The Accused (1988)

Ever since she was a tween, Jodie Foster put her acting skills on the line in terms of taking on bold female roles. In fact, her courageous career choices proved to pay off big time. She scored her first Oscar nomination for playing a 12-year-old prostitute in Taxi Driver (1976). More than a decade later, Jodie won her first Academy Award for her brave portrayal of a rape survivor in the drama The Accused (1988), not to be confused with the Japanese action flick Zero Woman: The Accused (1996). If you don’t think starring in this pic wasn’t a daring move, consider this: Demi Moore, Jennifer Beals, Kim Basinger, Kristin Davis, Meg Tilly, and Rosanna Arquette all turned down the part due to the violence of the crime. As Sarah Tobias, a scantily-clad Ms. Foster is pushed onto a pinball machine, stripped of her clothing and sexually attacked by three men at a dive bar. Obviously, this isn’t a feel-good movie, yet it became a box office hit due to the theme of women’s empowerment. Yes, Sarah tries and wins a case against her assailants. District Attorney Kathryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis) also prosecutes all of the low-life guys who clapped and cheered the assaulters on. Even though the film is loosely based on a real-life incident in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the story takes place in Washington state. Regardless of the setting, the message to end slut shaming and victim blaming is universal. No means no. But viewing this movie is a yes!