Reversal of Fortune
| 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 |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release dates |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $15.4 million |
Reversal of Fortune is a 1990 American drama film directed by Barbet Schroeder that was 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 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.
Plot
Sunny von Bülow, a millionaire heiress and socialite, lies in a hospital bed in a persistent vegetative state, after falling into a coma from diabetic shock on December 21, 1980. A year previous, she fell into a coma on December 26, 1979, but was revived. Her husband Claus von Bülow is charged with attempted murder by injecting the hypoglycemic Sunny with an overdose of insulin. During the trial, it is discovered Claus was having an affair with actress Alexandra Isles, and stood to gain financially if Sunny had died. He is found guilty on two counts of attempted murder.
While Claus von Bulow is released on bond, he files an appeal and phones Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz for representation. Dershowitz agrees only if Claus pays him three hundred dollars an hour, as he tries to save two young Black brothers from the electric chair. As he reviews the case, Dershowitz is convinced Claus is guilty based on the testimony of Maria, the von Bulows' maid. Dershowitz is given 45 days to file an appeal, and assembles several of his law students to review the case.
Dershowitz is later informed of David Marriott, a potential witness. At his New York apartment, Marriott confesses that he worked as a drug trafficker but Dershowitz believes he is an unreliable witness. Meanwhile, Dershowitz's legal team learn Robert Brillhoffer, the plaintiff's attorney, had illegally withheld notes that could help Claus's defense. They are also alerted to a magazine interview given by Truman Capote, who stated Sunny loved to mix drugs and alcohol and taught herself how to self-inject.
Claus lunches with Dershowitz's legal team, who question him about Sunny's overdose on aspirin three weeks before her second coma. Claus is unclear on what could have motivated her to suicide, but he presumes she was unhappy. Afterwards, Claus confesses he had told Sunny of his affair with Alexandra Isles during the summer of 1979. After Sunny is revived from her first coma, she reprimanded Claus for calling a doctor and suggested he would be better off if she had died.
Dershowitz's defense team receives the toxicology report of the encrusted needle, which reveals no trace of insulin. Afterwards, Marriott arrives at Dershowtiz's house and claims his affidavit is not accurate. While he covertly records the conversation, Marriot asserts that he delivered drugs directly to Sunny once. He then doctors the recording to make it appear Dershowitz agreed to pay Marriott as a witness. Before the trial, Claus details what led up to Sunny's second coma, in which he found her lying face down on the bathroom floor with the windows open in frigid room temperature. Based on Claus's testimony, Alan believes Claus is innocent and tells his team that he will seek to overturn his conviction based on insufficient evidence.
When Dershowitz dismisses his class, he is told by his students that the jury reversed two convictions and they have obtained Brillhoffer's notes. Dershowitz arrives at a New York hotel suite where Claus is staying. He hands him the notes having discovered conflicting circumstantial evidence that could exonerate Claus in his second trial. Relieved, Claus agrees to pay Dershowitz his legal fees. While Dershowitz tells him it is a legal victory, he tells Claus: "Morally, you are on your own."
Claus is tried for a second time and acquitted, while the two young brothers remain on death row.
Cast
- 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
- Constance Shulman as Pharmacist
Production
The film was shot in numerous estates in Rhode Island and New Jersey, and the Knole Mansion 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
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 53 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Featuring exceptional performances and a cunning script, Reversal of Fortune doubles as a tantalizing mystery and ruthless satire of the rich."[2] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 93 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[3]
Accolades
In 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 Bülow – Nominated Villain[17]
- 2008: AFI's 10 Top 10:
- Nominated Courtroom Drama Film[18]
See also
References
- ^ State v. von Bulow, 475 A.2d 995 (R.I. 1984).
- ^ "Reversal of Fortune". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ^ "Reversal of Fortune". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "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. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. 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. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. 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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