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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1998
Runtime1h 36m
LanguageEN
CertificationNR
GenresDrama, TV Movie
Votes4
DirectorAndy Wolk
WritersAndy Wolk, Peter Wolk
TypeFeature Film
Rating5.8 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsThe Defenders: Taking the First
About The Defenders: Taking the First
A racist provokes four teens into beating a Latino youth to death after one of his fiery speeches on a college campus. The Prestons are first called upon to defend one of the youths who gives testimony against the other three. Then, in a turnaround, the family of the murdered boy hires the Prestons to try to get a conviction against the racist.
Directed by Andy Wolk, The Defenders: Taking the First leans on a strong ensemble — Beau Bridges, Martha Plimpton, Jeremy London — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1998.
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