Joe Mantegna

Karen McCann (Sally Field) lives in Santa Monica, California, and her husband Mack McCann (Ed Harris) is the owner of the McCann construction company. Karen has a good job at a museum, and she has two daughters -- 5-year-old Megan (Alexandra Kyle) and 17-year-old Julie (Olivia Burnette). Mack is Megan's biological father, but Julie was born from Karen's previous marriage. Mack still loves Julie like she's his own daughter. Karen is on her way home from the museum one day, when she gets stuck in traffic. Karen calls home on her cell phone, and Julie answers. At the time of the call, Julie is preparing for Megan's 6th birthday. While they talk on the phone, the doorbell rings, and Julie goes to answer, with Karen still on the other end of the line. The man at the door the barges in, and brutally rapes Julie, before smashing an ice sculpture over her head. Karen -- having heard the whole thing -- is completely powerless, because she's stuck in traffic, though she desperately tries to get help. A kind Bystander calls 911 for her. When Karen manages to get home, she's devastated to find that Julie has been raped and killed. Detective Sergeant Joe Denillo (Joe Mantegna) is put on the case. And a grieving Karen tries to maintain normality for Megan's sake. However, her state-of-mind is weakening, and it's evident that all she wants is for Julie's killer to be found. Denillo tells Karen that the DNA samples that they collected will help identify the killer. In support, he gives Karen the address of a support center for parents who have lost a child to violence. Mac tells her that they should attend at least one session. The support group is run by bereaved father Sidney Hughes (Phillip Baker Hall) and his friend Martin (Keith David). At the meeting, Karen and Mac meet various people in similar circumstances, including Albert Gratz (William Mesnik) and Regina Gratz (Rondi Reed), who lost their son to violence. Karen also meets Angel Kosinsky (Charlayne Woodard), a young lesbian whose son, Sean, was killed in a hit-and-run. Karen befriends Angel. While looking for the bathroom, Karen overhears Albert and Regina talking to Sidney -- in a private room -- about something that's causing Regina to feel scared. Sometime down the line, Denillo calls Karen -- the DNA samples have identified Julie's killer as Robert Doob (Kiefer Sutherland), a supermarket deliveryman who has been in and out of jail for most of his life. At the trial, even though it's clear that Robert is guilty, his attorney, Susan Juke (Natalia Nogulich), reveals a technicality -- the defense was promised a sample of the DNA that they could perform their own tests on, and they did not receive it. Judge Arthur Younger (Armin Shimerman) is forced to dismiss the charges against Robert because of the technicality. Karen and Mac are devastated as Robert walks away, a free man. Robert tauntingly says "S-s-s-sorry," dragging out the 's' sound as a way of taunting Karen and Mac. An understandably enraged Mack is coldly restrained when he understandably charges after Robert. Mac is desperate for he and Karen to get back to normal, and although Karen tries, she can't focus until Robert is brought to justice. Karen goes back to the court house, and buys a copy of Robert's arrest package. Though Robert's addresses is colored out with Tipp-Ex out, the County Clerk (Jane Morris) hints that the stuff is easy to wipe off. Karen does so, and she tracks Robert to a mostly Hispanic neighborhood. Karen observes Robert as he lives his life -- annoying his neighbors and viciously harassing stray dogs. Karen keeps a detailed record of Robert's movements, all of which bring her relief and satisfaction, though she's warned by Dolly Green (Beverly D'Angelo), her colleague at the museum, that following Robert around is not a good idea. That doesn't stop Karen. She pursues Robert, while he continues his supermarket-delivering, to a house. There, she observes him having a friendly conversation, in Spanish, with a woman named Maria (Wanda Acuna). After Maria tips him, he leaves -- before urinating in her front garden, while watching Maria from outside the window. As he finishes, he sees Karen, who has been watching him from her car window, and she quickly drives away. Karen goes straight to the police. Denillo states that the information is insufficient, and he tells Karen to stay away from Robert. Denillo then goes to Robert, who is at work, and he warns Robert that if he hears of Robert looking through anymore windows, he's dead. Denillo tells Robert to get out of the city. Desperate for support, Karen goes back to Maria, and warns her about Robert, but due to Maria not being able to speak or understand much English, she is unable to understand what Karen is saying. Maria's husband (Geoffrey Rivas) comes home, and demands that Karen leave. Later that night, at the Support Group, Karen learns that the killer of Gratz's son has been killed in a drive-by shooting, days after being released from prison. Angel invites Karen out to lunch and to the gym the following day. There, Angel tells Karen that the best way to cope with her grief is to just focus on the good times with Megan, which causes Karen to realize that -- all this time -- she's been so fixated on Robert, that she hasn't paid much attention to Megan. At the same time, Megan is in recess at kindergarten, playing in the Wendy house. A Wendy house, also known as a cubby house or play house, is a small toy house usually made of a strong fabric, for children to play in. The name originates from the character Wendy in Peter Pan, since Wendy was injured soon after her arrival in Neverland and had to recuperate in a little house built by Peter and the Lost Boys. Robert -- knowing that Megan is Karen's daughter -- crawls inside the Wendy house, and strikes up a harmless conversation with her, and Megan has no idea who he is. During their conversation, she gives Robert one of her pretend cookies, and he teaches her his crude rhyme -- "tough titty, said the kitty, but the milk's still good." When Karen picks Megan up at the end of the school day, Robert watches them, and Megan points him out to Karen. Karen is horrified as Robert walks up to Karen before whispering in her ear that girls as young as Megan is are not his thing, but he's willing to make an exception, and go after Megan, if Karen doesn't stay out of his neighborhood. Worried for Megan's safety, Karen remembers the Gratzes, and what happened to their son's killer, and she's suspicious that the killer's death may have been planned. At the support group, Karen approaches Sidney and -- remembering what she heard, on her first visit -- pleads with him for help. He's reluctant, but whispers to her to go to a place named Michael's Garage at 7:30 PM. Angel observes them from the other side of the room. Karen does as he says. She goes to Michael's Garage, where she finds Sidney and Martin waiting for her, and she learns that the drive-by shooting was indeed set up by Sidney and Martin. As it turns out, within the support group, there is a secret society of parents, led by Sidney, who kill killers that the system has horribly failed to adequately deal with. Karen demands help. They agree to help her find a weapon, train her, and plan Robert's death, but she has to kill Robert herself. Karen agrees. Unknown to Mac, Karen begins plotting to kill Robert, with the help of Sidney and Martin. She also joins a self-defense class, which helps her gain more independence. As she does that, she manages to rekindle her sex life with Mac, and her relationship with Megan, who is still reeling from losing Julie. Sometime later, Martin admits to Sidney that he's not sure whether Karen is capable of killing Robert. Sidney assures him that Karen will be fine, and he leaves, ready to pick up the gun. Just then, the phone rings. Martin answers, and it's one of his legitimate customers from the garage. Unknown to Martin, the telephone line has been tapped, and a cop is listening to all of the conversations that happen on the phone. Sidney meets with Karen in a restaurant, where he secretly passes the gun to Karen, and reminds her that she does not have to do it. But she makes it clear to him that she's prepared. That evening -- at the support group -- Angel, out of blue, says to her "Don't do it. You'll get caught. I'm telling you this, because I'm your friend." Karen is alarmed, but she says that she has no idea what Angel is talking about. That evening, Mac confronts Karen about learning to use a gun -- he found a card from the business that trains people in how to use guns. The two argue, before Mac suggests that they go on a vacation to help cope with their loss. The next day, Karen goes to see Angel at her house. When she knocks on the door, she's horrified when the door opens to reveal a little boy -- it's Sean (Ross Bagley), Angel's son, and he's alive. Karen recognizes him from the photos Angel showed her. Karen, dismayed, confronts Angel, who gently reveals to Karen that she's an undercover FBI Agent who has been investigating the support group. Angel tells Karen that killing someone is against the law, and that unless it's in self-defense, the police cold-bloodedly won't care why she killed Robert, and, most of all, Karen would end up spending the rest of her life in prison. Angel also adds "What kind of legacy are you leaving your little girl?" Reluctant, Karen is forced to call Sidney, tell him that she can't go through with it, and return to her normal life. Meanwhile, Robert is continuing with his life, delivering groceries. He goes back to Maria's home. This time, he walks into her house, and waits while she gets him his tip. Just after Maria gives Robert the tip, he grabs Maria, throws her against the wall, and forces her onto the table, where he brutally rapes and kills her, just like he did to Julie. Karen is horrified when she learns of the murder. When Karen meets with Denillo at the police station, Karen is horrified even more to learn from Denillo that although Robert has been arrested for it, he's been released for lack of evidence -- there are perfectly plausible reasons for his fingerprints to be around the house, because of him making deliveries to Maria from the supermarket, and he used a condom while raping her. A highly frustrated Karen says to Denillo, "You can't catch him! You can't punish him! You can't protect anyone else! You're completely useless!" And then Karen storms out. Karen decides, despite Angel's warning, to go back to her original plan -- only this time, alone. Karen knows that the system won't do anything about Robert, and that gives her absolutely no choice but to do it herself. As Mac and Megan get ready to leave for the vacation that was planned, Karen tells Mac that she needs to stay late at the museum, and sort out an error at work. Mac agrees to drive ahead with Megan, and for Karen to meet with him the next day. Once they have gone, Karen goes back to Robert's home, and after finding Megan's pretend cookie, Karen leaves her baseball cap there, so Robert will know that she's been there. Later that night, Robert finds the hat, and decides to teach Karen a lesson, not knowing that he's falling right into Karen's trap. As Mac and Megan are driving to their destination, Megan mutters the saying, "tough titty said the kitty, but the milk's still good." Mac asks her where she learned that, and Megan tells him that she learned it from the man that mommy watches on the video -- meaning when Karen would watch Robert, as he was arrested, on the news. Mac immediately realizes that Karen is in danger, and he turns the car around to go back home. Meanwhile, Robert forces his way into the house, storms up the stairs, and sees the shower running, with the curtain drawn and a figure behind it. Robert smiles and pulls the curtain open, only to see a towel hanging on rail, creating the image of a person. Embarrassed, he turns around -- only to be confronted by Karen, who is holding a six-shot revolver. Karen angrily says "Sorry to disappoint you." Robert says "What are you gonna do? Shoot me?" Karen says "You broke into my house with the intent to do me bodily harm. The law says I have the right to protect myself." Robert sarcastically says "What? You want me to say I'm sorry? It could've been anybody. I don't even remember what she looked like. It's nothing personal." Karen says "She was seventeen years old. She was five-foot two. She had brown eyes. Her name was Julie. She was my daughter." Robert tauntingly says "She was a great ffffuck," dragging out the 'f' sound as he says it. Robert lunges at Karen, and they struggle with each other. A shot from Karen's gun hits the ceiling, leaving five shots left in the gun, and Karen stumbles down the stairs as the gun drops out of her hand. As Robert advances on her, he says "Like I said, it's nothing personal." Karen quickly grabs the gun, and says "It's very personal." In self defense, she shoots Robert, who is on the stairs. Now there are four shots left in the gun. When Robert tries to go down the stairs after Karen, she fires the gun's last four bullets into Robert, killing Robert in self-defense. Robert's body rolls down the stairs, and comes to a stop on top of Karen. The police are called, and they, along with Mac, arrive. The police take Robert's body away in a body bag. Denillo tells Karen that he's not fooled, and that he knows that she lured Robert to the house, with the intent of making him pay for raping and killing Julie and Maria. Karen, knowing that there's no way that Denillo can prove it, says "Prove it." Denillo, who also knows that he can't prove it, tells his colleagues that it's a clear case of self-defense. Karen and Mac embrace each other.

Billy Halleck (Robert John Burke) is an arrogant, obese, upper-class lawyer living in the suburban small town of Castle Rock, Maine with his 14-year-old daughter Linda (Bethany Joy Lenz) and his wife Heidi (Lucinda Jenney). After defending an underworld crime boss named Richie "The Hammer" Ginelli (Joe Mantegna) in court, the town is in the middle of a carnival which is run by Gypsies. One evening, he accidentally runs over an old Gypsy woman with his car when Heidi distracts him by performing oral sex on him. After a court hearing where Billy is cleared of any charges, the Gypsy woman's father, a 106-year old warlock named Tadzu Lempke (Michael Constantine) curses Billy by touching his face and saying the word "Thinner" before he and the Gypsy group leave town. The curse causes Billy to lose weight rapidly, regardless of how much he eats. The old man also curses the corrupt Judge Cary Rossington (John Horton) and Police Chief Duncan Hopely (Daniel von Vargan) who helped Billy avoid punishment for the Gypsy woman's death. Later, Billy sees Judge Cary Rossington slowly turning into a lizard and after a hostile encounter with his wife, Rossington commits suicide. Duncan Hopely becomes mutated with over-sized pimples and he also commits suicide. Billy continues to remain in denial to what is happening, but after visiting a clinic and finding his sudden weight loss inexplicable, he finally realizes that the Gypsy curse is real. Because only Lempke can remove the curse, Billy must track down and persuade the ancient Gypsy man to lift the curse. He flees from his family when they disbelieve the curse and insist he seek psychiatric help. Billy finally tracks down the Gypsy troupe at the carnival in the next town in Connecticut. But Lempke is unmoved and has his great-granddaughter Gina (Kari Wührer) shoot Cary's car window, who has picked Billy up. They then drive straight into a truck which is seemingly driven by Lempke. The experience turns out to be a nightmare that Billy experiences and learns that the Gypsy caravan has moved to the next town, where he confronts them. Gina then shoots him in the hand with her catapult, and christens him the "white man from town". As his family grows frantic about his whereabouts, Billy enlists the help of Richie who believes in Gypsy curses and agrees to help him out. Richie pays an associate to track down the Gypsies for him. Richie kills off the camp dogs with poison and leaves a note saying "WHITE MAN FROM TOWN SAYS TAKE IT OFF." But the next day, the Gypsies find the man who tracked them down and kill him and vandalize Billy's car. The next evening, Richie turns up the heat and launches a one-man attack against against the Gypsy camp by firing off various automatic weapons at the camp trailers and he kills one Gypsy at the camp, who is Gina's husband. The next morning, Richie turns up at the camp impersonating "Agent Stoner" from the FBI where he lures Gina away from the group to a old barn where he confronts and brutalizes her in order to persuade Lempke to lift the curse. Billy stops Richie from killing her. Richie threatens Gina with acid and gives her a message for her great-grandfather: meet them at the lighthouse in two hours. Richie then drops off the thin and frail Billy at the meeting place and drives off. Lempke arrives at the meeting, convinced that only by lifting the curse can he prevent further attacks on his people. He explains to Billy that he cannot remove the curse, but it can be transferred to another victim. Lempke then performs this by stabbing Billy in his wounded hand and mixing his blood with a strawberry pie that he has brought with him. Lempke tells Billy that the curse will be lifted for a short while, but the cursed pie must be consumed by an unsuspecting person, causing painful but rapid death or the curse will return. Lempke urges Billy to end the curse and commit suicide with dignity by eating the pie himself. Billy refuses and with that, Lempke walks away. Billy returns home to Castle Rock with the pie, but he believes that his wife Heidi has been cheating on him during his ordeal, so he leaves the pie out in the kitchen for her to eat. She delightedly eats a piece, while Billy heads to bed, claiming exhaustion. The next morning, Billy finds Heidi's desiccated corpse next to him in bed. He is gleeful to be free of the curse and of what he believes is his disloyal wife. However, when he goes downstairs, he discovers that his daughter Linda had just eaten some of the pie minutes earlier for breakfast just before she walks out the door for school... meaning that she may die at any minute. At the same time, Billy discovers on the news that Richie Ginelli has been found dead in New York City under mysterious circumstances with Billy reasoning that the Romani took revenge upon him. Billy's guilt compels him to "die with dignity" and ends up having to take Lempke's offer to eat a piece as well. Before he can do so, a local doctor from the clinic where Billy attended for his unexplained weight loss (whom he suspects to be his wife's adulterous lover) named Dr. Mike Houston (Sam Freed) arrives at the door. Seeing Billy, Mike grows uncomfortable and struggles to explain his unannounced presence, seemingly confirming Billy's suspicions of an affair between Mike and Heidi. However, Billy invites Mike in for a piece of the pie and closes the door with a smirk.

Basketball referee Mickey and airline worker Ellen fall head over heels for each other in this romantic comedy about what happens when the honeymoon ends and the marriage begins.

A comic love triangle in which a man falls in love with his younger brother's wife.

Searching for Bobby Fischer was inspired by the life of chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin, as written by his father Fred Waitzkin. Josh (Max Pomeranc) is a "regular kid" who begins evincing signs of being a genius at chess. His father (Joe Mantegna) encourages this, hoping that it won't fundamentally change his son's healthy outlook on life. But Josh is taken under the wing of cold-blooded chess instructor Bruce Pandolfini (Ben Kingsley), who indoctrinates the boy in the "Bobby Fischer" strategy. Unfortunately, Pandolfini emphasizes all of Fischer's negative traits, especially his contempt for his opponents. Josh is in danger throughout the film of sacrificing his essential decency, but in a rousing conclusion, the boy is able to successfully blend ruthless competition with good sportsmanship. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A charismatic gangster and his starlet mistress join forces to create his vision of what we now know as Las Vegas.

Shoe-shiner Gino is hired to take the rap for a mafia murder. Two-bit gangster Jerry watches over Gino and gives him a weekend to remember. Gino, an Italian-American shoe-shiner with a remarkable similarity to a certain mafia don, is paid to take the rap for a murder. Jerry, a two-bit gangster on probation, is given a chance for redemption by guarding Gino for the weekend. But instead of sitting around a dingy hotel room, Jerry decides to give Gino a weekend to remember, taking him to Lake Tahoe. Jerry's bragging to his friends of his important charge, as well as Gino's dignified, quiet demeanor, soon result in much complication for them both. —Mike Myers <mmyers@ucsd.edu>

Margaret Ford (Lindsay Crouse) is a psychiatrist living in Seattle, Washington who has achieved success with her recently published book about obsessive-compulsive disorder, yet feels unfulfilled. During a session one day, her patient Billy Hahn (Steve Goldstein) tells her his life is in danger because he owes money to a criminal figure named Mike Mancuso (Joe Mantegna), and threatens suicide, brandishing a gun. Margaret persuades him to surrender the weapon to her and promises that she will help him. That night, Margaret visits a pool hall called the House of Games, where she finds and confronts Mike, who says that he is willing to forgive Billy's debt if Margaret accompanies him to a back-room poker game and identifies the tell of George (Ricky Jay), another player. She agrees, and spots George playing with his ring when he bluffs. She discloses this to Mike, who calls the bluff. However, George wins the hand and demands that Mike pay the $6,000 bet, which he is unable to do. George pulls a gun, but Margaret intervenes and offers to pay the debt with a personal check from her own bank account. She then notices that the gun is a water pistol, and realizes the entire game is a set-up to trick her out of her money. She declines to pay, but spends the rest of the night socializing with the con men. As the experience has excited her, she returns the next night and asks Mike to teach her about con games so she can write a book about the experience. Mike appears skeptical, but agrees. Mike begins to enchant Margaret by showing her simple tricks. Eventually, the two steal a hotel room and have sex for the first time. Afterward, Mike tells Margaret that all con artists take a small token from every "mark" to signify their dominance. While Mike is in the bathroom, she takes a small pocket knife from the table, believing it to belong to the man whose room they are in. Mike tells her he is late for another, large-scale con he and his associates plan to pull at the same hotel. Margaret is eager to tag along, and with seeming reluctance, Mike allows her to accompany him, posing as his wife. The con involves Mike, his partner Joey (Mike Nussbaum), and the "mark", a nameless businessman (J.T. Walsh), discovering a briefcase full of money and taking it to a hotel room. There, they discuss whether to turn it in or split it among themselves. When the "mark" withdraws to the bathroom, Margaret discovers that he is an undercover policeman, and the trick is a sting operation. She warns Mike, and they attempt to escape, but the policeman blocks their way and tries to arrest them. After a struggle, Margaret accidentally causes the policeman/businessman to fatally shoot himself. She, Mike and Joey escape to the garage, where they force Margaret to steal a car and drive past two uniformed police officers with the con men concealed in the back seat. They drive the car to a riverbank and are preparing to abandon it when they discover that the briefcase, containing $80,000 borrowed from the mafia for the con, is gone. Margaret offers to give Mike $80,000 of her own money so he can pay back the mob. Mike tells Margaret that they must split up so as not to draw any attention from the police, and claims to be going into hiding. Riddled with guilt, Margaret returns to her office and refuses to see any patients. Billy arrives in high spirits, and after a brief conversation, she spots him driving away in the same red convertible she "stole" at the hotel. She tracks him to a bar, where she sees Mike and a group including all his associates, the man posing as the occupant of the hotel room, and the undercover policeman... alive and well..., discussing the night's events - a scheme to con Margaret out of $80,000. She also learns that the pocket knife she stole from the hotel room belongs to Mike. Margaret intercepts Mike at the airport after overhearing him say he is catching a flight that night and tells him she is so worried about the police that she has withdrawn her entire life's savings. She pleads with him to start a new life with her. Mike is lured by the money, but realizes he's being tricked when she lets slip that she knew the pocket knife belonged to him, revealing that she overheard the con men's conversation. He tells her her money has already been split between them and is gone, but she pulls out the gun taken from Billy and demands that he beg for his life. Calling her bluff, Mike refuses, but Margaret shoots him in the leg. When Mike then curses her, she shoots him five more times, killing him. She calmly conceals the gun and leaves. Some time later, Margaret has returned from a vacation and is meeting her friend and colleague Dr. Littauer (Lilia Skala), having moved on from the ordeal. They talk over lunch, and Margaret seems to show no remorse for killing Mike, saying, "When you've done something unforgivable, you must forgive yourself, and that's what I've done, and it's done." When her friend is away from the table, Margaret distracts another female diner customer so she can steal a gold cigarette lighter from the woman's purse, relishing the thrill.

Set in Washington DC, Suspect centers on three disparate characters. Carl Wayne Anderson is a homeless, deaf-mute Vietnam veteran accused of murdering Elizabeth Quinn, a file clerk at the Justice Department. Kathleen Riley is the beleaguered Federal Public Defender assigned to represent Anderson. An agribusiness lobbyist who normally works on Capitol Hill, Eddie Sanger, is made a member of the jury and begins investigating the details of the murder himself, eventually teaming up with Riley to solve the case. We see some early scenes of Sanger's work as a lobbyist on Capitol Hill, including his efforts to win passage of a bill by seducing a Congresswoman. While not relevant to the movie's plot, these scenes are establishing shots giving us a sense for Sanger as a charming, though somewhat ruthless, person. The movie begins around Christmas with the suicide of a United States Supreme Court Justice, for which no explanation or context is given. We only see the Justice making a tape recording and then shooting himself. Shortly after the Justice's suicide, Elizabeth Quinn's body is found floating in the Potomac river, and Carl Wayne Anderson is arrested for the crime, based almost entirely on the fact that he was found sleeping in Quinn's car, which was abandoned in the parking lot where she worked (and was mostly deserted at night). Anderson explains that he found it unlocked and was just looking for a warm place to sleep since it was the dead of winter. But since he was homeless, had no alibi, and was found in Quinn's car, he was arrested for her murder. The establishing scenes show Riley trying to communicate with Anderson and realizing that he is a deaf-mute. Over time, she begins to penetrate his hard exterior and he tries to cooperate with her efforts to mount a defense for him. In the District of Columbia, all crimes are tried in the federal courts, so a murder trial that would normally be in state court was in federal court instead. Riley selects Sanger to be a member of her jury. Soon thereafter, it becomes clear that Sanger is intent on helping Riley with her investigation and defense of Anderson. As the investigation by Riley and Sanger intensifies, they begin focusing on Deputy Attorney General Paul Gray. Figuring that a key found on Elizabeth Quinn's body has something to do with the Justice Department (where Quinn worked), Riley and Sanger break into the file department at the Justice Department late one night and try to find what the key unlocks. They find that it unlocks a file cabinet, which contained trial transcripts from federal cases from 1968 that Quinn was in the process of transcribing. While the investigation goes on after hours, the movie shows scenes during the day from Anderson's murder trial. During the trial, we are introduced to the stern federal judge Matthew Helms (John Mahoney). Helms is rumored to be the President's nominee for a seat on the prestigious United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Judge Helms begins to suspect that Riley may be collaborating with Sanger, which would be a disbarrable offense of jury tampering, although he does not have concrete proof. One key sequence in a law library (where Riley and Sanger continue looking for the elusive case from 1968 that may be the key to the murder) brings Helms, Riley and Sanger into close proximity. Riley and Sanger narrowly avoid being caught by Judge Helms. Eventually, Judge Helms sequesters the jury to avoid further contact between Riley and Sanger. Riley and Sanger continue tracking the federal court cases from 1968. Their theory is that Elizabeth Quinn stumbled onto something during her transcription of those cases. They look for any case that might have an impropriety. As is explained to the audience, fixing a case requires participation from both the prosecutor and the trial judge. Riley and Sanger think they will find evidence that Paul Gray was a prosecutor on a rigged 1968 case, which would be his motive to murder Elizabeth Quinn if she approached Gray about what she found. Eventually, Riley goes back to Quinn's car (still impounded where it was found in a government parking lot) and finds an audiotape that the police did not uncover in their half-hearted investigation. The tape is the one we saw the Supreme Court Justice making at the beginning of the movie. In it, he confesses to conspiring to fix a case in 1968 (with a politically influential defendant) in return for an appointment from the United States District Court to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Riley assumes the prosecutor on that case was Paul Gray and goes back to the courthouse to retrieve the case book that will confirm this. As she gets to the courthouse (now deserted at night), she is pursued and attacked by an unseen figure. With the help of Sanger (who managed to get away from being sequestered by creating a diversion with a fire alarm), Riley was able to slice the right wrist of her assailant, who then fled unseen. The following day takes place in court. Paul Gray shows up in the courtroom, to the surprise of Judge Helms. Riley then tells Judge Helms that she wants him to take the stand. Irate and perplexed, Helms says that Riley cannot make him testify as he is the presiding judge. Then, in a somewhat-rushed speech, Riley reveals that Judge Helms, not Paul Gray, was the prosecutor in the fixed case in 1968. The Supreme Court Justice was the presiding judge in that case. In exchange for fixing the case, he was promoted from the District Court to the Court of Appeals. Helms, who was the prosecutor on the fixed case, was appointed to the District Court. Judge Helms then waited 17 years (from 1969 to 1986) to be promoted again to the Court of Appeals. Just as he learned he was the President's nominee, Quinn inadvertently discovered the case fixing as she transcribed the cases from 1968. She approached the Supreme Court Justice, who responded by committing suicide. By contrast, when she approached Judge Helms, he murdered her. As Judge Helms angrily bangs his gavel during Riley's accusation, his right wrist begins to bleed from where Riley slashed him the night before, confirming his identity as the killer. The movie ends with Riley reinvigorated in her job and in a relationship with Sanger.

In New York City, real estate investor Kevin Lenahan (Richard Pryor) has a hair-brained scheme to buy a 32-screen movie theater complex in which each theater only has eighteen seats. When banks deny his loan request, he approaches a loan shark named Palazzi (Joseph Ragno), who is actually a gangster. Police raid Palazzi's office while Kevin is making his loan request and arrest him in the process. Kevin's lawyer works out a plea deal by which Kevin will only do one year in prison, but Palazzi, who has vowed revenge, will be in the same prison, serving a ten-year sentence. In the courtroom, Kevin pretends to be insane to avoid going to prison. The court sends him to Empire General Hospital for evaluation. When psychiatrists determine he is faking his mental condition, hospital administrator Arthur Chambers (Joe Mantegna) plans to send Kevin back to jail in the morning. Meanwhile, a storm named Hurricane Sam approaches New York City. Since Empire General is located on a small island in New York harbor, Maggie (Sylvia Miles), the head nurse, requests some of her nurses remain overnight in case there are problems, but Chambers refuses the overtime request. He tells his administrative assistant, Rachel Atwood (Rachel Ticotin), that a fill-in emergency room doctor, Edward Slattery, will arrive shortly to help out. When Kevin starts a ruckus in the psychiatric wing, Chambers tells guards to lock him in a private room for the night. When the other psych patients protest Kevin's punishment, Chambers threatens to have them all transferred to a hospital for the criminally insane. Just then, the hurricane knocks out the electricity. The patients take this opportunity to escape, locking Chambers and the guards in the psych ward. Kevin goes to Chambers' office to look at his file as Rachel Atwood finds him there when she goes to the office to consult the disaster preparedness manual. She assumes Kevin is the missing Dr. Edward "Eddie" Slattery and tells him to go to the emergency room (ER) right away. Kevin puts on a white coat and finds chaos in the ER. Dr. Foster (Bob Dishy), a longtime physician at Empire General, refuses to treat any patients and recommends they not admit anyone since dealing with patients during a blackout is a "malpractice time bomb." Kevin spies the exit door, rushes out, gets in an ambulance and drives away. However, the rainstorm is so intense, he cannot see well and drives off the causeway connecting the island hospital to the mainland. He escapes before the ambulance sinks into the water. The hospital's back-up generator comes on briefly, but soon goes out again. First-year intern, Dr. Joffe (Bob Saget), suggests they connect the generator to the ambulance batteries. When Kevin returns to the ER, nurse Maggie gives him files on a half dozen patients needing treatment. Kevin acts authoritative and gives the responsibility to other ER staff, saying he will trust their recommendations. When people obey his orders, Kevin realizes it is easier to pass himself off as a doctor than a lunatic. However, Louis (Ruben Blades), an orderly, recognizes him from the psych ward, but decides not to say anything and enjoy the fun. Kevin goes to the waiting room, advising patients that exercise is good for them and recommending they treat each other. Young Dr. Joffe comes to him with questions, but Kevin suggests he trust his own gut instincts. Worried about malpractice lawsuits, Dr. Foster has concerns about Kevin's methods, calling him a "gypsy doctor." Meanwhile, in the psych ward, the patients have Arthur Chambers tied up. They start a list of changes they want implemented before they agree to release him. Chambers refuses to sign their list of demands and tells them Kevin was an undercover agent from the board of health, but they do not believe him. A pipe bursts, flooding the basement and orderlies say it will be morning before they can possibly get the generators working again. Kevin suggests they move a generator from the helicopter landing pad to power the ER. Rachel Atwood goes to the drug detoxification unit to get help moving the generator, but none of the patients are willing to help. Kevin goes to the detox unit promising to give the patients their methadone pills if they will help move it, and they all pitch in. Soon the ER has power again, but the rest of the building does not. Since the upper floors have no air circulation, Kevin suggests moving the helicopter into the building and placing it beside the elevator shaft to get air moving to the upper floors. Kevin and Rachel go to the kitchen to fix sandwiches for the patients and develop a bond while discussing how to help the patients. Kevin visits Tommy Pinto, a patient who fell off the hospital roof and has no feeling in his legs. Tommy requires immediate surgery or he will be crippled for life. A make-shift operating room is set up in the ER and Kevin persuades Dr. Foster to do the surgery. In the psych ward, Chambers finally signs the list of demands and the patients contact Rachel via walkie-talkie to get her to implement the demands before they will release Chambers. When Rachel is resistant, Box (Randall 'Tex' Cobb), the hulking leader of the psychiatric patients, demands to deal with Kevin Lenahan. Rachel does not know anyone named Kevin, but when they describe him, she realizes they are talking about the man she knows as Edward Slattery. Rachel confronts Kevin over his charade, fearful she will get in trouble for all the things she authorized at his recommendation. Kevin assures her they dealt successfully with a crisis and refuses to help get Chambers released if they intend to send him back to jail once the crisis is over. He makes his own list, demanding to be set free and also demanding none of the other psych patients be sent to the institute for criminally insane. Rachel agrees. Kevin gives the word to free Chambers, and Rachel gives him the keys to a speed boat docked at the pier. Chambers is upset to see what has happened to the hospital and lashes out at Foster and Rachel. However, Dr. Joffe insists they did what had to be done under the circumstances. Nonetheless, Chambers fires Rachel. Kevin speeds off in the boat, but as he glances back at the hospital, he sees plumes of smoke from a fire set by a patient. Kevin rushes back and orders the hospital evacuated. He uses a hose to put out the fire, but when Chambers makes threats against him, Kevin turns the hose on him. The patients and staff defend Kevin, saying he saved the hospital. Kevin lambastes Chambers for criticizing his staff rather than empowering them. If Chambers had done proper maintenance, many of the problems would not have occurred. He suggests the press will be interested in covering this story. Meanwhile, Stucky (Joe Dallesandro), the patient who set the fire, takes Rachel hostage. Seeing that Stucky has a walkie-talkie, Kevin pretends to be several people talking on the device to confuse Stucky. Kevin and Stucky fight and Kevin knocks him out. Grateful, Chambers tells Kevin to leave, suggesting that his file was likely destroyed in the fire. As Kevin gets into the speedboat, Rachel follows him, asking why he could not have been the real Dr. Slattery. Kevin invites her to dinner and she accepts. The two speed off toward New York City.

After receiving wedding pictures from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, entertainment attorney Walter Fielding (Tom Hanks) complains to his girl friend, concert musician Anna Crowley (Shelley Long), about his newly married scofflaw father, Walter, Sr. (Douglass Watson). His father might be starting a new life, but he stole the firm's money and ran away to Brazil, and left him and the law firm in debt. The next morning, Walter comments that his father's much younger Filipino new wife, Florinda (Tetchie Agbayani), looks underage. When Anna tells him not to be so conventional, he admits he wants a house in the suburbs, and a wife. When he asks Anna to marry him, she asks for more time to make her decision. Her first marriage to Russian music conductor, Max Beissart (Alexander Godunov), was a disaster, and she is not in a rush to marry again. Suddenly, her former husband's associate, Shatov (Yakov Smirnoff), barges into the bedroom and informs Anna that "Maestro" is returning home, and reclaiming his luxury apartment. Walter and Anna are both broke, and cannot afford to relocate elsewhere in New York City. They decide to contact their friend, real estate broker Jack Schnittman (Josh Mostel), for help. Meanwhile, Max conducts his first rehearsal back in town, and criticizes the orchestra for their mediocre performance. While jogging, Jack Schnittman proposes that Walter gather $200,000 in cash by the end of business Friday because the owners of a $1 million property are willing to sell for less. Walter is suspicious, but feels pressured, and agrees to consider the deal. At dinner, Max tells Anna his life is meaningless without her, and he wants to get back together. Anna insists she loves Walter, and Max only loves himself. Anna goes with Walter to inspect the house Jack recommended. The owner, Estelle (Maureen Stapleton), shows them the property, and explains that Israeli Intelligence arrested her longtime husband, Carlos, for being Hitler's "pool man." If Estelle can sell the property and the furnishings, she might raise enough money to pay the lawyers. Walter and Anna want time to make a decision, but Estelle claims that Carlos is facing extradition, and she must sell immediately. She offers to include an antique Lincoln car in the deal. Walter cannot resist a bargain and convinces Anna to buy the house. She sells valuables from her divorce to raise her share of the money. Walter persuades his client, a successful boy singer named Benny (Billy Lombardo), to loan him the $200,000 in cash to pay for the new house. As soon as Walter and Anna move in, their house falls apart. When the front door is stuck shut, Walter receives an electrical shock as he rings the doorbell. Upstairs, Anna tries out the four-poster bed they acquired with the house, and becomes trapped when the mattress collapses around her. When Walter knocks to get Anna's attention, the front door falls down. He turns his attention to repairing the staircase, but his hammering loosens the ceiling plaster upstairs. In the bathroom, Anna is revolted when she turns on the bathtub faucet, and gooey, rusty water spurts out. Walter assures her that all houses need maintenance, and encourages her to be more positive. As Anna hangs her clothes in the bedroom closet, the rod and shelving collapse. Outside, Walter repairs the front door. He tests it three times and goes inside, but within seconds, the door frame separates from the structure, falling to the ground. Upstairs, when Anna pulls the dumbwaiter ropes, a raccoon emerges and attacks. Walter hears Anna's screams, but as he races up the staircase, it collapses around him. Walter is convinced the house is "a lemon," and that Estelle swindled them into buying that faulty house, but Anna will not let him quit. However, a rainstorm reveals that there are several leaks in the roof. The next morning, a carpenter named Art Shirk (Joe Mantegna) arrives to do an estimate on a new staircase, and declares that the front door has dry rot. Art's plumber brother, Brad (Carmine Caridi), arrives, and insists on a $5,000 upfront check without even inspecting the house. He claims to have seen the house several years earlier, and does not expect the plumbing problems have been resolved. Later, electrical fires occur when too many appliances are used. The blender and the popcorn popper explode, and the stove doors burst open. The turkey is propelled out one window and bursts through a second floor bathroom window. As Anna and Walter pour buckets of lukewarm water in the bathtub, the rotting floor gives way, and it crashes onto the floor below. The next day, Brad Shirk's foreman, Curly (Philip Bosco), arrives with a crew that looks like a gang of Hell's Angels. Curly encourages Walter and Anna to leave while they work on the house. Walter returns to find piles of debris everywhere after the group had trashed the house even more. Since Walter was not available to sign building permits, Curly and his crew went as far as they could. He promises to return when Walter has his permits approved. The "permit man," Mr. Shrapp, agrees to return if Walter pays a cash bribe. Soon, Walter falls into a hole in the floor concealed by a throw rug. Mr. Shrapp arrives, and believes he hears Walter laughing instead of answering the door. Angered by Walter's rudeness, Mr. Shrapp rips up the permits and leaves. Anna calls Walter to be picked up at the train station, but he cannot answer the phone. She hitches a ride with a truck driver, and finds Walter stuck in the floor. When she attempts to rescue him, he plummets to the floor below. That evening, when Walter puts another log in the fireplace, the chimney comes crashing down, and snuffs out the fire. Four months later, the house is still under repair as a more competent work crew fixes all the damages and patches up the holes in the floor, walls, and ceiling. Walter complains that Curly estimated the job would be done in two weeks. However, things are looking up. A new staircase and running water in the kitchen are the latest improvements, but accidents continue to occur. At an orchestra rehearsal, Max persuades Anna to have dinner at his apartment. Although she claims she will not sleep with him, they drink too much, and in the morning, Max tells her they made love, and she is consumed with guilt. Later, Anna tells Walter that Max took orchestra members to dinner after a brilliant rehearsal. When Walter wants to know if she spent the night with Max, Anna insists he will have to trust her. They argue as Anna lies about her indiscretion. When she finally confesses, Walter spends the night downstairs. In the morning, the fight continues. Walter want to kick her out of the house and refund her money. The workers listen in as she claims the house belongs to her just as much as it belongs to him. Finally, they agree to stay together until the repairs are done, sell the house, divide the money, and split. Anna retreats to the bedroom and sobs. Later, Max makes a surprise visit, and learns that Anna and Walter have decided to break up. He suggests that Anna should rekindle their relationship, but that is not part of her plan. Max confesses they did not sleep together, but lied to sabotage her relationship with Walter. When he sees how much she actually cares for Walter, Max decides to play matchmaker. He warns that it would be a mistake for Walter to throw away his relationship with Anna. Another few days later, when the house is finally renovated and restored, Walter and Anna are confused about where to take their relationship. Walter confesses he will get over Anna's one-night stand with Max. Anna tears up as she reveals she never slept with Max. They fall into each other's arms and kiss. Anna and Walter throw a wedding in their new home and Max conducts a full orchestra as part of the entertainment. Despite the repairs to restore their new house cost more than the $200,000 in cash that they used to purchase it, Walter and Anna are finally happy and that their "money pit" of a house is finally livable and everything is great. In Rio de Janeiro, the crafty con artist Estelle and her partner-in-crime Carlos (John van Dreelen) resurface where they offer to sell a house to Walter, Sr. insisting it must be a cash deal... and the vicious cycle is about to start all over again.