I was very disappointed in the movie. One of the most gripping things about the book was Rusty's character development and the description of the internal conflict between his feelings about his marriage and his feelings about his mistress. The book portrays a brilliant psychological irony in that Rusty is not technically guilty of his mistress's murder, but his character throughout the book feels guilty and ambivalent. Rusty is emotionally vulnerable in many respects, and while he does not love Carolyn, the feelings he has for her go beyond simple lust. Factor in the pure love he has for his son... Rusty is a complex and conflicted man. This did not transfer to the screen at all. I like Harrison Ford, but he was totally miscast, and was not able to portray the subtle nuances or vulnerability of Rusty's character. This dumbed down the movie to a one-dimensional "who-dunnit" with a "surprise" ending. The emotional power that made the book so compelling was gone.
Review of Presumed Innocent
