Law Abiding Citizen
| Law Abiding Citizen | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | F. Gary Gray |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Kurt Wimmer |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Brian Tyler |
| Cinematography | Jonathan Sela |
| Edited by | Tariq Anwar |
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Production
company |
The Film Department
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| Distributed by | Overture Films |
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Release date
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Running time
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118 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $53 million |
| Box office | $126.7 million |
Law Abiding Citizen is a 2009 American crime drama thriller film directed by F. Gary Gray from a screenplay written by Kurt Wimmer and stars Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx. The film takes place in Philadelphia and tells the story of a man driven to seek justice while targeting not only his family's killer but also those who have supported a corrupt criminal justice system. Law Abiding Citizen was released theatrically in North America on October 16, 2009.
The film was nominated for a Saturn Award as the Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film of the year, but lost to Inglourious Basterds. The film also garnered NAACP Image Awards nominations for both Jamie Foxx (Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture) and F. Gary Gray (Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture).
In a home invasion, Clarence Darby kills the wife and daughter of Clyde Shelton. Prosecutor Nick Rice is unable to securely convict Darby. Unwilling to take a chance on lowering his high conviction rate, he makes a deal with Darby, who pleads guilty to a lesser charge and receives a reduced sentence for testifying against his accomplice, Rupert Ames. Ames is convicted and sentenced to death. Darby is released after a few years. Shelton feels betrayed by Rice's actions and the justice system.
Ten years later, Ames is executed. Unknown to the prosecutors and witnesses, the drug usually used has been replaced with an anticonvulsant, causing Ames to die painfully. Evidence implicates Darby. An anonymous caller alerts Darby as the police draw near and directs him to a remote location. Shelton, disguised as a cop, reveals himself as the caller and paralyzes Darby with poison. He straps Darby to a table and videorecords dismembering him. When Darby's remains are found, evidence ties his death to Shelton. Shelton willingly gives himself up and goes to jail.
After Rice learns his wife and daughter were sent the dismemberment video and were traumatized by it, he initially refuses a plea bargain with Shelton. District Attorney Jonas Cantrell orders Rice to make a deal. In court, Shelton represents himself and successfully argues he should be granted bail, then berates the judge for accepting the "bullshit" legal precedents he cited and for being too eager to let madmen and murderers back on the street. The judge jails Shelton for contempt of court.
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