Defenseless

CinematographyPhil MeheuxEdited byChris Wimble
Lou Lombardo (supervising editor)Music byCurt SobelDistributed bySeven Arts
(through New Line Cinema)104 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBox office$6,413,375 (USA)

Defenseless is a 1991 American legal thriller film directed by Martin Campbell and produced by Renée Missel and David Bombek. The film stars Barbara Hershey and Sam Shepard in lead roles, with Mary Beth Hurt, J. T. Walsh, and John Mahoney in supporting roles. The story follows a defense attorney (Hershey) who, after becoming romantically involved with her client (Shepard), is drawn into a murder investigation when his ex-wife is found dead. As her personal and professional lives collide, she uncovers a web of lies and betrayal, forcing her to confront unsettling truths about both the case and her lover.

Defenseless was released on August 23, 1991, to mixed reviews from critics, with praise for Hershey’s performance, but criticism for the film’s plot and pacing. The film emerged as a moderate commercial success at the box-office, grossing over $5 million worldwide against a budget of approximately $1.5 million.

Theodora "T.K." Katwuller (Hershey), a confident and successful defense attorney, representing Steven Seldes (Shepard), a prominent and charming businessman. Their professional relationship quickly turns romantic, although T.K. is unaware that Steven is married. As their affair deepens, T.K. is blindsided by the discovery that Steven is married to Ellie Seldes (Hurt), a woman with whom T.K. has a prior professional connection.

Despite her shock, T.K. struggles with her feelings and continues seeing Steven, believing his reassurances that he intends to end his marriage. However, the situation takes a sudden, dark turn when Ellie is found brutally murdered in her home. T.K. is drawn into the murder investigation, which quickly becomes personal, as she finds herself entangled in a case that threatens both her personal and professional life.

As the investigation unfolds, T.K. begins to question Steven’s character and his potential involvement in Ellie’s death. Frank (Walsh), a detective investigating the murder, becomes suspicious of Steven and focuses his attention on him as the prime suspect. T.K. finds herself in an increasingly precarious position, torn between her duty as a defense attorney and her emotional connection to Steven.

Throughout the investigation, T.K. uncovers unsettling truths about Steven’s business dealings and personal life, including a series of lies that cast doubt on his innocence. As her doubts about Steven grow, T.K. is faced with the possibility that she may have been manipulated by him from the start. She begins to question whether her relationship with Steven was genuine or simply a part of his larger, more sinister agenda.

The tension reaches its peak when T.K. confronts Steven with the evidence she has uncovered, revealing his involvement in Ellie’s murder and his deceptive nature. In a dramatic confrontation, T.K. realizes that her life is in danger, as Steven's true motives and capacity for violence become clear. T.K. must use all her legal and investigative skills to protect herself and ensure that justice is served.

As the truth about Ellie’s murder comes to light, it is revealed that Steven was deeply involved in a series of illicit business deals and that Ellie had discovered his illegal activities. Fearing exposure, Steven killed Ellie to keep his secrets safe. In the film’s tense final moments, T.K. confronts Steven and ultimately helps expose him for the murderer he is, leading to his arrest.

With Steven’s arrest and the case resolved, T.K. is left to grapple with the emotional aftermath of the events. She must come to terms with the betrayal and manipulation she experienced and the personal and professional damage caused by her relationship with Steven. The film closes with T.K. reflecting on the cost of her involvement with a man whose secrets nearly destroyed her life.

• Barbara Hershey as Thelma "T.K." Katwuller
• Sam Shepard as Detective Beutel
• J.T. Walsh as Steven Seldes
• Mary Beth Hurt as Ellie Seldes
• Sheree North as Mrs. Bodeck
• George P. Wilbur as Sherman Bodeck

Defenseless was initially released on VHS by Live Home Video in the United States and around the same time in Canada by Cineplex Odeon. A television edit of the film was later released on DVD in 2002 by Platinum Disc. In 2007, a widescreen, unedited DVD edition was released exclusively in Japan by Universal Studios Home Entertainment, under license from StudioCanal.

• Defenseless at IMDb
• Defenseless at Box Office Mojo
• Defenseless at Rotten Tomatoes