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A Murder of Crows film - Revision history
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{{Infobox film<br />
| name = A Murder of Crows<br />
| image = A-murder-of-crows-dvd-cover.jpg<br />
| caption = DVD cover<br />
| director = [[Rowdy Herrington]]<br />
| producer = [[Cuba Gooding Jr.]]<br>[[Elie Samaha]]<br>[[Ashok Amritraj]]<br />
| writer = Rowdy Herrington<br />
| narrator = <br />
| starring = Cuba Gooding Jr.<br>[[Tom Berenger]]<br>[[Marianne Jean-Baptiste]]<br>[[Mark Pellegrino]]<br>[[Eric Stoltz]]<br />
| music = [[Steve Porcaro]]<br />
| cinematography = Robert Primes<br />
| editing = Harry B. Miller III<br />
| studio = [[Franchise Pictures]]<br />
| distributor = Sterling Home Entertainment<br />
| released = {{Film date|1998|12|12|United Kingdom|1999|7|6|United States}}<br />
| runtime = 101 minutes<br />
| country = United States<br />
| language = English<br />
| budget = $7.5 million<br />
| gross = <br />
}}<br />
'''''A Murder of Crows''''' is a 1998 American [[psychological fiction|psychological]] [[thriller film]] directed and written by [[Rowdy Herrington]] and starring [[Cuba Gooding Jr.]] and [[Tom Berenger]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www1.hdmoviebaze.com/a-murder-of-crows-1999/ |publisher=hdmoviebaze |title=A Murder of Crows (1999) |accessdate=2014-05-12 |last=DeMoss |first=David |date=June 10, 2011 }}</ref> It was released in the UK on 12 December 1998, and in the USA on 6 July 1999.<br />
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==Plot==<br />
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films should be between 400 to 700 words. --><br />
Lawson Russell is a [[New Orleans]] [[criminal defense lawyer]] who has had a crisis of conscience while defending wealthy childhood friend Thurman Parks III. Parks denies charges of the rape and murder of stripper Jeanie Brussard. Russell is involved with Parks' and Judge Wiley Banning's conspiracy to have the charges dismissed. Russell, however, knowing Thurman is guilty, attempts to recuse himself from the case. Judge Banning refuses to accept Russell's recusal and threatens to end his career. Russell enters court and accuses Parks, resulting in a [[mistrial (law)|mistrial]]. Judge Banning has Russell disbarred for life.<br />
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13 months later, Russell has retired to [[Key West]] as a fishing guide and decides to write a book about his experience. He suffers from perpetual [[writer's block]]. He befriends Christopher Marlowe, a widower and retired teacher who asks him to read his [[manuscript]]. Attempting to return the manuscript, Russell encounters Detective Goethe, who informs Russell that Marlowe has died leaving no next of kin. Russell decides to pass the book off as his own. It becomes a huge success, giving Russell fame and a luxurious lifestyle. Russell begins a sexual relationship with his book's publisher, Janine DeVrie.<br />
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Detective Clifford Dubose receives a copy of Russell's book from an anonymous sender and realizes that the murders in the book are identical to the real-life deaths of 5 attorneys that were written off as accidents or suicides. Russell is arrested and charged with the murder of the attorneys. He hires his former colleague Elizabeth Pope to defend him and tells her about Marlowe and the manuscript. She doesn't believe him and drops him as a client. Dubose searches Russell's home and finds hidden pictures of all the dead attorneys. Russell realizes he is being framed and goes on the run.<br />
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Russell follows a clue to Parks' home and breaks in to investigate. He discovers that Parks is seeing Janine. Another clue leads him to the home of Professor Arthur Corvus, where he discovers a room full of costumes and prosthetic face masks. Russell realizes that Marlowe, Goethe and even a random fan at his book signing were all Corvus. He concludes that Corvus murdered the lawyers. Corvus' housekeeper Althea Delroy discovers Russell and calls the police. Dubose arrives and questions Corvus, who denies ever meeting or knowing Russell but Dubose is suspicious.<br />
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Russell digs into Corvus' background and discovers that 3 years earlier, Corvus' wife Jean and daughter Trudy had been killed in a hit-and-run accident by a banker, whose lawyer, Jeffery Lowell, got him off on a technicality. Russell returns to Corvus' home and confronts him. Corvus, armed, takes Russell's gun and admits to killing Lowell and the other attorneys for misuse of the justice system. He also says that he was going to kill Russell the night he attempted to recuse himself. Corvus became intrigued by Russell's struggling conscience and decided to test him.<br />
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Overhearing Corvus' confession, Dubose interrupts and takes Corvus' gun. As Dubose calls for backup, Corvus kills Dubose with Russell's gun. Russell wrestles Corvus for both guns. Realizing that the police and courts would not believe that Corvus was the real murderer, Russell, having both guns, uses one to kill Corvus as the police arrive. Pope visits Russell to discuss his court strategy and hires a well-known attorney for him. Russell is found not guilty on all charges. The publicity of the case then results in the skyrocketing sales of the novel, making Russell a millionaire.<br />
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==Cast==<br />
* [[Cuba Gooding Jr.]] as Lawson Russell<br />
* [[Tom Berenger]] as Detective Clifford Dubose<br />
* [[Marianne Jean-Baptiste]] as Elizabeth Pope<br />
* [[Mark Pellegrino]] as Professor Arthur Corvus<br />
* [[Eric Stoltz]] as Thurman Parks III<br />
* [[Ashley Laurence]] as Janine DeVrie<br />
* Doug Wert as Billy Ray Richardson<br />
* [[Carmen Argenziano]] as Judge Wiley Banning<br />
* [[Renée Estevez]] as Reporter<br />
* [[Ellen Gerstein]] as Landlady<br />
* [[Jim Meskimen]] as Salesman<br />
* [[Lochlyn Munro]] as Norwood<br />
* [[Robert Peters (actor)|Robert Peters]] as Desk Sergeant<br />
* Deneen Tyler as Althea Delroy<br />
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==Production==<br />
Filming began in December 1997, across [[Key West]], Florida, [[Los Angeles]], California, and [[New Orleans]], Louisiana.<br />
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==Reception==<br />
{{RT prose|0|4.4|five||ref=yes|access-date=February 20, 2024}}<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
* {{IMDb title|0133985}}<br />
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{{Rowdy Herrington}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Murder of Crows (film), A}}<br />
[[Category:1998 independent films]]<br />
[[Category:1998 psychological thriller films]]<br />
[[Category:1998 American films]]<br />
[[Category:1998 English-language films]]<br />
[[Category:American independent films]]<br />
[[Category:American psychological thriller films]]<br />
[[Category:English-language independent films]]<br />
[[Category:English-language thriller films]]<br />
[[Category:Films about writers]]<br />
[[Category:Films directed by Rowdy Herrington]]<br />
[[Category:Films produced by Elie Samaha]]<br />
[[Category:Films scored by Steve Porcaro]]<br />
[[Category:Films set in Florida]]<br />
[[Category:Films set in New Orleans]]<br />
[[Category:Films shot in Florida]]<br />
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]<br />
[[Category:Films shot in New Orleans]]<br />
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Rowdy Herrington]]<br />
[[Category:Franchise Pictures films]]<br />
[[Category:1998 films]]</div>
Dhwanika Joshi