Women in the Media
A key role played in this movie is the role of gender. They way the women act, dress, and speak all have an affect on the way that they movie is framed and interpreted by the audience. There are two major women in the film and they are portrayed quite differently than the other.
The main character of the movie is Sarah Tobias. She is the woman who was gang raped at the bar (based on the real life story of Cheryl Araujo). She is portrayed as being attractive, but dressing provocatively at times. Sarah Tobias lives in a trailer park and has a “white trash” boyfriend and a dog that she loves. Her family relationships aren’t the best (she calls her mother after the rape and her mother just assumes she needs money or something else from her).
In the movie, she was at the bar because of a fight with her boyfriend. She was legally drunk and had been smoking marijuana.
All of this has an affect on the way that viewers see Sarah Tobias and the events that happened to her.
The filmmakers made each decision with a purpose in mind. Hours were spent deciding the way that she talked or dressed.
The second female character is the prosecuting attorney, Kathryn Murphy. Kathryn is the lawyer assigned to Sarah Tobias’ case. She is professional and efficient, always dressing professionally. Kathryn comes off extremely concerned with the likelihood of winning a case and is career-driven. In the movie The Accused, Kathryn gives those accused of raping Sarah a plea bargain because she does not believe there is a good chance that they will win if it is taken to trial because of the circumstances of the rape.
Kathryn’s image and attitude changes throughout the movie and she takes a large risk in taking the bystanders to trial.