Trivia for
The Accused (1988) More at IMDbPro »

• To prepare for the role she was cast, Jodie Foster attended meetings of rape support groups and read stories of rape experiences.
  
  
• The film's original title was "Reckless Endangerment", which is the charge the accused rapists initially plea-bargain their convictions down to.
  
  
• According Jodie Foster in her interview in Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters (2006), producer Stanley R. Jaffe felt she was "not sexy enough" for the role and wanted to cast another actress. He begged director Jonathan Kaplan to cast Kim Basinger in the role of Sarah, as he felt that 24-year-old Jodie Foster did not have the right talent for the role.
  
  
• The movie is based on a real-life gang rape that occurred on 6 March 1983 at Big Dan's Bar in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
  
  
• Upon seeing a pre-screening of the film, Jodie Foster thought her performance as Sarah Tobias was so awful that she immediately began preparing for and taking the GRE's for graduate school. She was prepared to leave her film career behind and focus on academia...until she won the Academy Award for her performance.
  
  
• The movie's release was affected by the WGA strike in 1988. Originally, its date of release was for April 21, but was delayed until October.
  
  
• Linda Hamilton, Melanie Griffith, Daryl Hannah, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Joan Cusack, Tatum O'Neal, Molly Ringwald and Jennifer Connelly all turned down the role of Sarah.
  
  
• Kathleen Turner was considered for the role of Kathryn.
  
  
• Debra Winger turned down the role of Sarah. Heather Locklear tried to audition for the role, and Ally Sheedy was considered to play Sarah, but she backed out.
  
  
• Sigourney Weaver, Diane Lane, Brooke Shields, Sarah Jessica Parker, Carrie Fisher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Geena Davis were all reportedly offered the role of Kathryn, but turned it down.
  
  
• Justine Bateman turned down the role of Sarah, in order to stay on the TV series "Family Ties" (1982)
  
  
• Phoebe Cates reportedly turned down the offer to play Sarah.
  
  
• Kristin Davis auditioned for the role of Sarah Tobias.
  
  
• Kelly LeBrock auditioned for the role of Sarah Tobias, but turned it down.
  
  
• Annabeth Gish, Alyssa Milano, Demi Moore and Uma Thurman all auditioned for the role of Sarah.
  
  
• Madonna, Ellen Barkin, Brigitte Nielsen, Elisabeth Shue, Bridget Fonda, Mariel Hemingway and Virginia Madsen were considered for the role of Sarah. Rosanna Arquette and Kay Lenz were offered the role, but both declined the offer.
  
  
• Susan Sarandon, Dianne Wiest, Liza Minnelli, Mary Gross, Mia Farrow, Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, Barbara Hershey, Glenn Close, Cybill Shepherd, Diane Keaton, Amy Irving, Mary Steenburgen and Jessica Lange were all considered for the role of Kathryn. Kate Capshaw auditioned only once for the role.
  
  
• The part of Sarah Tobias was written for Andie MacDowell who was the first choice to play the part.
  
  
• Kim Basinger was at one point cast as Sarah Tobias. She was offered $ 250,000 if she would play the part, but declined the offer.
  
  
• Brian De Palma was originally assigned to direct the movie.
  
  
• Jodie Foster, the actress who got the part of Sarah Tobias, was actually the fourth choice.
  
  
• Valerie Bertinelli, Jennifer Grey, Meg Ryan and Sharon Stone were considered for the role of Sarah Tobias.
  
  
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus was considered for the role of Sarah Tobias, but was later discarded because she was "too nice" for the part.
  
  
• Kelly McGillis was offered the role of Sarah Tobias, but having survived a violent sexual assault in 1982 by two men who broke into her apartment, she declined the role and instead fought for the part of Kathryn Murphy.
  
  

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