Raymond Does Not Defend Rusty In The Presumed Innocent Movie
In the 1990 movie, Rusty Sabich does not ask Raymond to defend him. Instead, Rusty approaches a top attorney named Sandy Stern, who helps him prove his innocence in court. The movie's version of Raymond also commits perjury by falsely testifying that Rusty insisted on handling Carolyn's case. Raymond also had a brief affair with Carolyn Polhemus in the movie.
Apple TV+'s Presumed Innocent completely changes Rusty and Raymond's dynamic by establishing them as best friends. This is why Raymond asks Rusty to handle Carolyn's murder case before he learns about his affair with her. After Rusty becomes a prime suspect in the murder, the show's version of Raymond agrees to defend him in court despite initially resenting him for cheating on his wife.
Raymond Is An Entirely Different Character In The Apple TV+ Show
The show benefits from these changes because Raymond representing Rusty adds political intrigue to its story and increases the stakes of Raymond and Guardia's rivalry. At the same time, it also adds new layers to Rusty and Raymond's complex relationship, making their dynamic more emotionally resonant.
Instead of showing that Bill Camp's Raymond also had an affair with Carolyn, the show portrays him as a loyal family man who only takes up Rusty's case because he loves his job and fears getting older. Despite defending Rusty, he keeps confronting him for putting his family through so much trouble. Both Bill Camp and Jake Gyllenhaal also do an incredible job of channeling their characters' on-screen companionship.
The Movie's Carolyn Was Not Pregnant At The Time Of Her Death
In the Harrison Ford movie, the fluid sample collected from the spermicidal contraceptive on Carolyn is what makes Rusty the prime suspect in the case. However, it is later disclosed that Carolyn had gone through a surgical procedure to avoid pregnancy, which gave her no reason to use the contraceptive. With this as a lead, Rusty's defendant in the movie argues that the fluid sample was not taken from Carolyn's body. This eventually helps Rusty win the case and prove his innocence.
The show, in contrast, confirms that Carolyn was pregnant at the time of her murder. A DNA test later proves that she was pregnant with Rusty's child, which solidifies Rusty as the prime suspect. Changing this detail from the original movie is clever on the show's part because it forces viewers to question whether Rusty might actually be the killer. The Apple Tv+ Jake Gyllenhaal show also portrays Rusty as a more morally gray character than his movie counterpart, which makes the central murder mystery even more thrilling.
Other Movie Changes In Apple TV+'s Presumed Innocent Explained
Unlike the movie's Rusty and Barbara, who only have a young son, the show complicates the Sabich family dynamic by showing how the couple has a teenage son and daughter. Apple TV+'s Presumed Innocent also makes its cast more diverse, allowing it to have a more inclusive portrayal of its central legal drama. For instance, while the movie's Barbara Sabich is played by Bonnie Bedelia, Ruth Negga takes on the role in the show. The Presumed Innocent show also adds new characters to the mix, including Raymond's wife, Lorraine Horgan, portrayed by Bill Camp's real-life wife, Elizabeth Marvel.
Presumed Innocent's new episodes are released every Wednesday on Apple TV+.
