Did Rusty Sabich kill Carolyn Polhemus ? That is the head at the heart ofPresumed Innocent , a legal thriller novel by author Scott Turow . Rusty , who works as a prosecuting officer , is charge with the murder of his confrere and kept woman . The courtroom , which used to be Rusty ’s sanctuary , transform into his field of battle as he struggle to prove his sinlessness .
The first major adjustment of Turow ’s novel debut in 1990 . Directed by Alan J. Pakula , Presumed Innocentis a film starring Harrison Ford as Rusty . Now , 34 twelvemonth subsequently , David E. Kelley has adaptedPresumed Innocentinto anApple TV+television series starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Rusty . Both edition have their strengths and weaknesses . Which one is better ? rent ’s examine the slip and fork over the verdict .
Note : This article contains major spoilers for both the movie and TV series version of Presumed Innocent .
Who is a better Rusty Sabich: Harrison Ford or Jake Gyllenhaal?
Ford and Gyllenhaal are two leading men cut from a different cloth . Ford is used to being the hero in every role . You ca n’t blame him for his epic mind-set , take he ’s play Indiana Jones andHan Solo . Ford plays Rusty with such stoicism and honor that you forget he cheated on his wife with a co - worker . Ford ’s Rusty has a quiet conviction to him — you never doubt Rusty ’s edition of events .
Gyllenhaal is the smoother performing artist . TheRoad Housestar jaw up every piece of dialogue given to him . Gyllenhaal ’s Rusty is flashy , helter-skelter , and off the railing . In other words , it ’s another example of Gyllenhaal ’s fearlessness as a performer , one who brings intensity and swagger . If you go away into the Apple TV+ series without knowledge of the novel or movie , you would assume Gyllenhaal is hangdog because of his desperate , obsessive demeanour . It ’s a solid performance from Gyllenhaal , but not his best . In the destruction , Ford ’s confine , ambiguous performance is well - suited for Rusty .
Winner : Harrison Ford ( movie )
Who is a better Barbara Sabich: Bonnie Bedelia or Ruth Negga?
Barbara Sabich is a complex character confront a challenging task : She has to convince the audience that stay with Rusty , despite his unfaithfulness , is the correct move . Throughout the movie , Bonnie Bedelia ’s Barbara never even thinks about leaving Rusty ’s side . Barbara has been lied to , and yet , she continue steadfast in desire to make her wedding work . Knowing how the movie ends , Bedelia ’s durability is her vagueness . She does n’t sway too far from the midsection and never tips her mitt .
Ruth Negga ’s Barbara is much more self-assertive in her interaction with Rusty . She even considers an affair of her own , though never do on it besides a kiss . Barbara wants to entrust Rusty , but remains by his side because of the child . Frankly , Negga does n’t get as much to do as Bedalia . Negga ’s grownup scene is all chemical reaction , conveying shock and horror when she learns about the killer . It ’s not as racy or muscular as a performance as Bedalia ’s , whose final monologue will send shivers down your thorn .
succeeder : Bonnie Bedelia ( movie )
Which one has a better supporting cast: the movie or TV show?
Before we can compare , let ’s name all the major supporting players . In the movie , the plunk for cast include Greta Scacchi as Carolyn Polhemus , Rusty ’s femme fatale schoolma’am and co - prole ; character actor Brian Dennehy as Raymond Horgan , the territory attorney and Rusty ’s friend;The Addams Family‘s Raul Julia as Alejandro “ Sandy ” Stern , Rusty ’s excellent defense attorney ; Paul Winfield as Larren L. Lyttle , the magnate - athirst judge;The West Wing‘s John Spencer as Detective Dan Lipranzer , one of Rusty ’s only allies ; Joe Grifasi as Tommy Molto , theoverzealouslawyer out to nail Rusty ; and Tom Mardirosian as Nico Della Guardia , a territorial dominion lawyer candidate hunt down against Horgan .
The TV show keeps most of the same characters , but adjusts their personality traits . The television set adjustment ’s supporting players includes Renate Reinsve as Carolyn Polhemus , Rusty ’s schoolmistress and colleague ; Bill Camp as Raymond Horgan , Rusty ’s dear friend and the district attorney , who becomes his Defense Department lawyer ; O - T Fagbenle as Nico Della Guardia , the district attorney candidate who attempt to voice likeWalter muckle fromGhostbusters ; Chase Infiniti as Jaden Sabich , Rusty ’s adolescent girl ; Kingston Rumi Southwick as Kyle Sabich , Rusty ’s teenage son ; and Peter Sarsgaard as Tommy Molto , Della Guardia ’s right - script man and rival prosecuting officer to Rusty .
Sarsgaard is by far the best piece on either chessboard . While Grifasi ’s Molto is a slimy , insecure pipsqueak , Sarsgaard ’s Molto is cocky , sure-footed , and a top - nick lawyer . Sarsgaard excels in his panorama in the courtroom , specially when he calls Rusty to the stand . The show sample to convey Molto as the creepy-crawly - jealous type , but by the time the show ends , he ’s the admirable underdog who deserves Department of Justice . If Sarsgaard wins the gold , the always - reliable inner circle secure the silver . Making Molto and Horgan square off in the courtroom was Kelley ’s best alteration from the movie .
Winner : idiot box show
Which one has the better twist ending: the movie or TV show?
Presumed Innocentlives and dies ( literally ) with itstwist ending . In the moving-picture show , Judge Lyttle dismisses the armorial bearing due to lack of evidence , stool Rusty a innocent man . At home in his cellar , Rusty discovers a hatchet with pilus and lineage on it . in short after , Barbara arrives , sees the hatchet , and accommodate to kill Carolyn . Barbara was fed up with the occasion and took matters into her own hands . Barbara even allow enough grounds at the crime scene to have Rusty know it was her . However , Barbara did not anticipate Rusty would be charged with the murder . Rusty find guilty for his actions , but he choose not to prosecute Barbara because he wants his boy to have a female parent .
The video show vary from this pattern dramatically . After receiving a finding of fact of not guilty , Rusty return home to be with his family . Later that Nox , Rusty charge Barbara of kill Carolyn . On the nighttime of the execution , Rusty returned to Carolyn ’s flat after someone killed her . Knowing he ’d be the top suspect , Rusty manipulated the crime scene to make it look like someone else did it . Despite Barbara ’s self-renunciation , Rusty is adamant she shoot down Carolyn because he get across her car when the execution weapon was planted in Molto ’s apartment . That ’s when Jaden walk into the elbow room and admits to killing Carolyn with a fire poker . Jaden plant the grounds at Molto ’s apartment to scare him . Rusty distinguish Jaden and Barbara that they will never verbalize about this again , and they move on with their life .
The boob tube ending is too far - fetched . No seeds were planted to suggest Jaden was the killer . If any of the kids were to kill Carolyn , it should have been Kyle since he was spotted on a camera at her menage . Rusty altering the crime scene for Barbara would have been a satisfying enough twist . sum Jaden into the mix was overkill . In Pakula ’s motion picture , the end is extremely agonizing because of Bedelia ’s haunting monologue . Seeing Ford ’s weeping reaction as Bedelia tries to absolve her activity is the better and moreshocking finish .
success : Movie
Verdict
In the end , the movie is the superior adaptation . While the television set show is solid , the improbable ending was a bridge too far . The show also lost energy whenever it was n’t in the court . Still , the Apple TV+ adaption is extremely watchable and pleasurable . However , the moving picture reigns supreme . It ’s a tight , compact narration with a compelling performance from Ford and a memorable twist close .
Overall Winner : presume Innocent ( movie )
Buy or rentPresumed Innocent(movie ) onAppleTV+,Prime Video , Google , orYouTube . StreamPresumed Innocent(TV show ) onApple TV+ .
