The Many Trials of One Jane Doe

This Canadian Broadcasting Corporation film concerns the trial of a woman used by Toronto Police as bait in a rape sting. Based on a true story, the film is an excellent coverage of the experience of the woman, "Jane Doe," as she sues the Toronto Police Dept. for their actions.

Noted appearances are Steve Mackintosh (of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), playing the plaintiff's attorney, and Gary Lewis as the Police Department's defense lawyer.

The mostly-handheld cinematography througout the film, as well as the "jump-cut" editing add to the extraordinary level of realism in this production.

Definitely see this film for the terrific and terrifying acting power of Gary Lewis in the final courtroom scenes.

Hats off to the CBC for airing this program!

The incredibly important subject matter of this film alone makes it a "must see" but combined with the stellar performance of Wendy Crewson, it elevates the film to something even more important. It is a film that you will never forget. It is a film that will have an impact on how you think and feel about crime and victims of crime. Ms. Crewson draws you into the fear, confusion, determination and courage of the real "Jane Doe" from the very start of the movie and holds you tightly there through the conclusion. Don't miss it. It needs to be made available for purchase on DVD...and soon!

I caught this movie tonight on LMN and this is a definate must see. This woman is raped and the police knew that this rapist was on the lose, yet failed to protect these victims. She was used as "bait" per say and I feel that she did the right thing in doing what she did. This occured during a time when another serial rapist was on the lose in Scarborough, Toronto and Niagara Falls and the police did not seem to have the sophistication to catch him whatsoever or maybe this was tied into their lack of duty, who knows. I feel this was a lesson well learned and a wake up call to those working in law enforcement. As for the diagnosis of this woman before and after, I feel that she was not a "mixed personality" but suffered PTSD due to man made stress which can trigger clinical depression in a person. I did not find her to be "dellusional"........a tad histrionic but considering what she was dealing with, it would not be unusual. I was glad to see that in the end, things worked out and she worked hard at making others aware of these issues and bringing on the changes. As an activist myself, I commend her on her efforts to get out there and try to make this world a much better place by educating others. Great movie......Wendy Crewson was exceptional! A definate must see for all!

I run two rape crisis and treatment centers in southern California. I would like to think that Jane's treatment by police was just a Canadian problem, or a problem that resolved as we moved into the new millennium. Unfortunately, that is not true. While there are enlightened police agencies, and enlightened officers within other agencies, law enforcement and court response to rape survivors in 2003 is far less than ideal. If a woman is not beaten, battered, or bruised, the "injury" to her is viewed as minimal. Heaven forbid that she is raped by someone she knew. In that case, it is most certainly her own fault. We are fighting a long, slow uphill battle both for the compassionate treatment of sexual assault survivors in the criminal justice system, and for the ultimate end of sexual abuse of women and children in American society. Jane Doe's courage and commitment have contributed towards improvement in the treatment of survivors. If we cannot convince law enforcement officers and administrators to treat survivors with respect, fairness and caring because it is the RIGHT thing to do, perhaps we can convince them through their pocketbooks.

No matter how often you try to tell people about this soul-damaging violation, there's still boundless ignorance. This movie portrays one woman's quest for justice and the ignorance she had to fight through to get it. It's a hard movie to watch, since it was based on a true story, and she'll be labelled as a man-hating feminist, but she withstood all that, and the results helped the others come out with their testimony. For anyone who thinks they're immune to it, for those who think only certain women deserve/like it, for teachers who want a PSA to show their students, and to those who've been through it, it's a must see.