Shakedown 1988
Directed by
Richard Brooks
Shakedown Plot Summary
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Roland Dalton, Peter Weller, is a burned-out, mild-mannered Manhattan public defender nearing the end of his stint with legal aid. His last case centers on Michael Jones, Richard Brooks, a crack dealer accused of shooting to death police officer Patrick O’Leary in Central Park, and Jones insists the act was in self-defense, portraying O’Leary as a Blue Jean Cop—an opportunistic officer who robs drug dealers.
To uncover the truth, Dalton teams up with Richie Marks, Sam Elliott, a renegade NYPD narcotics detective. The trial also drags in Dalton’s personal life: he rekindles an old flame with the prosecutor Susan Cantrell, Patricia Charbonneau, even as his fiancé Gail Feinberger, Blanche Baker, watches from the sidelines, unaware at first of the renewed affair.
As the investigation deepens, Dalton and Marks uncover a sprawling web of corruption: O’Leary was working with a gang of dirty cops and a drug lord, Nicky Carr, Antonio Fargas, who flaunted his power with designer jeans and an expensive car. The case pivots on a cassette tape that recorded the entire incident; Jones had kept the tape in a boom box, and Dalton makes a bold move to retrieve it from the police station’s evidence locker. But when he goes to claim the tape, he is taken hostage by Detective Rydel and other crooked cops.
Marks bursts in and shoots the corrupt officers, turning the showdown inside the station into a dramatic rescue. The legal pressure mounts as Judge Maynard, played by Augusta Dabney, refuses to admit the tape into evidence, forcing Dalton to mount a powerful closing argument without the smoking gun. The jury ultimately acquits Jones of the shooting, a verdict that hinges on the defense’s ability to present the truth despite the obstacles.
With the trial behind them, Richie surfaces again in the pursuit of Carr and the fugitive Rydel. They race toward LaGuardia Airport in a Porsche purchased by O’Leary, chasing a fleeing crime network. In a tense sequence, Richie clings to the plane’s landing gear, shoots out an engine, and drops a hand grenade into the landing gear compartment before leaping into the East River as the plane explodes.
Back on solid ground, Roland remains with the public defender’s office. He has broken up with Gail and begins dating Susan Cantrell once more, a testament to the complicated personal and professional ties that fueled the case from start to finish. The film rests on that uneasy balance between justice and ambition, showing how a single case can redefine lives, loyalties, and the path forward for a weary public defender.
Shakedown Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Shakedown (1988) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Roland Dalton takes his last case
Roland Dalton, a burned-out Manhattan public defender, takes on his final case: Michael Jones, a crack dealer accused of shooting Officer Patrick O'Leary in Central Park. Jones insists the shooting was in self-defense and that O'Leary was a 'Blue Jean Cop' who exploited drug dealers.
Dalton seeks the truth with Marks
To uncover what happened, Dalton teams up with Richie Marks, a renegade NYPD narcotics detective. Together they push beyond the prosecution's narrative in search of the real sequence of events surrounding the shooting.
Affair rekindled during the trial
During the case, Dalton rekindles a romance with his former lover, prosecutor Susan Cantrell, unbeknownst to his fiancée Gail. The evolving personal entanglements threaten to compromise his professional duties.
O'Leary's corruption uncovered
Dalton and Marks uncover that O'Leary was working with a web of dirty cops and drug lord Nicky Carr. O'Leary had even bought designer jeans and an expensive car, signaling the depth of the corruption.
A crucial tape hidden in evidence
Roland and Marks learn that a cassette tape recorded the entire incident, stored on a boom box Jones had at the time of the shooting. Locating this tape becomes the keystone of their defense.
Hostage crisis during the tape retrieval
When Roland attempts to retrieve the tape, he is taken hostage by Detective Rydel and other dirty cops. Rydel's distraction plan aims to mask their attempt to kill Roland, but Marks intervenes and kills the corrupt cops.
Tape refused as evidence; closing appeal
The judge refuses to admit the tape into evidence, forcing Dalton to rely on an impassioned closing statement. The jury ultimately acquits Jones based on the defense's argument.
Pursuit to intercept Carr and Rydel
Immediately after the trial, Marks shows up in a Porsche bought by O'Leary and the two race to LaGuardia Airport to chase Carr and Rydel, who are fleeing the country.
Plane confrontation and escape
In a dramatic chase, Richie hangs onto the plane's landing gear, shoots out an engine, and tosses a grenade into the gear compartment before leaping into the East River as the plane explodes.
Resolution: Roland's career and love life
Roland remains a public defender, having broken up with Gail and resumed dating Susan Cantrell. The victory leaves him emotionally taxed but professionally resolved.
An insane cab driver helps reach court
An insane cab driver assists Roland in reaching the courthouse in time to deliver his closing, a moment crucial to the defense's success.
Final pursuit and unresolved danger
Carr and Rydel escape beyond U.S. borders, keeping the criminal enterprise alive and implying future pursuits beyond the film's end.
Shakedown Characters
Explore all characters from Shakedown (1988). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Roland Dalton (Peter Weller)
Roland Dalton is a burned-out Manhattan public defender who pursues the truth behind a high-profile shooting. He is methodical, weary, and driven by a fragile sense of justice, willing to bend rules to expose corruption. His affair with Susan Cantrell compounds his personal and professional life, underscoring how power can strain loyalties.
Richie Marks (Sam Elliott)
A renegade NYPD narcotics detective who operates on the edge of the law. He partners with Roland to root out dirty cops and the drug network, driven by a stubborn commitment to the truth. His blunt, fearless style clashes with standard procedure but is crucial to uncovering the conspiracy.
Susan Cantrell (Patricia Charbonneau)
Prosecutor and Roland’s former lover who re-enters the case with intelligence and ambition. She navigates professional ambition and personal history while pursuing justice within a corrupt system.
Nicky 'N.C.' Carr (Antonio Fargas)
Drug lord behind the operation, using his network to shield dirty cops from accountability. He embodies the brutal reach of organized crime that taints investigations and court proceedings.
Patrick O’Leary (Jude Ciccolella)
Officer Patrick O’Leary is the murdered lawman whose death triggers the investigation into the corrupt Blue Jean Cop operation. His actions and loyalties drive the pursuit of the truth and compel the protagonists to act.
Gail Feinberger (Blanche Baker)
Roland’s fiancée, a grounding presence who endures strain as his affair with Susan resurfaces. Her relationship with Roland highlights the personal stakes and emotional fallout of a case tangled with corruption.
Shakedown Settings
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Time period
1980s
Set in the late 1980s, the story sits inside a gritty New York crime climate marked by drug trade and a murky police culture. The era’s fast pace, corruption, and hard-edged justice shape the characters’ decisions, from courtroom battles to street-level confrontations. The backdrop of the time enhances the film’s themes of truth, loyalty, and institutional decay.
Location
New York City, Manhattan, Central Park, LaGuardia Airport, East River
Shakedown unfolds across New York City, with main action taking place in Manhattan’s public institutions and on its bustling streets. Central Park provides a tense backdrop for confrontations, while LaGuardia Airport episodes amplify the sense of urgency and pursuit. The city’s courts, police stations, and crowded avenues define the film’s rhythm and stakes.
Shakedown Themes
Discover the main themes in Shakedown (1988). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Justice vs Corruption
Against a backdrop of systemic corruption, the pursuit of justice unfolds as a contest of wits and nerve. Roland and Richie dig through a web of dirty cops and drug networks to expose the truth. The trial scene and the taped evidence test the integrity of the legal system and the protagonists’ resolve. The narrative underscores how power can bend truth, yet a determined few strive to reveal it.
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Truth vs Secrecy
A crucial tape hidden in an evidence locker becomes the key to unlocking the conspiracy. The protagonists navigate cover-ups, procedural obstacles, and escalating danger to bring hidden facts to light. The search for truth clashes with obstacles designed to protect corrupt interests. The pursuit is a relentless race to prevent key evidence from being buried.
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Loyalty and Betrayal
Professional bonds are strained by personal history as Roland rekindles his affair with Susan Cantrell. The investigation tests loyalties among friends, lovers, and colleagues, revealing how personal desire can complicate public duty. Betrayals fuel the tension and push characters toward risky choices. The story uses romance as a lens on ambition and integrity.
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Duty and Desperation
A public defender fights to defend a case that could topple a corrupt system. The characters balance professional duty with personal risk, showing how desperation can drive bold, dangerous moves. Courtroom rhetoric and street-level persistence converge as Roland and his allies press for accountability. The film frames justice as a fragile achievement won through grit.
Shakedown Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of Shakedown (1988). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In a restless metropolis where everything—even a person’s loyalty—carries a price tag, the streets pulse with the clatter of deals and the unspoken bargains that keep the city moving. The atmosphere is gritty and suffocating, a place where the line between law and profiteering blurs into a single, shimmering haze. Beneath neon-lit avenues, whispers of corruption echo through alleyways, hinting that even those sworn to protect may be for sale.
Enter Roland Dalton, a burned‑out public defender whose weary professionalism masks a deep‑seated yearning for genuine justice. Near the end of his tenure with legal aid, he finds himself drawn into a case that could redefine his career and his conscience. The client, a local drug dealer, claims he acted in self‑defense against a crooked police officer, a narrative that forces Dalton to confront the unsettling truth that the very system he serves may be complicit in the very crimes he fights.
Partnering with Richie Marks, a renegade undercover cop whose methods stray far from the department’s playbook, Dalton steps into a partnership built on mutual distrust of the establishment and a shared hunger for truth. Marks operates on the fringes, navigating the underbelly of the force with a blend of cynicism and relentless determination. Their uneasy alliance becomes the film’s core, a meeting of disparate worlds that fuels both tension and reluctant respect.
Together they set out to untangle a sprawling web of greed and corruption that threads through the city’s power structures. As they probe deeper, the investigation reveals how easily morality can be bartered and how every revelation raises the stakes for those daring enough to demand accountability. The mood remains taut and brooding, inviting the audience to wonder just how far anyone will go when the cost of silence is too high to bear.
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