Line #12 Film/OrdealByInnocence


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3	The first adaptation of Creator/AgathaChristie's detective novel ''Literature/OrdealByInnocence''.
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5	Released 1984, it stars Creator/DonaldSutherland as Dr. Arthur Calgary, a paleontologist who finds out he is the alibi needed to prove the innocence of a dead man. Two years ago, Jacko Argyle supposedly stuck his mother dead with a fire poker the same night he hitched a ride with Dr. Calgary. Intending to clear both Jacko's name and his own conscience, Dr. Calgary starts his own investigation. But the Argyle family has put the affair behind them and are not interested in dredging up the past - especially since one of them must be the real killer, ready to strike again.
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9	!!In addition to the tropes applying to the novel, the film adaptation has examples of:
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11	* AdaptationalBadass:
12	** Gwenda is a crack shot in this version, which she demonstrates by shooting a coin out of the air one-handed.
13	** Philip's reason for being in a wheelchair is changed from polio to a war injury.
14	* AdaptationalKarma: [[spoiler: Kirsten is DriveToSuicide after being discovered, and doesn't try to escape like in the novel.]]
15	* AdaptationalNationality: Dr. Calgary is now an american, which further highlights his role as the unwanted "outsider" that the Argyles want gone.
16	* AdaptationDistillation: Rather than shifting the point of view between different characters, the film limits the focus to Dr. Calgary's investigation. Almost every scene takes place between him and a member of the Argyle family. The novel focus a lot more on the relationships in the family and especially the growing sense of paranoia and distrust among them.
17	* AdaptationExplanationExtrication: Due to Philip being DemotedToExtra, the reason for [[spoiler:his murder is more ambigous in this version. The novel makes it clear that Kirsten felt threatened by Philip’s sleuthing and decided to silence him. It can be inferred that she thought Philip overheard her and Jacko in the movie version, but since Philip only appears alive in a single scene his knowledge of the murder is not explored in as much detail.]]
18	* AgeLift: Hester is de-aged about 10 years compared to the novel, going from early twenties to a young child.
19	* TheAlibi: Calgary realizes who the murderer is when their alibi doesn't hold up: [[spoiler:Hester had snuck out to watch a movie at the time of the murder, and was therefore not with with Kirsten like she claimed. Thus, there is nobody to confirm where Kirsten was at the time.]]
20	* BetterManhandleTheMurderWeapon: Dr. Calgary walks in just as [[spoiler:Mickey picks up the wrench that killed Tina. He then attacks Calgary with it and becomes the prime suspect.]]
21	* DeathByAdaptation:
22	** [[spoiler:Tina does not survive the attempt on her life in this version. The attack also happens earlier, about a day before Philip's death, instead of immediately afterwards like in the novel.]]
23	** [[spoiler:Kirsten commits suicide at the end of the film, unlike in the novel where she escapes.]]
24	* DemotedToExtra: Most of the Argyles since they are no longer viewpoint characters, but especially Philip who only appears in two scenes: [[spoiler:he has one conversation with Dr. Calgary and later appears as a corpse.]]
25	* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Jacko turns out to be behind the murder of his mother after all, meaning Dr. Calgary's investigation was AllForNothing. Likewise, Tina and Philip died for nothing and everyone - including ''the real murderer'' - blames Calgary for their deaths. He admits that he was wrong and leaves town guilt-ridden and defeated.]]
26	* DramaticIrony: After [[spoiler:Tina's murder,]] the viewer is treated to a shot of [[spoiler:Kirsten Lindstrom]] burning some evidence, all but confirming that [[spoiler:she killed her. Later she is seen picking up a scalpel with a grim expression on her face, and Philip dies shortly afterwards. While the viewer has every reason to think that Kirsten is the murderer, Calgary doesn't realize the truth until later.]]
27	* FilmNoir: The film takes many cues from the genre, such as the gloomy atmosphere and the jazzy sountrack. Dr. Calgary also looks and behaves like a HardboiledDetective in this version.
28	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Inspector Huish suggests that Jacko may have tried to use Calgary as an alibi after committing the murder. [[spoiler:While he didn't do the deed himself, he is otherwise completely right.]]
29	* GunStruggle: [[spoiler:Kirsten]] reaches for a gun after being found out. Dr. Calgary tries to stop her and a struggle ensues. Unusually for this trope, the gun goes off but nobody is hurt.
30	* MonochromePast: All the flashbacks that take place before the movie begins are in black-and-white.
31	* NeverMyFault: [[spoiler:Kirsten blames Calgary for the deaths of Tina and Philip, even though she was the one who killed them. Her argument can be summed up as "If you hadn't tried to expose me as a murderer, I wouldn't have had to commit more murders!" Surprisingly, both Leo and Gwenda seem to agree with her.]]
32	* NakedFirstImpression: Mickey answers the door with neither pants nor trousers, just a shirt long enough to cover his groin. He invites Calgary inside where Tina is naked in her bed, covered by a ModestyBedsheet. Neither character seem embarrased by this.
33	* NotWhatItLooksLike: An underdressed Mickey introduces Tina as his sister while she is lying naked in their bed, resulting in an awkward look from Dr. Calgary. Tina eventually reveals that they are NotBloodSiblings.
34	* PhoneyCall: The killer lures Mickey away with a phone call in order to [[spoiler:kill Tina while she is alone.]]
35	* PromotedToLoveInterest:
36	** {{Downplayed}} with Jacko's wife Maureen. In the novel she remarried after Jacko's death. Here she tries to seduce Dr. Calgary, but he turns her down.
37	** Downplayed with Mickey and Tina. They both have feelings for each other in the novel, and it's stated that they will probably become a couple in the future. Here they are already living together, and it's made very obvious that the relationship is sexual.
38	** {{Inverted}} with Hester, whose AgeLift to a young child means there is no LastMinuteHookup with Dr. Argyle at the end.
39	* RaceLift: Tina, who was of mixed ancestry in the original, is played by a white actress.
40	* ReadyForLovemaking: Calgary returns to his hotel room, only to find a naked Maureen lounging on his bed.
41	* VehicularAssault: Calgary is chased by a car while walking home at night and barely escapes getting run down.
42	* WrenchWhack: [[spoiler:Tina Argyle]] is killed with a wrench. [[spoiler:[[WrenchWench Her own wrench]], to be exact.]]
43	* YouAreTooLate: Dr. Calgary realizes that [[spoiler:Tina]] knows something about the murder and tries to contact her. Unfortunately, the murderer has caught up as well and is already there to hang up the phone. Calgary rushes to find her, but she is already dead when he arrives.
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Context Film / OrdealByInnocence