Charles Mallory

‘Miranda’s Victim’ is a story about a courageous young woman Trish Weir, who in Phoenix, Arizona in 1963 was kidnapped and sexually assaulted. Not wanting to afford her attacker Ernesto Miranda opportunities to assault other women, she pressed charges with assurances that her name would never be disclosed by the press. Nearly 60 years later, co-producer and co-writer George Kolber found Trish and obtained her permission to make a film about her story. It was released 60 years after her attack. This film also expertly and dramatically depicts the events that led to the landmark 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Miranda v. Arizona in 1966 that instituted what we know as Miranda rights. In announcing the Supreme Court’s decision, Chief Justice Earl Warren said, “Prior to any questioning, the person must be warned that he has a right to remain silent, that any statement he does make may be used as evidence against him, and that he has a right to the presence of an attorney, either retained or appointed." This is a story that sits with you for days and perhaps for months. Throughout the film, I found myself on the side of Trish Weir and newly aware of the struggles that rape victims suffer, even 60 years after the events depicted in the film. I also didn’t know the origins of Miranda rights and the fact that it was widely held in 1963 that law enforcement didn’t have to tell a suspect they had a right to have an attorney present during any questioning. The film was well researched, written, and directed. The amazing ensemble cast led by Abigail Breslin brought the story to life with performances beyond what we have come to expect from these uber-talented actors. Production designers brought us squarely into the 1960s, aided by the music supervisors whose song selections from the 1960s and 1970s added some nostalgic contrast to the depiction of the important true events. Holly Amber Church’s score was well spotted and brought emotional weight at the right moments. Michelle Danner, a film and stage director and a world-renowned acting coach, gave this true story the treatment it deserves and created a work that should be seen, considered, and discussed.