The expression "eyes wide open" is used by attorney Stu Pepper as he implores a jury to carefully consider the evidence against police officers in the death of a young man named Kevin Thacker. The film is virtually a docudrama of the investigation and trial that occurred in the 1980s.
The filmmakers approached this case with great sensitivity. There was an extremely thoughtful treatment of Kevin's grieving parents and especially attorney Stu Pepper who worked on the case for an entire year.
Much of the case was built on circumstantial evidence. But the strong forensic evidence pointed to Kevin being bludgeoned to death, as opposed to taking a fall from atop the building, as detailed in the police version.
The performances were outstanding with extremely credible portraits of the attorney Pepper and his able assistant Monica. The most moving characters were the parents whose lives were never the same after the loss of Kevin. The outstanding location filming recreated the early 1980s in great detail, especially in the outdoor footage.
A theme of the film was in the concept of justice itself. Pepper's favorite character from history was Socrates. Much of Pepper's courtroom manner was a model of the kind of virtue championed by Socrates and his pupil Plato. The attorney subtly reminded the jury that in their deliberations the unexamined life is not worth living.
The filmmakers approached this case with great sensitivity. There was an extremely thoughtful treatment of Kevin's grieving parents and especially attorney Stu Pepper who worked on the case for an entire year.
Much of the case was built on circumstantial evidence. But the strong forensic evidence pointed to Kevin being bludgeoned to death, as opposed to taking a fall from atop the building, as detailed in the police version.
The performances were outstanding with extremely credible portraits of the attorney Pepper and his able assistant Monica. The most moving characters were the parents whose lives were never the same after the loss of Kevin. The outstanding location filming recreated the early 1980s in great detail, especially in the outdoor footage.
A theme of the film was in the concept of justice itself. Pepper's favorite character from history was Socrates. Much of Pepper's courtroom manner was a model of the kind of virtue championed by Socrates and his pupil Plato. The attorney subtly reminded the jury that in their deliberations the unexamined life is not worth living.