Law Abiding Citizen
It’s Not What You Know
When one man loses everything, he is capable of anything. Determined to seek revenge for the loss of his family and for the lack of support from the justice system, Clyde Shelton will not let anyone stand in his way. Law Abiding Citizen is a good thriller film because it is full of suspense, has a strong plot throughout with no “plot holes”, and contains a strong set of complex characters. Clyde Alexander Shelton had his whole world ripped apart one dark night when two burglars came into his home. Clyde lay helpless in the floor as his wife and daughter were murdered and raped before his eyes at the hands of Clarence Darby and his accomplice Rupert Ames. When the case went to trial counselor Nick Rice informed Clyde that the evidence had been deemed inadmissible by the court (Law Abiding Citizen). Since Clyde blacked out during the event his testimony would not be strong enough to convict Darby, so Nick made a deal. Darby testified that Ames committed the murders and in return for his confession Darby received the minimal punishment of three years in prison for murder in the third degree and Ames would receive the death penalty (Law Abiding Citizen). When Clyde became aware of this deal he felt betrayed by Nick and the justice system because he knew that Darby was the one that committed the murders but as Nick stated in the movie, “It’s not what you know Clyde it’s what you can prove in court” (Law Abiding Citizen).
Ten years later Clyde Shelton devised a plan to seek revenge on all who were involved in the trial. He made Ames’ execution the opposite of a “pain free lethal injection” and then captured Darby only to torture him by dismembering every piece of his body (Law Abiding Citizen). Shelton then went on to prove a point to the justice system that they will believe anything that is brought before them and sounds convincing. Nick Rice soon finds out that Clyde is more than just a loving father and a husband, but a “brain” for the
When one man loses everything, he is capable of anything. Determined to seek revenge for the loss of his family and for the lack of support from the justice system, Clyde Shelton will not let anyone stand in his way. Law Abiding Citizen is a good thriller film because it is full of suspense, has a strong plot throughout with no “plot holes”, and contains a strong set of complex characters. Clyde Alexander Shelton had his whole world ripped apart one dark night when two burglars came into his home. Clyde lay helpless in the floor as his wife and daughter were murdered and raped before his eyes at the hands of Clarence Darby and his accomplice Rupert Ames. When the case went to trial counselor Nick Rice informed Clyde that the evidence had been deemed inadmissible by the court (Law Abiding Citizen). Since Clyde blacked out during the event his testimony would not be strong enough to convict Darby, so Nick made a deal. Darby testified that Ames committed the murders and in return for his confession Darby received the minimal punishment of three years in prison for murder in the third degree and Ames would receive the death penalty (Law Abiding Citizen). When Clyde became aware of this deal he felt betrayed by Nick and the justice system because he knew that Darby was the one that committed the murders but as Nick stated in the movie, “It’s not what you know Clyde it’s what you can prove in court” (Law Abiding Citizen).
Ten years later Clyde Shelton devised a plan to seek revenge on all who were involved in the trial. He made Ames’ execution the opposite of a “pain free lethal injection” and then captured Darby only to torture him by dismembering every piece of his body (Law Abiding Citizen). Shelton then went on to prove a point to the justice system that they will believe anything that is brought before them and sounds convincing. Nick Rice soon finds out that Clyde is more than just a loving father and a husband, but a “brain” for the
Cited: Law Abiding Citizen. Dir. F. Gary Gray. Perf. Gerald Butler, Jaime Foxx, and Leslie Bibb. Evil Twins, 2009. DVD. The Internet Movie Database. Amazon.com, 2011. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.