Eye for an Eye is a film starring Sally Field, Kiefer Sutherland, Ed Harris, Beverly D'Angelo and Joe Mantegna. The film opened on January 12, 1996.
The film was later remade in India as the Hindi film Dushman (1998) starring Kajol in a double role.[1]
Plot
Karen McCann (Sally Field) is a woman with everything to live for. She is happily married to Mack (Ed Harris) and has two daughters, 17-year-old Julie (Olivia Burnette) (from Karen's previous marriage) and six-year-old Megan (Alexandra Kyle). She lives in a nice house in Santa Monica, California and has a good job in a museum.
However, her world is shattered when Julie is violently raped and murdered. Devastated, Karen tries to maintain normality for Megan's sake—but she finds herself obsessed with bringing her daughter's killer to justice. Detective Sergeant Joe Denillo (Joe Mantegna), assures Karen that there is enough DNA evidence to help catch the killer. He also encourages her to seek counseling, and her husband agrees.
At a support group, they meet various people in similar circumstances, including Albert and Regina Gratz (William Mesnik and Rondi Reed, and Sidney Hughes (Philip Baker Hall). During the meeting, Karen overhears Albert and Regina talking to Sidney in a private room about something which alarms Regina.
The next day Denillo tells Karen that DNA tests have revealed the killer as Robert Doob (Kiefer Sutherland), a supermarket delivery man with a criminal record. At the trial, it is clear Doob is guilty, however, due to the fact that the defense was promised a sample of the DNA on which they could perform their own tests they did not receive, it forces the judge (Armin Shimerman) to dismiss the case. Karen and Mack are dumbstruck as Doob walks away a free man.
Mack is desperate to return to a normal life, but Karen cannot stop thinking of Doob. She investigates him, and finds out that he lives in a flophouse. She continues to spy on Doob, keeping a detailed record of his movements, which somehow brings her a sense of satisfaction. Despite a friend's pleas to stop, she continues stalking him. After observing Doob urinating on a customer's lawn after a delivery, she goes to Denillo—but he tells Karen there's not much he can do and to stay away from him. She then attempts to warn Doob's unsuspecting customer, but the woman only speaks Spanish and does not understand her.
Karen soon learns that the man who murdered the son of a member in her support group has been killed in a drive-by shooting, days after having been released from prison. A friend in her group tells Karen that the best way to get past the grief is to focus on the good times with her youngest daughter Megan—and Karen realizes that she has been so fixated on Doob that Megan has been deprived of her attention. Meanwhile, Doob has gone to Megan's school and struck up a conversation with the girl during recess, although Megan has no idea who he is. When Karen comes to pick up Megan, Doob whispers a crude and threatening comment in her ear.
Worried for Megan’s safety, Karen remembers what happened to the killer of her friend's son and approaches Sidney who admits that the drive-by shooting was indeed set-up by Sidney and Martin. Karen demands their help. They agree to help her find a weapon, train her, and plan the murder, but tell her she has to carry it out. Karen agrees and they begin plotting the murder, unbeknownst to Mack. She also joins a self-defense class which helps her gain more confidence, helps rekindle her sex life with Mack, and improves her relationship with Megan. Karen feels encouraged and, although Martin doubts Karen is capable of murder, Sidney gives her a gun.
The next day, Angel (Charlayne Woodard), a member of Karen's support group reveals that she is really an undercover FBI Agent who is investigating vigilante activity. Angel warns Karen not to kill Doob, as it would not be considered self-defense and Karen would spend the rest of her life in prison. Karen calls Sidney to tell him she cannot go through with it. Soon after, however, she changes her mind when she learns that the Hispanic customer she tried to warn about Doob has been raped and murdered in her home, in the same way Julie was. Hearing that Doob has once again gotten off on a technicality bolsters her resolve.
Karen sets a trap to lure Doob into her home, so that she can say killing him was self-defense. It works. After she shoots Doob dead and calls the police. Denillo arrives and tells Karen that he knows the truth and that she hasn't fooled him, to which she replies "prove it". He decides to tell his colleague that it was a "clear case of self-defense". Then her husband arrives seeing the police cars go inside and finds her on the couch so he sits beside her holding her hand knowing what she has done.
Cast
References
External links
