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Reversal of Fortune

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Wikipedia article




'Reversal of Fortune' is a 1990 American drama film adapted from the 1985 book 'Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Blow Case', written by law professor Alan Dershowitz. It recounts the true story of the unexplained coma of socialite Sunny von Blow, the subsequent attempted murder trial, and the eventual acquittal of her husband, Claus von Blow, who had Dershowitz as his defense attorney.'State v. von Bulow', 475 A.2d 995 (R.I. 1984). The film was directed by Barbet Schroeder and 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 Blow, but was thrilled with Irons' performance. Irons earned the 1990 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film.

Plot



The story is narrated by Sunny von Blow, who is in a coma after falling into diabetic shock after a Christmas party. Her husband, the dissolute European aristocrat Claus von Blow, is charged with attempting to murder the hypoglycemic Sunny by giving her an overdose of insulin. Claus's strained relationship with his wife and his cold and haughty personal demeanor led most people to conclude that he is guilty. In need of an innovative defense, Claus turns to law professor Alan Dershowitz. Dershowitz is initially convinced of Claus's guilt, but takes the case because von Blow agrees to fund Dershowitz's defense of two poor black boys accused of capital murder. Employing his law students as workers, Dershowitz proceeds to defend Claus, wrestling with his client's unnerving personal style and questions of von Blow's guilt or innocence.

Cast



*Glenn Close as Sunny von Blow

*Jeremy Irons as Claus von Blow

*Ron Silver as Alan Dershowitz

*Uta Hagen as Maria

*Annabella Sciorra as Sarah

*Fisher Stevens as David Marriott

*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

Production



The film was shot in numerous estates in Rhode Island and New Jersey, and the Knole house in Old Westbury. At least one courtroom scene was shot at the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department in Brooklyn, New York.

Reception



The film received mostly positive reviews and holds a 92% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 7.9/10 from 51 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Featuring exceptional performances and a cunning script, 'Reversal of Fortune' doubles as a tantalizing mystery and ruthless satire of the rich."

Accolades



{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|-

! Award

! Category

! Nominee(s)

! Result

|-

| rowspan="3"| 20/20 Awards

| Best Actor

| Jeremy Irons

|

|-

| Best Actress

| Glenn Close

|

|-

| Best Adapted Screenplay

| Nicholas Kazan

|

|-

| rowspan="3"| Academy Awards

| Best Director

| Barbet Schroeder

|

|-

| Best Actor

| Jeremy Irons

|

|-

| Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium

| Nicholas Kazan

|

|-

| Artios Awards

| Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film Casting Drama

| Howard Feuer

|

|-

| rowspan="2"| Boston Society of Film Critics Awards

| Best Actor

| Jeremy Irons

|

|-

| Best Screenplay

| Nicholas Kazan

|

|-

| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

| Best Actor

| Jeremy Irons

|

|-

| Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards

| colspan="2"| Best Film

|

|-

| David di Donatello Awards

| Best Foreign Actor

| Jeremy Irons

|

|-

| rowspan="4"| Golden Globe Awards

| colspan="2"| Best Motion Picture Drama

|

|-

| Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama

| Jeremy Irons

|

|-

| Best Director Motion Picture

| Barbet Schroeder

|

|-

| Best Screenplay Motion Picture

| Nicholas Kazan

|

|-

| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards

| Best Actor

| rowspan="2"| Jeremy Irons

|

|-

| rowspan="2"| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

| Best Actor

|

|-

| Best Screenplay

| Nicholas Kazan

|

|-

| Nastro d'Argento

| Best Cinematography

| Luciano Tovoli

|

|-

| National Board of Review Awards

| colspan="2"| Top Ten Films

|

|-

| rowspan="2"| National Society of Film Critics Awards

| colspan="2"| Best Film

|

|-

| Best Actor

| Jeremy Irons

|

|-

| rowspan="3"| New York Film Critics Circle Awards

| colspan="2"| Best Film

|

|-

| Best Director

| Barbet Schroeder

|

|-

| Best Actor

| Jeremy Irons

|

|-

| PEN Center USA West Literary Awards

| Best Screenplay

| Nicholas Kazan

|

|-

| Political Film Society Awards

| colspan="2"| Expos

|

|-

| Writers Guild of America Awards

| Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium

| Nicholas Kazan

|

|}

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.

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

* 2003: AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains:

** Claus von Bulow Nominated Villain

* 2008: AFI's 10 Top 10:

** Nominated Courtroom Drama Film

See also



*List of films featuring diabetes

References




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