VERY similar plot to the Apple-TV drama "Defending Jacob" (and ironically the boy accused of murder in this film is also named Jacob), although this has a much better ending. It feels like a made-for-TV movie, but not so bad that it detracts from the joy of watching Liam Neeson and Meryl Streep together in good dramatic scenes, with fine supporting performances by Alfred Molina and Daniel von Bargen. Edward Furlong was unfortunately still playing the smug punk he played in Terminator 2 and did not emote properly for this part. The plot is engrossing, however, with some twists and turns that keep you watching till the end to find out what happens. I found the ending very realistic and (thankfully) not sugar-coated or idiotic. Will stimulate conversation about ethics, conscience, justice and naivete.
Weird flaws that irked me were: Both parents testifying to the grand jury WITHOUT their lawyer present, an interlude of gratuitous sex between the parents at a juncture when they were both too emotionally devastated to be doing that, and the mother blithely saying "I have to go on with my life" and go back to work when her son has been missing for days and she was presumably an emotional wreck.
Weird flaws that irked me were: Both parents testifying to the grand jury WITHOUT their lawyer present, an interlude of gratuitous sex between the parents at a juncture when they were both too emotionally devastated to be doing that, and the mother blithely saying "I have to go on with my life" and go back to work when her son has been missing for days and she was presumably an emotional wreck.