The Hurricane(1999)

Oscar Nominee – Best Actor
Short pooper
The triple-murder sentence against both Rubin (Denzel Washington) and Artis (Garland Whitt) is overturned by Judge Sarokin (Rod Steiger) in 1985 and they are both acquitted and released.

Longer version
A few years after the second trial that reiterates the conviction against Rubin and Artis, Lesra (Vicellous Reon Shannon), a poor teenager from Brooklyn who has been taken under the wing of a group of Canadians to complete his education in Toronto, comes across a second-hand copy of Rubin’s autobiography, THE SIXTEENTH ROUND, and avidly reads it, finding common grounds between Rubin’s difficult earlier life and his own struggles and coming to have a growing interest in the incarcerated boxer. He convinces his foster tutors, Lisa (Deborah Kara Unger), Sam (Liev Schreiber) and Terry (John Hannah), to let him visit Rubin in prison after some time corresponding with him via mail, and he does; they hit it off, confide in each other and a friendship begins.

Eventually, Lisa, Sam and Terry do meet Rubin in person and he, having grown somewhat despondent of his life in prison, finds his spirit bolstered by the selfless interest of this people in him. In turn, Lesra grows certain of the innocence of Rubin and expresses his interest of starting the efforts to help Rubin be freed from prison, which the Canadians fully support. However, Rubin warns them of how dangerous and life-risking it might be, considering many witnesses have either died, disappeared or just refuse to cooperate for various reasons and the careers of many lawyers, judges and policemen -particularly Della Pesca (Dan Hedaya)- have depended on Rubin and Artis’ case.

When, upon a phone call, Rubin starts showing signs of wanting to give up on life, the group, along with Lesra, move down to New Jersey, in order to be closer to him and help him in his acquittal and release. Despite hitting many dead ends in their inquiries and evidence gathering, and even threats and attempts on their lives by Della Pesca and his henchmen, they carry on, undeterred, in their crusade.

In 1985, Rubin decides to go to trial once more, bringing forward to Federal Court evidence obtained by his Canadian friends -which had been previously hidden or tampered with, on purpose-; yet, his lawyers, Bedlock (David Paymer) and Friedman (Harris Yulin), advise him against it, fearing the evidence could be thrown out and never be used again unless seen first by the State Court. Rubin angrily insists on “transcending the law and going back to humanity”, feeling that whatever judge they get should be able to do the right thing.

Eventually, Rubin gets one more chance to stand trial, with Bedlock and Friedman mounting a powerful defence in his favour, Lesra and the Canadians nervously in attendance, and the Prosecution unsuccessfully trying to have the evidence thrown out. Even Rubin himself has the chance to give a moving speech on his own behalf, begging the presiding Judge, Lee Sarokin, to do the right thing. While awaiting the final decision, Ruben and Lesra share a tmoment where Ruben proclaims “hate put him in prison, but love was going to bust him out”, asserting that them meeting was something meant to be.

After careful deliberation, Sarokin rules that, given the fact that a gross miscarriage of justice, based on racism, lies and prejudice, took place against both Rubin and Artis, both sentences were thereby overturned and the two men were to be immediately released. Everyone -except for a furious and dejected Della Pesca- cheers enthusiastically in Court; additionally, back at the prison, the verdict is heard of and many guards and inmates, including Jimmy (Clancy Brown) and “Mobutu” (Badja Djola), celebrate.

Once outside, a journalist asks Rubin if he would go back to being The Hurricane, to which he proudly answers “I’ll always be The Hurricane; and The Hurricane is… beautiful”. The movie ends with the “Hurricane” song by Bob Dylan in the background, informing, through title cards, that: Artis was released shortly after and became a youth counselor; the real culprits of the triple homicide were never found; Rubin and Mae Thelma (Debbi Morgan) remained close friends; Rubin moved to Canada with the group; Lesra went on to become a lawyer and activist for cases similar to Rubin’s; and, in 1993, Rubin was given an honorary Championsip belt from the WBC.