User Reviews

1995's "A Reason to Believe" has gained notoriety over the years as the low-budget film where Holly Marie Combs, of "Charmed" fame, does a topless love scene. This is unfair, as the film, shot "on a shoestring" by first-time director Douglas Tirola, is a remarkably well-made, sensitive look at date rape, and the aftermath to both the victim, and those around her. Without resorting to either preaching or titillation, the film remains one of the better dramas of an issue that continues to plague college campuses.

The heroine of the story is young Charlotte (Allison Smith), a popular sorority girl, who, against the wishes of her boyfriend, Wesley (Danny Quinn, son of Oscar winner Anthony Quinn), attends a frat party alone, where she is raped by Wesley's best friend, Jim (Jay Underwood). As Jim brags of his 'conquest', Charlotte goes through a period of self-loathing and denial, until Jim's version destroys her relationship with Wesley, the friendship of her sorority sisters, and makes her an unwilling 'Cause' for the campus feminist group. Forced to take a stand, she finds her reputation smeared by Jim, his fraternity, and even her ex-friends, until the Dean ("Animal House" 'Neidermeyer', Mark Metcalf), calls in both parties to learn the truth...

While the fraternity scenes are more 'Delta House' than real, the chain of events rings true (Jim's girlfriend, so devoted that she'd rather lie about Charlotte than 'lose' him; Wesley's 'rebound' bedmate, played with conviction by Combs, becoming another victim of Jim's unwanted attentions). Even an eyewitness to the rape (Keith Coogan, great-grandson of Jackie) cannot come forward, as he is a 'druggie' who would not be believed, only arrested if he spoke out.

To Tirola's credit, he never permits the film to slide into melodrama, preferring to allow events to unfold naturally. The limited budget forces the film's resolution to be a bit rushed, and 'pat', but will still satisfy most viewers.

"A Reason To Believe" deserves praise for the quality 'look' it achieves (on a budget of under $200,000), the timeliness of the issues it addresses, and several outstanding performances. To remember it solely for a few moments of nudity does it a disservice!

I liked it i was surprised when i saw HMC in it i liked her part. But I really liked what she said: Like there was one line about " I don't apologize for liking sex, its just that i choose to have sex more often than people think a woman has privilege to... so when some dough boy like your friend has to crawl on top of me when i'm drunk or passed out don't tell me how i'm aloud to feel okay just don't tell me how I'm supposed to feel..." i think that line says so much. I didn't know that she was in it & just caught it on LMN & thought it sounded pretty good but it blew my mind when i saw her because i still think of her as good, wholesome piper from charmed. anyways the movie is pretty good & worth viewing.

The sensitive issue of rape has, over the years, become very formulaic in films. The conflicts of which typically entail a woman bringing her assailant to justice via proving that she was raped despite ample disbelief and even ridicule. Writer/director Douglas Tirola's "A Reason to Believe" is certainly no exception under those circumstances, but stereotypical (and even ostentatious) characterizations of men and women and other situations make this film very unbelievable.

Like many film's that take place in college settings, the characters in Reason who are members of fraternities and sororities are both promiscuous and fond of alcohol and drugs. These pleasures are essentials throughout the Viking party hosted by the Beta fraternity house, at which attendees are scantily clad in togas and drink, get high, and get laid. It is at this party that Charlotte (Allison Smith) is raped by frat boy and friend Jim (Jay Underwood). Since Charlotte's attire wasn't conservative and she was seen dancing with Jim and because she didn't physically struggle with Jim when he raped her, it is not surprising that no one believes her when she claims that his advances were unwanted especially since, by this point, Jim has already bragged to his entire fraternity about his encounter with Charlotte. Among Jim's fraternity brothers is Charlotte's boyfriend Wesley (Danny Quinn), who was not only absent from the party but who also told Charlotte that he didn't want her to attend it for fear that she would look like "fraternity groupie", and the token stoner Potto (Keith Coogan) who actually witnessed the rape but remains mostly quiet about it. After all, who is going to buy his story since he was on drugs at the time? Despite Wesley's jealousy, it is ridiculous that he would be much quicker to believe Jim over Charlotte, but then again, the first time Wesley expresses his love for Charlotte is during a period of sex.

Further stereotypes are noted in Linda (Georgia Emelin) and her campus women's group, which, in many ways, desensitize the issue of rape. As a hardcore feminist, Linda pulls out all the stops for the benefit of her group and most of the women on campus such as demanding that the dean publish a rape victim's police report, voicing her hatred for all fraternities, and even referring to Jim's girlfriend Judith (Kim Walker) as a prostitute during the Viking party. The presence of Linda and her fellow feminists is ironic for after Charlotte is raped, she doesn't contact anyone who either anonymous or bound to confidentiality such as a therapist or law enforcer. Instead, she contacts the campus crisis center and speaks to one of Linda's cohorts who ultimately relays the entire story to Linda who arrogantly uses the incident bring her own women-related issues to the forefront.

The film's greatest flaw is the action that Charlotte decides to take. In an effort to avoid publicity (as if being seen with Linda could that) and time spent in a court of law, Charlotte takes her case to the school's administration board who, despite having no real evidence or feedback from a lawyer (and perhaps to shut Linda up), conclude that Jim actually raped Charlotte. As punishment, Jim is not arrested, but just expelled. I will not deny that this was similar to the ending I would like to have see, but it confines the film too much to a college atmosphere and the absence of people who are neither students nor faculty members doesn't make for a believable story about rape.

I give this film four stars for the actors in it clearly made the most of the material they had to work with and as far as production goes, the crew succeeded in making the most of their low budget. As a first-time writer/director, Tirola's intentions are both sentimental and noble. Unfortunately, the only the believable aspect of this film about rape is the rape itself.

I couldn't figure out when I stumbled on this if it was a lifetime movie, after school special, or straight to video, so I am calling it all of the above. No extreme nudity or graphic imagery, but still sexual content and language here and there.

Charlotte is a pretty and popular college student who finds herself mixed up in the fraternity scene by dating a handsome lad named Wesley. They portray the college scene flawlessly in my opinion. Carefree, sexually explicit, vulgar, and immature. Charlotte has a gentle niaveness to her character and seems to just want to have a successful relationship with a "semi controlling" Wesley and to have fun with her friends and frat boys. All around her are typical growing pains- couples dealing with cheating, binge drinking, drug use, causal sex.. To counter this view, we have a small side bar story of the feminist groups on campus trying to firm up the loose rules for the Fraternities and to provide safe havens for women who have been assaulted. Tension is high between the groups.

Charlotte, against Wesley's wishes, decides to go to a big party at the fraternity when he is away. Poetically, she drinks too much and finds herself being raped by Wesley's less than tolerable "drat" brother Jim. His slow taking advantage of her was spot on, as was her confused and shocked resistance. The next day scene of her running from the frat house was pretty heartbreaking.

Charlotte confused as to how to approach, starts off acting somewhat causal of the situation to her roommate until ultimately things hit the fan. Wesley returns, finds out and immediately dumps her regardless of her explanation of rape. Her friends turn on her and feel she over reacting. The frat rallies around Jim and ostracize Charlotte. She finds herself turning to the Women's group on campus who are locked and loaded and ready for a battle to get justice.

Wesley starts to see Jim's true colors after a particularly risky scene with Molly Combs,(brilliant as the sexually liberal fling) as well as finding out that another frat brother, Protto, may have seen a little more than he thought on the night of the rape.

Jim maintaining his disregard and complete innocence during this time, is starting to feel the pressure from the women's groups, the school, and even a few frat brothers. Charlotte and him ultimately go toe to toe at a campus hearing to which Jim cannot maintain his ugly character or ego, and ends up outing his guilty self.

Satisfying, yet still hard to swallow as these college sexual assaults are still going strong and without a good civil system. Still ends in one persons word against the other....