlan and more". NJ.com. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
- ^ Walter, Pari (June 8, 2022). "Monmouth County location for film starring Abigail Breslin, Donald Sutherland, Andy Garcia". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ Walter, Pari (July 5, 2022). "Hollywood in NJ: 'Miranda's Victim' filming continues in Monmouth County". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Matt Grobar (June 8, 2022). "'Miranda's Victim': Emily VanCamp, Sebastian Quinn, Enrique Murciano & More Round Out Cast Of Courtroom Drama". Deadline, United States. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ Devore, Britta (May 27, 2022). "'Miranda's Victim' Casts Abigail Breslin, Luke Wilson, and Donald Sutherland in Courtroom Drama". Collider. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ DeVore, Britta (June 2, 2022). "'Miranda's Victim': Ryan Phillippe and Kyle MacLachlan Join True Crime Drama". Collider. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ Konrad, Jeremy (June 3, 2022). "Miranda's Victim Adds Four More To Cast, Including Taryn Manning". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ Baldwin, Carly (June 2, 2022). "Hollywood Comes To Middletown: Luke Wilson, Donald Sutherland Filming". Patch. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ Baldwin, Carly (February 14, 2023). "Middletown Plays Starring Role In A-Lister Movie 'Miranda's Victim'". Patch. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ Magnoli, Giana (February 9, 2023). "Santa Barbara International Film Festival Kicks Off With Opening Night World Premiere of 'Miranda's Victim'".
- ^ Grobar, Matt (August 16, 2023). "Abigail Breslin-Led Legal Drama Miranda's Victim Sets Vertical Release". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Miranda's Victim". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ Hoad, Phil (December 26, 2023). "Miranda's Victim review – law-changing courtroom drama stuffed with acting muscle". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ Liebenson, Donald (March 27, 2023). "SBIFF 2023: Miranda's Victim, American Outlaws: Faces of True Crime". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ Witherspoon, Patrice (October 5, 2023). "Miranda's Victim Review: Important Drama Is Elevated By Outstanding Performances". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 27, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ Dyche, Olly (October 5, 2023). "Miranda's Victim Review: An Inspiring True Story Led by a Great Abigail Breslin". MovieWeb. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ Serba, John (January 13, 2024). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Miranda's Victim' on Hulu, a Surprisingly Absorbing and Complex Drama About the Adoption of Miranda Rights". Decider. Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
