Main Cast: Donald Sutherland, Amy Irving, Rider Strong, Christopher McDonald, Graham Greene
Release Year: 1993
Country: US/DE
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
In this suspense thriller, a woman wonders if she can trust her memory when her father returns from prison a very different man from the violent psychopath she remembers. Karen (Amy Irving) is a single mother who twenty years ago delivered the testimony that put her father Frank (Donald Sutherland) behind bars for the murder of her mother. While Karen has no doubts that Frank is guilty of the crime, the years have clouded her memory a bit and she doesn't recall all the events with complete clarity. Now that Frank has been released, he's returned to Karen's neighborhood and is going out of his way to ingratiate himself with Pete (Rider Strong), her son, and Dan (Christopher McDonald), her boyfriend. A furious Karen confronts Frank, but she discovers a father who is not the ogre she sent to prison but a calm, charming, well-spoken gentleman who seems to bear her no ill will. They discuss the death of Karen's mother and Frank begins to convince her that it was all a terrible accident. Frank begins to work his way back into Karen's life as he gradually cuts her off from her circle of friends; when Dan dies under mysterious circumstances, Karen thinks nothing of it, but Sheriff Calhoun (Graham Greene) wonders if Frank might have something to do with the crime. Benefit of the Doubt marked the feature debut for producer Jonathan Heap. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Theodore Bikel - Attorney Gideon Lee; Gisele Kovach - Susanna; Don Collier - Charlie; Heinrich James - Marina Guard; Margaret Johnston - Waitress; Ferdy [Ferdinand] Mayne - Mueller; Patricia Tallman - Karen's Mom; Ralph McTurk - Trooper; John Bachelder - Young Man; David Hammond - Jimmy; Shane McCabe - Wayland; Owens Hill; Rachel Abroms; Douglas Deane - Turner; Jean Fowler - Examiner
Credit
David S. Lazan - Art Director, Dieter Geissler - Co-producer, Myron Hoffert - First Assistant Director, Todd Pfeiffer - First Assistant Director, Jonathan Heap - Director, Sharyn Ross - Editor, Bob Weinstein - Executive Producer, Harvey Weinstein - Executive Producer, Hummie Mann - Composer (Music Score), Ann Masterson - Makeup, Marina Kieser - Production Designer, Johnny E. Jensen - Cinematographer, Lowell D. Blank - Producer, Brad M. Gilbert - Producer, Michael Spielberg - Producer, Susan Slonaker - Producer, Larry Dias - Set Designer, John Gray - Special Effects, Michael Lieber - Screen Story, Alison Cross - Screenwriter, Graham Ludlow - Production Executive
