Jagged Edge (film)
Encyclopedia
Jagged Edge is a film starring Glenn Close
, Jeff Bridges
, and Peter Coyote
. Robert Loggia
received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor
for his role in this film. It is a courtroom thriller, written by Joe Eszterhas
, and directed by Richard Marquand
. It became a box office hit.
Krasny runs into Barnes in a restaurant, where she is dining with her ex-husband. He tells her that "Henry Styles hanged himself in his cell," which clearly distresses her. Barnes visits Sam Ransom (Loggia), a two-bit private detective who used to work for Krasny's office as well. He stopped private investigations at the same time that Barnes left Krasny's office, and it becomes clear that Styles's case was the reason why. During her visit with Ransom, Barnes decides to take the case.
In the course of preparing for the trial, Barnes and Forrester spend a great deal of time together, and eventually, they sleep together. Ransom warns Barnes that Forrester is just trying to make her care more about his case so that she won't lose it. She says, "I know that!" In the run-up to the trial, her office begins receiving anonymous typed letters that mention things about the case. All of the "t's" in the letters are slightly raised, and Ransom has the notes analyzed, determining that they were typed on a 1942 Corona
typewriter.
In a pre-trial meeting, Barnes tells the judge that Krasny has a history of not meeting his discovery obligations. She is warned about making such a claim without any evidence. The prosecution's case relies mainly on circumstantial evidence. A jilted woman claimed that Paige told her she was divorcing Jack, but Barnes discredits her with evidence, including a love letter, that her advances had been rejected by Jack, causing Paige to cut off all communication with her. The other main witness is a locker-room attendant at a private club who claims to have seen a hunting knife in Forrester's locker. Barnes discredits him by proving that the knife was in another member's locker.
Krasny calls a witness who had an affair with Forrester. The details of her relationship with Forrester are eerily similar to the way he seduced Barnes. She is horrified and threatens to drop the case. She only agrees to proceed due to a sense of duty, though she now believes that Forrester is guilty. Another note arrives at her office saying, "He is innocent. Santa Cruz. January 21, 1984. Ask Julie Jensen."
Barnes drives to Santa Cruz
and interviews Jensen, who then testifies at the trial that she was attacked in the same manner as Paige Forrester. All the details match, but she says her attacker seemed to stop himself from killing her. As Krasny is busy objecting that the attack on Jensen is unrelated to the one on Forrester, he lets slip that his office had investigated the attack and not revealed it in discovery. In chambers, the judge threatens to have Krasny disbarred. It's become obvious that he's lost the case and that Barnes once again believes Forrester is innocent. Krasny seems deranged as he yells at Barnes that Forrester is guilty and not just a psychopath but an "iceman." Krasny insists that Forrester staged the earlier attack on Jensen in order to create an alibi of sorts for Paige's murder, which he had planned for eighteen months. Krasny also insists that Forrester has been sending Barnes the anonymous notes, leading her along.
After the "not guilty" verdict is read, Barnes announces to the media that she left Krasny's office over the Henry Styles case, where Krasny suppressed evidence that proved Styles was innocent. Krasny walks off in disgust. Barnes goes over to Forrester's house to celebrate, and they sleep together again. In the morning, as she is changing the sheets on the bed, she discovers a Corona typewriter in his closet. She tests it by typing 'He is innocent,' and the "t" is raised just as it was in the anonymous notes she received. She throws clothing over the typewriter and flees with it, pretending to Forrester that her little boy is sick.
With Barnes back at home, Forrester calls to ask after her little boy, and she tells him that she found the typewriter. Forrester says he's baffled and that he's coming over. Barnes calls Ransom, breathless with fear and on the brink of telling him that Forrester is a killer, when a sudden calm comes over her face, and she instead murmurs something inconsequential and hangs up. The masked figure last seen in the opening scene breaks into her house and confronts her in her bedroom. She knew he'd come and is waiting for him, covered up in bed. As he starts to attack, Barnes throws back the covers to reveal her gun. She shoots him multiple times until he falls to the floor. Ransom comes in with his gun drawn and unmasks the attacker: it is Forrester. "He was trash," Ransom says to Barnes.
film Antima Ghatta (1987) starring Shankar Nag
, Urvashi
and Tara
, was directly based on Jagged Edge, including the typewriter with the raised 't' letter.
The 2001 Bollywood
film 'Kasoor' starring Aftab Shivdasani
, Lisa Ray
was also based on Jagged Edge .
Glenn Close
Glenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
, Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
, and Peter Coyote
Peter Coyote
Peter Coyote is an American actor, author, director, screenwriter and narrator of films, theatre, television and audio books. His voice work includes narrating the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics and Apple's iPad campaign. He has also served as on-camera co-host of the 2000 Oscar...
. Robert Loggia
Robert Loggia
Robert Loggia is an American film and television actor and director.- Early life :Loggia, an Italian American, was born on Staten Island, the son of Elena Blandino, a homemaker, and Benjamin Loggia, a shoemaker, both of whom were born in Sicily, Italy...
received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
for his role in this film. It is a courtroom thriller, written by Joe Eszterhas
Joe Eszterhas
József A. "Joe" Eszterhas is a Hungarian-American writer, best known for his work on the pulp erotic films Basic Instinct and Showgirls. He has also written several non-fiction books, including an autobiography entitled Hollywood Animal.-Early life:Eszterhas was born in Csákánydoroszló, Hungary,...
, and directed by Richard Marquand
Richard Marquand
Richard Marquand was a Welsh film director best known for directing the 1983 blockbuster Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi.-Early life:...
. It became a box office hit.
Plot
The movie opens with the brutal murder of San Francisco socialite Paige Forrester at her remote beach house. An intruder in a black mask ties her up in bed and kills her with a hunting knife. He writes the word 'Bitch' on the wall above the bed with her blood. Her husband Jack Forrester (Bridges) is devastated. To make matters worse, he is then arrested for her murder by Thomas Krasny (Coyote), a posturing D.A.. Jack tries to hire high-profile lawyer Teddy Barnes (Close) to defend him. Barnes used to work for Krasny, and she is reluctant to take the case, as she stopped working in criminal law after an incident with Krasny.Krasny runs into Barnes in a restaurant, where she is dining with her ex-husband. He tells her that "Henry Styles hanged himself in his cell," which clearly distresses her. Barnes visits Sam Ransom (Loggia), a two-bit private detective who used to work for Krasny's office as well. He stopped private investigations at the same time that Barnes left Krasny's office, and it becomes clear that Styles's case was the reason why. During her visit with Ransom, Barnes decides to take the case.
In the course of preparing for the trial, Barnes and Forrester spend a great deal of time together, and eventually, they sleep together. Ransom warns Barnes that Forrester is just trying to make her care more about his case so that she won't lose it. She says, "I know that!" In the run-up to the trial, her office begins receiving anonymous typed letters that mention things about the case. All of the "t's" in the letters are slightly raised, and Ransom has the notes analyzed, determining that they were typed on a 1942 Corona
Smith Corona
Smith Corona or the SCM Corporation is a US typewriter and calculator company. Once a large U.S. manufacturer, the company experienced sales declines in typewriters in the mid-1980s due to the introduction of PC-based word processing...
typewriter.
In a pre-trial meeting, Barnes tells the judge that Krasny has a history of not meeting his discovery obligations. She is warned about making such a claim without any evidence. The prosecution's case relies mainly on circumstantial evidence. A jilted woman claimed that Paige told her she was divorcing Jack, but Barnes discredits her with evidence, including a love letter, that her advances had been rejected by Jack, causing Paige to cut off all communication with her. The other main witness is a locker-room attendant at a private club who claims to have seen a hunting knife in Forrester's locker. Barnes discredits him by proving that the knife was in another member's locker.
Krasny calls a witness who had an affair with Forrester. The details of her relationship with Forrester are eerily similar to the way he seduced Barnes. She is horrified and threatens to drop the case. She only agrees to proceed due to a sense of duty, though she now believes that Forrester is guilty. Another note arrives at her office saying, "He is innocent. Santa Cruz. January 21, 1984. Ask Julie Jensen."
Barnes drives to Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
and interviews Jensen, who then testifies at the trial that she was attacked in the same manner as Paige Forrester. All the details match, but she says her attacker seemed to stop himself from killing her. As Krasny is busy objecting that the attack on Jensen is unrelated to the one on Forrester, he lets slip that his office had investigated the attack and not revealed it in discovery. In chambers, the judge threatens to have Krasny disbarred. It's become obvious that he's lost the case and that Barnes once again believes Forrester is innocent. Krasny seems deranged as he yells at Barnes that Forrester is guilty and not just a psychopath but an "iceman." Krasny insists that Forrester staged the earlier attack on Jensen in order to create an alibi of sorts for Paige's murder, which he had planned for eighteen months. Krasny also insists that Forrester has been sending Barnes the anonymous notes, leading her along.
After the "not guilty" verdict is read, Barnes announces to the media that she left Krasny's office over the Henry Styles case, where Krasny suppressed evidence that proved Styles was innocent. Krasny walks off in disgust. Barnes goes over to Forrester's house to celebrate, and they sleep together again. In the morning, as she is changing the sheets on the bed, she discovers a Corona typewriter in his closet. She tests it by typing 'He is innocent,' and the "t" is raised just as it was in the anonymous notes she received. She throws clothing over the typewriter and flees with it, pretending to Forrester that her little boy is sick.
With Barnes back at home, Forrester calls to ask after her little boy, and she tells him that she found the typewriter. Forrester says he's baffled and that he's coming over. Barnes calls Ransom, breathless with fear and on the brink of telling him that Forrester is a killer, when a sudden calm comes over her face, and she instead murmurs something inconsequential and hangs up. The masked figure last seen in the opening scene breaks into her house and confronts her in her bedroom. She knew he'd come and is waiting for him, covered up in bed. As he starts to attack, Barnes throws back the covers to reveal her gun. She shoots him multiple times until he falls to the floor. Ransom comes in with his gun drawn and unmasks the attacker: it is Forrester. "He was trash," Ransom says to Barnes.
Derivatives
The AdultSwim show Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law episode 4 Death By Chocolate was based on Jagged Edge The KannadaKannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
film Antima Ghatta (1987) starring Shankar Nag
Shankar Nag
Shankar Nagarkatte , 9 November 1954 - 30 September 1990) popularly known as Shankar Nag was a popular actor and director of Kannada cinema. He also directed and acted in the teleserial, Malgudi days, based on celebrated novelist R.K.Narayan's short stories. Besides these, he was actively involved...
, Urvashi
Urvashi (actress)
Kavitha Ranjini, better known by her stage name Urvashi , is an Indian film actress and producer. She was a prominent lead actress during the 1980s and 1990s in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu films. She has dubbed in her own voice in all these languages. And she produced the film Pidakkozhi...
and Tara
Tara (Kannada actress)
Tara is a Kannada film actress. She won the Best Actress award in the 2005 National Film Awards for her role in the film Hasina , which also received the Best Film on Family Welfare award...
, was directly based on Jagged Edge, including the typewriter with the raised 't' letter.
The 2001 Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film 'Kasoor' starring Aftab Shivdasani
Aftab Shivdasani
Aftab Shivadasani is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films. He started as a child actor in commercials and has performed in over 40 films. He also co-wrote and helped produce the film Aao Wish Karein. He started his career as a child artist in the movie Mr. India. Shivdasani is currently...
, Lisa Ray
Lisa Ray
Lisa Ray , born 4 April 1972, is a Canadian actress and former model.-Early life:Lisa Ray was born in Toronto to a Bengali Indian father and a Polish mother and grew up in the suburb of Etobicoke...
was also based on Jagged Edge .
Cast
- Glenn CloseGlenn CloseGlenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
- Teddy Barnes - Jeff BridgesJeff BridgesJeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
- Jack Forrester - Peter CoyotePeter CoyotePeter Coyote is an American actor, author, director, screenwriter and narrator of films, theatre, television and audio books. His voice work includes narrating the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics and Apple's iPad campaign. He has also served as on-camera co-host of the 2000 Oscar...
- Thomas Krasny - Robert LoggiaRobert LoggiaRobert Loggia is an American film and television actor and director.- Early life :Loggia, an Italian American, was born on Staten Island, the son of Elena Blandino, a homemaker, and Benjamin Loggia, a shoemaker, both of whom were born in Sicily, Italy...
- Sam Ransom - John DehnerJohn DehnerJohn Dehner was an American actor in radio, television, and films, playing countless roles, often as a droll villain. Between 1941 and 1988, he appeared in over 260 films and television programs. Prior to acting, Dehner had worked as an animator at Walt Disney Studios, and later became a radio...
- Judge Carrigan - Karen AustinKaren AustinKaren Austin is an American actress. Austin has made many TV and film appearances since the 1980s.-Filmography:* 1983 - The Taming of the Shrew - Katherina* 1984 - "Celebrity mini-series - Ceil Shannon...
- Julie Jenson - Guy BoydGuy Boyd (actor)Guy Boyd is an American character actor. He has starred in over fifty films from the late 1970s to the present. He is probably best known for his role as Detective Jim McLean in Brian De Palma's thriller Body Double...
- Matthew Barnes - Marshall Colt - Bobby Slade
- Louis GiambalvoLouis GiambalvoLouis Giambalvo is an American actor, frequently seen on television in guest roles.His television credits include: Barney Miller, Hart to Hart, St...
- Fabrizi - Ben Hammer - Dr. Goldman
- Lance HenriksenLance HenriksenLance James Henriksen is an American actor and artist best known to film and television audiences for his roles in science fiction, action, and horror films such as the Alien film franchise, and on television shows such as Millennium....
- Frank Martin - Sanford Jensen - Scott Talbot
- James KarenJames KarenJames Karen is an American character actor of Broadway, film and television.-Life and career:Karen was born Jacob Karnofsky in Wilkes-Barre, in northeastern Pennsylvania, the son of Russian-born Jewish immigrants Mae and Joseph H. Karnofsky, a produce dealer. As a young man, Karen was encouraged...
- Andrew Hardesty - Leigh Taylor-YoungLeigh Taylor-YoungLeigh Taylor-Young is an American actress who has appeared on stage, screen, and television.-Early life:Leigh Taylor-Young was born on January 25, 1945 in Washington, D.C. Her last name is an amalgamation of the last names of her father, a diplomat, and her stepfather, a successful Detroit executive...
- Virginia Howell - William Allen YoungWilliam Allen YoungWilliam Allen Young is an American actor best known for playing a role of Frank Mitchell on UPN's Moesha in 1996 and directing a few episodes of the show, and made a guest appearance on UPN's The Parkers as Frank Mitchell...
- Greg Arnold - Ann Walker - Ms. Barnes' Secretary
- James Winkler - Ted Fitzpatrick (as James Winker)
- Bruce FrenchBruce French (actor)Bruce French is an American actor who has more than 30 years of acting credits to his name.French attended the University of Iowa and majored in speech and theatre...
- Richard Duffin - Brandon CallBrandon CallBrandon Spencer Lee Call is an American television and film actor.-Early life and career:Born in Torrance, California, Call began his career as a child actor in 1984 appearing in guest roles on Simon & Simon and Hotel. In 1985, he landed a recurring role on the NBC daytime drama, Santa Barbara...
- David Barne - Phyllis Applegate - Mrs. Stiles
- Michael DornMichael DornMichael Dorn is an American actor, and voice artist who is best known for his role as the Klingon Worf from the Star Trek franchise.-Early life and career:...
- Dan Hislan