Trivia / The Accused

• California Doubling: Although set in Washington, most of the filming was done in Vancouver.
• Career Resurrection: For Jodie Foster. She had been left shaken by the John Hinckley affair and semi-retired from acting in the early '80s, going off to college and only doing a handful of roles. By the time she returned to acting full-time, her box-office clout had long since faded and she was desperate to get a role in a mainstream film, hence why she had no reservations about doing the graphic scenes that caused numerous other actresses to turn down the part. Even then, it was thought that she wasn't a big enough star or sexy enough for the part, and it was only when Kelly McGillis came on board, at the height of her stardom from Witness and Top Gun, that they let Foster play Sarah. The subsequent Oscar win helped get her career back on track.
• Cast the Runner-Up: Kelly McGillis was offered the role of Sarah Tobias, but having survived a violent sexual assault at knifepoint by two men who broke into her NYC apartment in 1982, she declined the role and instead fought for the part of Kathryn Murphy.
• Creator Backlash: Jodie Foster thought her performance was so bad she was prepared to give up acting altogether. Naturally she changed her tune when she won an Oscar for it.
• Creator Breakdown: Woody Brown vomited in his trailer after filming the rape scene. Ironically averted by Jodie Foster - whom everyone had been worried about, since she was playing the victim. Since the scene was carefully rehearsed in advance so there would be no unpleasant surprises, she was fine afterwards (although she did burst a blood vessel in her eye from having to cry so much).
• Enforced Method Acting: The director filmed the rape sequence first so the actors' attitudes toward Jodie Foster throughout the movie would more accurately reflect their unease and guilt over what had happened.
• Executive Meddling: Jodie Foster revealed in a 2006 interview that one producer felt she should be recast because she "wasn't sexy enough".
• Reality Subtext: Kelly McGillis was a rape victim herself and thus turned down the role of Sarah, lobbying instead to play Kathryn.
• Serendipity Writes the Plot: The real-life incident involved a pool table. However, out of fear of getting sued, it was changed to a pin ball machine.
• Stunt Casting: Kelly McGillis's casting was to give the film a bankable name - as she had just starred in Top Gun. This allowed them to cast Jodie Foster, who was not considered bankable at the time.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Candidates for Sarah Tobias included Rosanna Arquette, Ellen Barkin, Jennifer Beals, Phoebe Cates, Jennifer Connelly, Joan Cusack, Bridget Fonda, Jennifer Grey, Melanie Griffith, Daryl Hannah, Linda Hamilton, Mariel Hemingway, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Andie MacDowell, Madonna, Alyssa Milano, Demi Moore, Brigitte Nielsen, Tatum O'Neal, Molly Ringwald, Meg Ryan, Ally Sheedy, Brooke Shields, Elisabeth Shue, Uma Thurman and Debra Winger. Many name actresses turned the role down, thinking the film was going to be exploitation.
  • Candidates for Kathryn Murphy included Kim Basinger, Kate Capshaw, Stockard Channing, Glenn Close, Jamie Lee Curtis, Beverly D'Angelo, Geena Davis, Mia Farrow, Sally Field, Teri Garr, Goldie Hawn, Anjelica Huston, Amy Irving, Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, Catherine O'Hara, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kelly Preston, Cybill Shepherd, Sissy Spacek, Meryl Streep, Kathleen Turner and Sigourney Weaver.
  • Brad Pitt auditioned for Ken Joyce.
  • Brian De Palma was originally assigned to direct the movie.
  • The original draft of the script focused more on Kathryn's story. Jonathan Kaplan however wanted the rape victim to receive the same prominence, and so Sarah's part was expanded.
• Working Title: The film's original title was Reckless Endangerment, which is the charge the accused rapists initially plea-bargain their convictions down to.

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