The Big Picture

Jeff Bridges showcases his dramatic range in
Jagged Edge
, starring opposite Glenn Close as a man on trial for his wife’s brutal murder.
Director Marquand builds suspense as Bridges’ character evolves from charming to sinister in compelling drama.
Twists and tension keep audiences guessing until the shocking reveal, proving Bridges’ ability to captivate.

Hollywood legend Jeff Bridges is widely known for his characters such as the lovable stoner Jeff Lebowski at the center of The Big Lebowski or Rooster Cogburn in an Oscar-winning turn in the remake of True Grit. But, almost 40 years ago, Bridges was a young actor with swagger who played Jack Forrester in the 1985 courtroom thriller Jagged Edge in one of his best performances to date. By then, he had established himself as a leading man in good guy roles. The early ’80s saw him give notable turns in various genres, including the revolutionary science fiction classic Tron, the classic adventure drama King Kong opposite Jessica Lange, and as an affable alien in Starman. So, when he took the part of a newspaperman accused of killing his wealthy wife out of greed in Jagged Edge, audiences had never seen this side of Bridges as an actor. He was fresh off a romantic drama Against All Odds just a year prior and had proven that he could be a sex symbol who got audiences swooning. Still, in this film, written by Joe Eszterhas and directed by Richard Marquand, he upped the ante by bringing an extra element of mystery and intrigue to a character accused of a grisly murder.

Jagged Edge A charismatic lawyer takes on the defense of a man charged with the violent murder of his wife, drawing her into a complex web of deception. As evidence mounts and testimonies twist the truth, she must navigate her professional ethics and her personal feelings, which threaten to compromise the case.Release Date October 4, 1985 Director Richard Marquand Runtime 108 Minutes Main Genre Drama Writers Joe Eszterhas

What Is ‘Jagged Edge’ About?
The opening scene of Jagged Edgedepicts a masked intruder at the Forresters’ beachside San Francisco mansion. The figure quickly goes to the upstairs bedroom, where wealthy socialite Page Forrester sleeps alone in her bed. This masked person pulls a large hunting knife with a jagged, serrated edge and ties her hands to the bedpost. He then sexually assaults and kills her. Hard-driving District Attorney Thomas Krasny (Peter Coyote) is convinced that it is Page’s husband, Jack, who has committed the heinous and bloody crime. He charges Jack, and he will stand trial for her murder. Savvy and intelligent defense attorney Teddy Barnes (Glenn Close) reluctantly takes the newsworthy case and immediately falls under the spell of the manipulative and handsome Jack. Teddy must discern whether she believes she is representing a cold-blooded killer while also finding herself drawn to his irresistible charm even as Jack appears to be grieving his late wife. The tension builds with every scene and courtroom turn as the audience is left guessing along with Teddy until the shocking reveal at the film’s end.

Jeff Bridges Shows Serious Dramatic Chops in ‘Jagged Edge’

Hundreds of courtroom dramas have left us wondering whether the accused is truly capable of the horrifying crime they are on trial for. What makes Jagged Edge stand out is the remarkable drama that Jeff Bridges brings to each scene. When he is on screen, he is so convincing as a wrongly accused man who has been grossly mistreated by an aggressive district attorney looking to make a name for himself. Bridges’ perfectly coiffured good looks help engage the viewer and make him much more believable as a man wrongly accused. When he revisits the brutal crime scene, Jack emotionally breaks down in a way that wouldn’t be possible for the sociopathic, misogynistic killer who wrote “BITCH” on the wall with his wife’s blood above her tortured body. If Teddy had any doubts about his guilt, she doesn’t anymore after Jack crumbles to the ground, crying like a broken man who loved his wife.

‘Jagged Edge’ Masterfully Builds Tension
Image via Columbia Pictures

Director Richard Marquand brilliantly takes Eszterhas’ script and presents Jack Forrester as a man so supremely confident and disgusted by the accusation that it slowly becomes difficult to believe that he committed the murder. Bridges conducts himself so smoothly and with such an air of untouchability as Jack that even a woman as erudite and cautious as Teddy Barnes believes she is on the right side of the case and gets swept up in his rakish game. As each piece of evidence is uncovered, and each witness takes the stand to either support or question Jack’s character, the question of whether he killed his wife becomes like a twelve-round heavyweight boxing slugfest. Each side lands compelling haymakers; Teddy does her job and creates reasonable doubt. With Bridges having wooed her so softly and earnestly, it feels like they have put the wrong man on trial because if someone as smart as Teddy Barnes can be so sure that Jack is innocent, we should too.

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After the jury finds Jack innocent of the murder, Teddy is on top of the world. She has won the biggest case of her life and has the dashing Jack Forrester as a boyfriend. There is never a point in Jagged Edge where Bridges makes the audience question his innocence. His uncanny affability and charisma are undeniable and work almost all the way until the end of the film. By the time the true nature of Jack Forrester is revealed, you almost want him to be the gruesome bad guy just to bring a crescendo to Bridges’ devilishly convincing turn as the wrongly accused.

Jeff Bridges’ Charming Performance Sets Up ‘Jagged Edge’s Shocking Reveal

Throughout Jagged Edge, there is a part of Teddy that can’t shake the remote possibility that Jack is the killer. From the warnings of her own private investigator, Sam Ransom (Robert Loggia), to the logic of her legal counterpart, Krasny, she feels like Jack is too good to be true. When she finds the same typewriter that only the killer could have used to write a note hidden away in Jack’s closet, it’s a chilling reveal that Jack was the deranged killer all along and it makes the fact that he and Teddy have slept together all the more revolting. The tension is palpable as she confronts him about it but he denies it, and she leaves. Jack even helps her start her car, keeping the audience guessing even after the typewriter revelation.

Later, we see the masked intruder attempt to kill Teddy the same way he had Page Forrester. It’s a terrific technique by Eszterhas and Marquand to bookend the movie with the horror of the killer using the same modus operandi. But, this time, Teddy is prepared. She has a powerful handgun under her pillow but before she makes that known, she begs him to reveal himself, “I need to see your face, Jack.” She is 99% certain that it is Jack, but that 1% is enough to give her pause as she is in the middle of telling him she could have loved him when he grabs her. That seed of doubt remains planted until the very last second, right before she opens fire.

When Sam arrives and pulls back the mask, it’s finally confirmed that it was Jack all along. Up until then, Bridges has been so enamoring in the role that it’s hard to believe he could be such a cruel and sadistic killer. And it feels like Teddy is giving him every last second to reverse course. The entire hour and a half that led up to this moment flashes through the viewer’s mind, imagining that despite his charming and charismatic exterior, he was ultimately a misogynistic murderer who would have killed again if given the chance. While it may seem obvious in hindsight, Bridges is so convincing in the role that you aren’t sure until you see his lifeless face in the film’s final scene. It’s one of the versatile actor’s best performances that showed he was just as good at being bad.

Jagged Edge is available to rent on Amazon.

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