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Christopher Reeve plays a cop called Dempsey. He's shown as a family
man though his wife is having an affair.
After being shot on duty he is a wheelchair using paraplegic. The
hospital scenes are very brief and there is a brief scene of therapy
in a swimming pool. Later he tips his wheelchair over in the
bathroom and is found by his son.
In bed with his wife she says "we could try . . . I'll help you."
But he shakes his head. For the action in which he was shot he is
awarded the medal of valor. His colleagues suggest he write a book
or something -- make a lot of money.
He is resentful of his situation and says to his wife that she is
unhappy and that he has let her down. Nick his brother who is
having the affair with the wife wants to end it "it doesn't seem
right." She says she's looking to be pushing a wheelchair for the
rest of her life, and she's only 35.
A neighbour sees him holding a gun to his head and rushes around.
She says "he's not a wheelchair kind of guy" (wow) The brother who
is also a cop says "he's depressed." (wow).
He confesses to his brother and wife that he wants to die and he
needs their help. He has taken out a $1 million insurance policy to
secure the future of his wife and son but his death must be
accidental. To this end he wants to stage a burglary in which he
will be killed. He plans the whole complicated business.
When it comes to the moment the brother can't go through with it but
the wife does, and it turns out their gun is empty. He shoots his
wife and then his brother. At the point he gets out of the
wheelchair with some difficulty to arrange the setting of the
'incident'.
However just when it seems he has got away the double murder a
colleague suspects something and investigates. He is eventually
arraigned and in the ensuing court case a doctor is asked if a
person could fake paraplegia. The detective actually stabs him in
the leg with a letter opener but he doesn't flinch. There is
insufficient evidence to go ahead with the charge of murder and he's
got away with it.
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