Reversal of Fortune is a 1990 American drama film adapted from the 1985 book Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case, written by law professor Alan Dershowitz. It recounts the true story of the unexplained coma of socialite Sunny von Bülow, the subsequent attempted murder trial, and the eventual acquittal of her husband, Claus von Bülow, who had Dershowitz as his defense attorney.[1] The film was directed by Barbet Schroeder and stars Jeremy Irons as Claus, Glenn Close as Sunny, and Ron Silver as Dershowitz. Screenwriter Nick Kazan originally envisioned Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer in the role of Claus von Bülow but was thrilled with Irons' performance. Irons earned the 1990 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film.
| Reversal of Fortune | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Barbet Schroeder |
| Screenplay by | Nicholas Kazan |
| Based on | Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case by Alan Dershowitz |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Luciano Tovoli |
| Edited by | Lee Percy |
| Music by | Mark Isham |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $15.4 million |
Plot
editThe story is narrated by Sunny von Bülow, who is in a coma after falling into diabetic shock after a Christmas party. Her husband, the dissolute European aristocrat Claus von Bülow, is charged with attempting to murder the hypoglycemic Sunny by giving her an overdose of insulin. Claus's strained relationship with his wife and his cold and haughty personal demeanor lead most people to conclude that he is guilty. In need of an innovative defense, Claus turns to law professor Alan Dershowitz. Dershowitz is initially convinced of Claus's guilt but takes the case because von Bülow agrees to fund Dershowitz's defense of two poor black boys accused of capital murder. Employing his law students as workers, Dershowitz proceeds to defend Claus, wrestling with his client's unnerving personal style and questions of von Bülow's guilt or innocence.
Cast
edit- Glenn Close as Sunny von Bülow
- Jeremy Irons as Claus von Bülow
- Ron Silver as Alan Dershowitz
- Annabella Sciorra as Sarah
- Fisher Stevens as David Marriott
- Uta Hagen as Maria
- Jack Gilpin as Peter MacIntosh
- Christine Baranski as Andrea Reynolds
- Stephen Mailer as Elon Dershowitz
- Felicity Huffman as Minnie
- Johann Carlo as Nancy
- Keith Reddin as Dobbs
- Mitchell Whitfield as Curly
- Tom Wright as Jack
- Michael Lord as Ed
- Lisa Gay Hamilton as Mary
- Julie Hagerty as Alexandra Isles
- Bill Camp as Bill
- Mano Singh as Raj
Production
editThe film was shot in numerous estates in Rhode Island and New Jersey, and the Knole house in Old Westbury, New York. At least one courtroom scene was shot at the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department in Brooklyn, New York.
Despite the fact that the house where the facts happened was Clarendon Court, as also mentioned in dialogue, the establishing shot intentionally avoids the house and ends instead with a view of The Breakers, another grandiose property nearby built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II.
Reception
editThe film received mostly positive reviews and holds a 92% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 7.9/10 from 51 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Featuring exceptional performances and a cunning script, Reversal of Fortune doubles as a tantalizing mystery and ruthless satire of the rich."[2] It has a score of 93 on Metacritic with 18 reviews [3]
Accolades
editIn 2015, the 25th anniversary of Entertainment Weekly named Reversal of Fortune on its list of the 25 best films of the past 25 years.[16]
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
- 2003: AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains:
- Claus von Bulow – Nominated Villain[17]
- 2008: AFI's 10 Top 10:
- Nominated Courtroom Drama Film[18]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ State v. von Bulow, 475 A.2d 995 (R.I. 1984).
- ^ "Reversal of Fortune (1990)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "Reversal of Fortune". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "The 63rd Academy Awards (1991) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 20, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
- ^ "Nominees/Winners". Casting Society of America. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
- ^ "BSFC Winners: 1990s". Boston Society of Film Critics. July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "1988-2013 Award Winner Archives". Chicago Film Critics Association. January 1, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- ^ "Cronologia Dei Premi David Di Donatello". David di Donatello. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
- ^ "Reversal of Fortune". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "KCFCC Award Winners – 1990-99". Kansas City Film Critics Circle. December 14, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "The 16th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards". Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "1990 Award Winners". National Board of Review. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "Past Awards". National Society of Film Critics. December 19, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "1990 New York Film Critics Circle Awards". New York Film Critics Circle. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "Awards Winners". Writers Guild of America Awards. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
- ^ "EW's 25 Best Movies in 25 Years". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
- ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ^ "AFI's 10 Top 10 Nominees" (PDF). 16 November 2011. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
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External links
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