Movie review score
5
108 min - Crime | Mystery | Thriller - 20 March 1998 (USA)
A high school guidance counselor is framed for raping two of his students...or is he?
Director: John McNaughton
Writer: Stephen Peters
Stars: Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon and Neve Campbell
Plot: High school guidance counselor Sam Lombardo (Dillon) is accused of rape by two students, Kelly Van Ryan (Richards) and Suzie Toller (Campbell). Lombardo hires lawyer Kenneth Bowden (Murray) to defend him.
At trial Suzie admits that she and Kelly had made the whole thing up to get revenge on Lombardo: Suzie for him leaving her in jail and Kelly for him having an affair with her mother, Sandra (Russell). Kelly's wealthy socialite mother Sandra (Russell) is humiliated by the scandal, and Lombardo and Bowden negotiate a hefty settlement for libel. Lombardo meets Kelly and Suzie and it is revealed that the three had been working (and sleeping) together, and planned to split the money.
Police Detective Ray Duquette (Bacon) becomes suspicious. He tells both Kelly and Suzie that Lombardo transferred the money to an off-shore account. Suzie starts to panic and goes to Kelly for help; Kelly assures Suzie that they can trust each other, but separately tells Lombardo that they may have to get rid of her. Unbeknownst to them, Duquette is videotaping their rendezvous.
Even though they agreed not to meet again, Kelly and Lombardo take an intoxicated Suzie to the beach. Lombardo is seen raising a bottle, and then Suzie is heard screaming. After wrapping the body in plastic, they throw it in the trunk of the car and drive out to the swamp, where Lombardo disposes of it. Suzie is reported missing by her family the next day and Duquette and his partner, Gloria (Daphne Rubin-Vega), are called in. Suzie's blood and teeth are later found on the beach and her car is found by the bus terminal. After seeing his continued investigation, his superior insists that he drop the case. Regardless, he goes to Kelly's house to confront her. When he arrives, she appears to attack him, shooting him in the arm, leaving him no choice but to kill her in self-defense. No charges are filed against Duquette, but he is fired and loses his pension.
Later, it is revealed that Lombardo and Duquette had been working together the entire time. Although Lombardo is not pleased that Duquette killed Kelly instead of framing her as originally planned, Duquette insists that it leaves fewer loose ends. The two drink a toast to "no loose ends", and agree to go fishing on Lombardo's sailboat the following day.
While on the luxury sailboat far out to sea, Lombardo knocks Duquette overboard, but he is able to climb back aboard and attack Lombardo. However, he is shot in the leg with a spear by Suzie, who is still alive. She shoots and kills Duquette as revenge for killing her friend, Davie, years before. Suzie then poisons Lombardo with a drink she poured for him and knocks him overboard, leaving him to drown.
It is then revealed that Suzie is the half sister of Sandra Van Ryan, making her Kelly's aunt.
It is also revealed that Suzie had planned the whole thing in order to get all the money and revenge on both Lombardo and Duquette: Lombardo for leaving her in jail and Duquette for killing her friend Davie. Suzie had discovered that Lombardo and Kelly were sexually involved and used it to her advantage. As for Kelly's death, she had not attacked Duquette as he had claimed. In reality, when she tried to escape the guest house when he entered, he punched her to incapacitate her then broke into the gun case and shot her twice with his gun. He then used her hand to shoot himself in the shoulder with her gun.
Bowden comes upon Suzie and tells her how the money had been divided. She kisses him on the cheek, then walks off.
