Sunny von Bülow (Glenn Close) lies brain dead and in a coma. She would narrate much of the movie. She is a rich socialite in Newport, Rhode Island. Her husband Claus (Jeremy Irons) is suspected by his step-kids and the maid of attempted murder. He stands to inherit $14 million of her fortune. They recruit a former D.A. to investigate. In 1982, the government uses the privately uncovered evidences to convict Claus. Claus hires Professor Alan Dershowitz (Ron Silver) to be his attorney on the advice of his girlfriend Andrea Reynolds (Christine Baranski) to get a Jew. Dershowitz is uncertain of his innocence but he needs money for the defense of two black kids about to be executed in Alabama. He also rejects what is essentially a privatized prosecution. He gathers a team of former colleges and students. Sarah (Annabella Sciorra) is a former girlfriend. Student Minnie (Felicity Huffman) almost walks out refusing to defend a rich guilty guy. David Marriott (Fisher Stevens) is a sleazy witness with damning testimony.
Both Jeremy Irons and Ron Silver are terrific. Irons never lets on his guilt or innocence. The investigation is compelling. There is clarity in the writing. This is based on Dershowitz's book and therefore the opposition doesn't have much screen time. There is real tension about Claus's trial and his guilt. It's a solid trial movie.
