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Plot

British filmmaker Peter Yates directs Suspect, a suspenseful courtroom drama set in Washington, D.C. After a Supreme Court justice commits suicide and a Justice Department secretary is found dead, a deaf-mute homeless veteran, Carl Wayne Anderson (Liam Neeson), is the suspected killer. Lonely yet dedicated public defender Kathleen Riley (Cher) is assigned to the case to represent Anderson. Suave lobbyist Eddie Sanger (Dennis Quaid) is on the jury, but he starts his own investigation by finding clues that prove Anderson's innocence. He shares his information with Kathleen, even though they could get arrested for talking about the case. Eventually, they develop a romance and reveal a conspiracy that leads to a twist ending. The mysterious conclusion involves a final courtroom scene presided over by Judge Matthew Helms (played by character actor John Mahoney, who would go on to co-star on the sitcom Frasier).
MPAA Rating:
Genre(s):
Crime and Mystery,Drama,Thriller
Run Time:
101min.
Theatrical Release Date:
10/23/1987
DVD Release Date:
05/08/2001
Distributor(s):
Tri-Star Pictures
Director(s):
Peter Yates
Starring:
Cher , Dennis Quaid , Liam Neeson , John Mahoney , Joe Mantegna
Themes:
Conspiracies,Dangerous Attraction,Miscarriage of Justice,Protecting the Innocent
Tone:
Ominous,Slick,Talky,Tense
Keywords:
conspiracy,courtroom,deaf-mute,false-accusation,investigation,investigator,jury,justice,killing,lawyer,murder,private-detective,suicide,trial [courtroom],veteran [military]
Country of Origin:
USA (10-23-1987)
Language:
English