Miranda's Victim is a 2023 American period drama film directed by Michelle Danner and starring Abigail Breslin, Luke Wilson, Kyle MacLachlan, Ryan Phillippe, Mireille Enos, Emily VanCamp, Andy Garcia, and Donald Sutherland.[2] It is based on the life of Patricia "Trish" Weir, who was kidnapped and raped by Ernesto Miranda in 1963.[3][4][5] The film also depicts the origin of the Miranda warning.[6][7][8][9]

Miranda's Victim
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMichelle Danner
Screenplay byJ. Craig Stiles
Story by
  • George Kolber
  • Richard Lasser
  • J. Craig Stiles
Produced by
  • George Kolber
  • Valerie Debler
  • Alexandra Guarnieri
  • Michelle Danner
  • Brian Drillinger
Starring
CinematographyPierluigi Malavasi
Edited byTeferi Seifu
Music byHolly Amber Church
Production
company
Navesink River Productions
Distributed byVertical Entertainment
Release dates
  • February 8, 2023 (2023-02-08) (Santa Barbara)
  • October 6, 2023 (2023-10-06)
Running time
127 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

It was released by Vertical Entertainment in the United States on October 6, 2023.

Cast

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Production

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In May 2022, it was announced that Breslin, Wilson, Sutherland and Garcia were cast in the film.[11] In June 2022, it was announced that Phillippe, MacLachlan, Enos and Manning were added to the cast.[12][13]

Filming began in New Jersey in June 2022.[7][14] The film was shot in Middletown Township, New Jersey, Red Bank, New Jersey and at Monmouth University.[15]

Release

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Miranda's Victim had its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara, California.[16] It was released by Vertical Entertainment on October 6, 2023.[17]

Reception

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Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 81% of 27 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.0/10. The website's consensus reads: "Brought to life by a stellar cast, Miranda's Victim has a powerful message, albeit one that's occasionally undermined by its blunt approach to the issues."[18]

Phil Hoad of The Guardian gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and stated, "Danner essentially pits the rights of the suspect and the victim in a tug of war for the film's centre ground." Hoad also wrote, "It is meatily performed across the entire ensemble, with the curt and resolute Breslin selflessly letting the legal eagles fly high."[19]

Donald Liebenson of RogerEbert.com opined, "The script sometimes wields a heavy expository hand" and "The distinguished cast is uninformedly excellent in a film they clearly did not do for the money (one of the joys of the endangered mid-budget film)."[20]

Patrice Witherspoon of Screen Rant noted, "Crucially, Danner gives her actors the space to excel in every moment, giving us a compelling final product that is worth the watch. Abigail Breslin certifies her talent with every tear shed while giving an equally amazing physical performance. Ryan Phillippe also returns to form with his cutthroat approach to his character John Flynn."[21]

Olly Dyche of MovieWeb stated, "It sports an exceptional cast grounded by a fantastic performance from Abigail Breslin, as well as some gripping writing that will keep audiences hooked. Its production design is incredibly immersive, seamlessly sending audiences back in time to the '60s."[22]

John Serba of Decider described Miranda's Victim as "a thoroughly absorbing film that ably dramatizes thorny political-personal entanglements." Serba also remarked, "Its intent is pure and its foundational performances – from Breslin, Wilson, Enos, Quinn, VanCamp – are rock-solid."[23]

References

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  1. ^ "Miranda's Victim (15)". British Board of Film Classification. November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  2. ^ Bolton, Cameron (May 29, 2022). "Miranda's Victim Movie Gets All-Star Cast Including Abigail Breslin, Luke Wilson & More". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Grobar, Matt (May 27, 2022). "Abigail Breslin, Luke Wilson, Andy Garcia & Donald Sutherland To Star In Courtroom Drama 'Miranda's Victim' From Director Michelle Danner". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Grobar, Matt (June 2, 2022). "Ryan Phillippe, Mireille Enos, Kyle MacLachlan & Taryn Manning Join Michelle Danner's Courtroom Drama 'Miranda's Victim'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  5. ^ O’Rourke, Ryan (June 8, 2022). "'Miranda's Victim' Adds Five to Cast Including Emily VanCamp, Sebastian Quinn, and More". Collider. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  6. ^ Baldwin, Carly (May 18, 2022). "Movie Filmed At Middletown School Tells Origin Of U.S. Miranda Rights". Patch. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e Kuperinsky, Amy (June 4, 2022). "'Miranda's Victim' movie, filming in N.J. with Abigail Breslin, adds Ryan Phillippe, Kyle MacLachlan and more". NJ.com. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  8. ^ Walter, Pari (June 8, 2022). "Monmouth County location for film starring Abigail Breslin, Donald Sutherland, Andy Garcia". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  9. ^ Walter, Pari (July 5, 2022). "Hollywood in NJ: 'Miranda's Victim' filming continues in Monmouth County". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d e Matt Grobar (June 8, 2022). "'Miranda's Victim': Emily VanCamp, Sebastian Quinn, Enrique Murciano & More Round Out Cast Of Courtroom Drama". Deadline, United States. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  11. ^ Devore, Britta (May 27, 2022). "'Miranda's Victim' Casts Abigail Breslin, Luke Wilson, and Donald Sutherland in Courtroom Drama". Collider. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  12. ^ DeVore, Britta (June 2, 2022). "'Miranda's Victim': Ryan Phillippe and Kyle MacLachlan Join True Crime Drama". Collider. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  13. ^ Konrad, Jeremy (June 3, 2022). "Miranda's Victim Adds Four More To Cast, Including Taryn Manning". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  14. ^ Baldwin, Carly (June 2, 2022). "Hollywood Comes To Middletown: Luke Wilson, Donald Sutherland Filming". Patch. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  15. ^ Baldwin, Carly (February 14, 2023). "Middletown Plays Starring Role In A-Lister Movie 'Miranda's Victim'". Patch. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  16. ^ Magnoli, Giana (February 9, 2023). "Santa Barbara International Film Festival Kicks Off With Opening Night World Premiere of 'Miranda's Victim'".
  17. ^ Grobar, Matt (August 16, 2023). "Abigail Breslin-Led Legal Drama Miranda's Victim Sets Vertical Release". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  18. ^ "Miranda's Victim". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2024.  
  19. ^ Hoad, Phil (December 26, 2023). "Miranda's Victim review – law-changing courtroom drama stuffed with acting muscle". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  20. ^ Liebenson, Donald (March 27, 2023). "SBIFF 2023: Miranda's Victim, American Outlaws: Faces of True Crime". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  21. ^ Witherspoon, Patrice (October 5, 2023). "Miranda's Victim Review: Important Drama Is Elevated By Outstanding Performances". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 27, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  22. ^ Dyche, Olly (October 5, 2023). "Miranda's Victim Review: An Inspiring True Story Led by a Great Abigail Breslin". MovieWeb. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  23. ^ Serba, John (January 13, 2024). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Miranda's Victim' on Hulu, a Surprisingly Absorbing and Complex Drama About the Adoption of Miranda Rights". Decider. Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
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