| The Trial | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Gary Wheeler |
| Produced by | Gary Wheeler |
| Written by | Mark Freiburger Gary Wheeler Robert Whitlow |
| Starring | Matthew Modine Randy Wayne Bob Gunton Robert Forster |
| Music by | Rob Pottorf |
| Cinematography | Tom Priestley |
| Editing by | Jonathan Olive |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | October 10, 2010 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Trial is a 2010 drama film starring Matthew Modine. It is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Whitlow.
Contents |
After his two sons and wife die in a horrific car crash, suicide seems to be the only escape for small town attorney Kent "Mac" McClainas until he's assigned a capital punishment involving the murder of the daughter of a powerful business man who was drugged. All the odds seem stacked against McClain as he loses the case. After losing the case McClain manages to save the accused mans life by getting him off death row. At the end of the movie it is discovered by a private investigator that it was someone else who committed the murder and the accused is exonerated.
Filming took place in Charlotte, North Carolina. Reception has been mostly positive, with Lawrence Toppelman of The Charlotte Observer saying in his review; "The actors are all comfortable in this familiar emotional territory. The low-key Modine seems most at home as the burned-out McClain, but he finally rises to the right level of passionate intensity by the end. Carey is both maternal and romantic, and Gunton – whose 30-year film career seems like an unbroken string of villains, most memorably in “The Shawshank Redemption” – is more subtle and interesting here than usual."
"The Trial" was awarded the Parents Television Council's Seal of Approval™. The PTC said:
"'The Trial' combines the best features of courtroom drama, murder mystery and character story. 'The Trial' is a powerful drama which shows the power of healing and hope."