''Cape Fear'' is a 1991 American

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and c ...

film directed by

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, inclu ...

. It is a remake of the 1962 film of the same name, which was based on the 1957 novel '' The Executioners'' by John D. MacDonald. It stars Robert De Niro,

Nick Nolte Nicholas King Nolte (born February 8, 1941) is an American actor. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1991 film ''The Prince of Tides''. He received ...

Jessica Lange Jessica Phyllis Lange (; born April 20, 1949) is an American actress. She is the 13th actress to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, having won two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award, along with a Screen Actors ...

Joe Don Baker Joe Don Baker (born February 12, 1936) is an American character actor and a life member of the Actors Studio. He established himself as an action star with supporting roles as a mysterious cowboy drifter in '' Guns of the Magnificent Seven'' (19 ...

and Juliette Lewis.

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He rose to prominence with an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945), followed by his starring in ...

plays a small role in the film, while Gregory Peck (in his final theatrical film role) and

Martin Balsam Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor. He had a prolific career in character roles in film, in theatre, and on television. An early member of the Actors Studio, he began his career on the New Yo ...

cameo; all three starred in the original film. The film tells the story of a

convicted In law, a conviction is the verdict reached by a court of law finding a defendant guilty of a crime. The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal (that is, "not guilty"). In Scotland, there can also be a verdict of " not proven", which is co ...

violent statutory rapist, who, mostly by using his newfound knowledge of the law and its numerous loopholes, seeks vengeance against a former public defender, whom he blames for his 14-year imprisonment because of the purposefully faulty defense tactics used during his trial. ''Cape Fear'' marks the seventh collaboration between Scorsese and De Niro. The film was a commercial success and garnered positive reviews, receiving

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actor (De Niro) and Best Supporting Actress ( Juliette Lewis).

Plot

Sam Bowden is a lawyer living in New Essex,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

with his wife Leigh and teenage daughter Danielle ("Danny").

Max Cady Max Cady is a fictional character and the primary antagonist of the John D. MacDonald novel '' The Executioners''. He was portrayed by Robert Mitchum in '' Cape Fear'' and Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's remake. Character overview In both f ...

, a former client of his, is released from prison after 14 years. Max was tried for

statutory rape In common law jurisdictions, statutory rape is nonforcible sexual activity in which one of the individuals is below the age of consent (the age required to legally consent to the behavior). Although it usually refers to adults engaging in sexual ...

and battery of a 16-year-old girl and, appalled by the attack, Sam buried evidence of the victim's promiscuity and Max's unawareness of her actual age, which might have lessened the latter's sentence or even secured his acquittal. Sam believes that Max, who was illiterate at the time of his conviction, remains unaware of his purposefully botched defense. Unbeknownst to him, however, his former client is a naturally intelligent and single-minded

psychopath Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been ...

; he learned how to read and studied law in prison, and even unsuccessfully appealed his own conviction several times. He tracks Sam down and begins to terrorize the Bowden family; he lurks near the property and the family dog is mysteriously killed. Sam attempts to have Max arrested but the police have no evidence of a crime. Max intentionally crosses paths in a bar with County Courthouse

clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

Lori Davis, who is in love with Sam, then rapes and beats her nearly to death. Despite Sam's advice, she refuses to press charges out of fear that their ongoing platonic flirtation becomes public, as well as unwillingness to be cross-examined and humiliated by her own colleagues. Sam hires a private investigator, Claude Kersek, to follow Max. Max approaches Danny by impersonating her new drama teacher and feigning an unorthodox interest in her teenage angst. He lures her to the school theater, shares a

joint A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...

with her, manipulates her libido and attraction to him and kisses her. Her parents find the joint in her schoolbook, and Danny's coyness about the extent of Max's seduction drives Sam to the point of desperation. He then agrees to Kersek's plan, which he had dismissed earlier, to have Max beaten up. Sam also gives Max a final warning, which the latter secretly tapes with a hidden recorder. Kersek's three hired thugs accost and beat Max as Sam watches from afar, but Max turns the tide on his attackers and viciously beats them instead. Max then uses the recording of Sam's threat and an exaggerated display of his own injuries to file for a restraining order against Sam. Lee Heller (Max's lawyer) also petitions the ABA Ethics Committee for Sam's

disbarment Disbarment, also known as striking off, is the removal of a lawyer from a bar association or the practice of law, thus revoking their law license or admission to practice law. Disbarment is usually a punishment for unethical or criminal con ...

, thereby triggering a two-day emergency meeting in

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

. Kersek anticipates Max's intention to enter the Bowden house while Sam is in Raleigh; the family fakes Sam's departure and hides in the house, hoping that Max will break in, so that he can be shot in self-defense. However, Max kills the Bowden's housekeeper Graciela and dons her clothing before murdering Kersek by

garroting A garrote or garrote vil (a Spanish word; alternative spellings include garotte and similar variants''Oxford English Dictionary'', 11th Ed: garrotte is normal British English spelling, with single r alternate. Article title is US English spellin ...

him with a piano wire and shooting him with his own pistol. Horrified after discovering the bodies, the Bowdens flee to their houseboat docked upstate along the

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River (North Carol ...

. Max, who has followed the family, attacks Sam and prepares to rape Leigh and Danny while making Sam watch. Danny sprays Max with lighter fluid as he lights a cigar, engulfing him in flames and causing him to jump off the boat. However, Max clings to a rope and pulls himself back on board. As the boat is rocked by a violent thunderstorm and the raging river, a badly burned and deranged Max confronts Sam, putting him on a

mock trial A mock trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisti ...

for his deliberate negligence 14 years ago. Despite Sam's insistence that Max bragged about beating two prior rape charges and that his crime was too heinous for the promiscuity report to be taken into account, Max berates him for failing to do his duty as a lawyer. The storm eventually knocks Max off his feet, allowing Sam to gain the upper hand once the women jump off the boat and make it to shore. Sam uses Max's handcuffs to shackle the latter to the boat. When the boat hits a rock and is destroyed, the fight continues on shore, but a raging tide carries Max away and he drowns

speaking in tongues Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is a practice in which people utter words or speech-like sounds, often thought by believers to be languages unknown to the speaker. One definition used by linguists is the fluid vocalizing of sp ...

and singing the hymn "On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand". Sam washes the blood from his hands before he rejoins Leigh and Danny, who realize that things will never be the same again for them.

Cast

Production

The film was adapted by

Wesley Strick Wesley Strick (born February 11, 1954) is an American screenwriter who has written such films as ''Arachnophobia'', ''Batman Returns'' and Martin Scorsese's remake of '' Cape Fear''. Since 2015, Strick has worked as a writer/executive producer o ...

from the original screenplay by James R. Webb, which was an adaptation from the novel '' The Executioners'' by John D. MacDonald. It was originally developed by Steven Spielberg, who eventually decided it was too violent and traded it to Scorsese to get back ''

Schindler's List ''Schindler's List'' is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the 1982 novel ''Schindler's Ark'' by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The film f ...

'', which Scorsese had decided not to make. Scorsese eventually agreed to do ''Cape Fear'' because Universal did support '' The Last Temptation of Christ''. Spielberg stayed on as a producer, through his

Amblin Entertainment Amblin Entertainment, Inc., formerly named Amblin Productions and Steven Spielberg Productions, is an American film production company founded by director and producer Steven Spielberg, and film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marsha ...

, but chose not to be credited personally on the finished film. Despite having worked with Nolte in ''

New York Stories ''New York Stories'' is a 1989 American anthology film consisting of three segments with the central theme being New York City. The first is ''Life Lessons'', directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Richard Price and starring Nick Nolte. The s ...

'' (1989), Scorsese did not have him in mind to portray Sam Bowden and wanted Harrison Ford to play the part instead. Ford, however, agreed to do the film only if he was going to portray Max Cady. Nolte, who was interested in portraying Bowden, managed to convince Scorsese to cast him for the part. In addition,

Drew Barrymore Drew Blythe Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress, director, producer, talk show host and author. A member of the Barrymore family of actors, she is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a ...

and

Reese Witherspoon Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, she ...

both auditioned for the part of Danielle Bowden and Spielberg reportedly wanted

Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan delivery. He rose to fame on ''The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (1973–1974) before becoming a national presence on '' Saturday Nig ...

to portray Cady. The 6'0" Nick Nolte is taller than the 5'9" Robert De Niro, but for the movie, Nolte lost weight and De Niro developed muscles until he appeared to be the stronger man. The work of Alfred Hitchcock was also influential on the style of ''Cape Fear''. As with the 1962 film version, where director

J. Lee Thompson John Lee Thompson (1 August 1914 – 30 August 2002) was a British film director, active in London and Hollywood, best known for award-winning films such as ''Woman in a Dressing Gown'', ''Ice Cold in Alex'' and '' The Guns of Navarone'' along w ...

specifically acknowledged Hitchcock's influence, strove to use Hitchcock's style, and had

Bernard Herrmann Bernard Herrmann (born Maximillian Herman; June 29, 1911December 24, 1975) was an American composer and conductor best known for his work in composing for films. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers. He is widely r ...

write the score, Scorsese made his version in the Hitchcock manner, especially through the use of unusual camera angles, lighting, and editing techniques. Additionally, Scorsese's version has opening credits designed by regular Hitchcock collaborator

Saul Bass Saul Bass (; May 8, 1920 – April 25, 1996) was an American graphic designer and Oscar-winning filmmaker, best known for his design of motion-picture title sequences, film posters, and corporate logos. During his 40-year career, Bass wor ...

, and the link to Hitchcock is cemented by the reuse of the original score by Herrmann, albeit reworked by Elmer Bernstein. Portions of Bass's title sequences are reused from the unreleased ending to his film '' Phase IV''.

Reception

Box office

''Cape Fear'' collected $10.5 million during its opening weekend, ranking in first place at the box office, beating out ''

Curly Sue ''Curly Sue'' is a 1991 American comedy drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes, and starring James Belushi, Kelly Lynch, and Alisan Porter. It tells the story of a homeless con artist and his young orphan companion who gai ...

''. It would be overtaken by ''

The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...

'' a week later, but still made another $10 million while staying ahead of ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

''. The film was a box-office success, making $182,291,969 worldwide on a $35-million budget.

Critical response

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

the film holds an approval rating of 74% based on 53 reviews, with an average score of 7/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Smart and stylish, ''Cape Fear'' is a gleefully mainstream shocker from Martin Scorsese, with a terrifying Robert De Niro performance." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, the film has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. Roger Ebert gave the film three stars, commenting:

Awards and honors

In popular culture

The film was parodied in the 1993 ''

Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, a ...

'' episode " Cape Feare", with

Sideshow Bob Robert Underdunk Terwilliger Jr., PhD, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared in the episode " The Telltale Head". Bob is a se ...

in the role of Cady. They also pay homage to another

film '' The Night of the Hunter'' in which Sideshow Bob's knuckles (scaled down for a cartoon character with one fewer finger on each hand) say "Luv" (Love) and "Hāt" (Hate, with the

diacritic A diacritic (also diacritical mark, diacritical point, diacritical sign, or accent) is a glyph added to a letter or to a basic glyph. The term derives from the Ancient Greek (, "distinguishing"), from (, "to distinguish"). The word ''diacriti ...

al mark providing the long vowel). This parody was itself the basis for Anne Washburn's play '' Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play'', which imagines post-apocalyptic theatre troupes attempting to recreate the episode, and by extension the two films and the novel. The film was parodied as ''Cape Munster'' in the premiere episode of ''

The Ben Stiller Show ''The Ben Stiller Show'' is an American sketch comedy series that aired on MTV from 1990 to 1991, and then on Fox from September 27, 1992, to January 17, 1993. The Fox program starred Ben Stiller, Andy Dick, Janeane Garofalo and Bob Odenkirk. ...

'', with

Ben Stiller Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is the son of the comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Stiller was a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known ...

playing an adult

Eddie Munster Eddie Munster is a fictional character on the CBS sitcom ''The Munsters''. He was portrayed by Butch Patrick in all episodes of the original series except for the pilot, where he was portrayed by Happy Derman. The only child of Herman and Lily ...

. The film was the inspiration for

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

Dan Spivey Daniel Eugene Spivey (born October 14, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestler best known under the ring names "Dangerous" Dan Spivey, Dangerous Dan The Left Hand Man, Danny Spivey, Mr. America, and Waylon Mercy, and initially worked ...

's character Waylon Mercy in the

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...

(now WWE) in 1995, and subsequently for professional wrestler

Bray Wyatt Windham Lawrence Rotunda (born May 23, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Bray Wyatt. Rotunda is a third-generation professional wrestler, fo ...

's original

The Wyatt Family The Wyatt Family was an American professional wrestling stable in WWE originally composed of Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan, and Luke Harper. The Wyatt Family debuted in WWE's then developmental branch NXT in November 2012, with Harper and Rowan g ...

character in WWE in 2012.

References

External links

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