Sam Robb and Tony Lord were a dynamic due at quarterback and halfback for a legendary football season at Lake City High School. With the clock running out in a memorable game, Sam called an audible, then moved left as if it was a bootleg, halted in his tracks, then rifled a 35-yard touchdown pass to ol' number 22 Tony Lord who was wide open. Now, decades later, will the lawyer Tony Lord be able to work the same magic in getting Sam Robb off the hook on a murder rap?
The conceit of the film is that the attorney Tony Lord had been acquitted of murder of Allison, a young woman Tony was dating at a time when he was still in high school. The stigma lasted, and he is still a pariah to some in Lake City. Now, he must return home to defend his buddy against a similar capital offense.
There are many twists to the plot and some good courtroom scenes in "Silent Witness." But the key to the puzzle of Sam's trial may be the link that it shares with the death of Allison many years ago. The character who possesses the unspoken evidence is the "silent witness" Kate, the long suffering wife of Sam. While sitting in court, the details of the past return in a flood to Kate, and she meets with Tony to convey to him details that will lead to the shattering conclusion.
This TNT production was well-crafted and well-performed. While moments of the film were overly graphic and violent, the strength of the screenplay was in the fast-paced courtroom dialogue. While the legal system may not been perfect, Lady Justice was blind, and the truth emerged due to a tenacious attorney and the painful recollections of an eyewitness.
The conceit of the film is that the attorney Tony Lord had been acquitted of murder of Allison, a young woman Tony was dating at a time when he was still in high school. The stigma lasted, and he is still a pariah to some in Lake City. Now, he must return home to defend his buddy against a similar capital offense.
There are many twists to the plot and some good courtroom scenes in "Silent Witness." But the key to the puzzle of Sam's trial may be the link that it shares with the death of Allison many years ago. The character who possesses the unspoken evidence is the "silent witness" Kate, the long suffering wife of Sam. While sitting in court, the details of the past return in a flood to Kate, and she meets with Tony to convey to him details that will lead to the shattering conclusion.
This TNT production was well-crafted and well-performed. While moments of the film were overly graphic and violent, the strength of the screenplay was in the fast-paced courtroom dialogue. While the legal system may not been perfect, Lady Justice was blind, and the truth emerged due to a tenacious attorney and the painful recollections of an eyewitness.