We’re serious about this. But don’t call us Shirley. Leslie Nielsen was the king of parodies in his day. While Airplane! and The Naked Gun are his most well-known, there are a few that have flown under the radar. One of these was the 1998 flick Wrongfully Accused. Nielsen stars as a man who is, well … wrongfully accused of murder. It parodied elements of murder mysteries and action thrillers, with The Fugitive as a particular target of satire. But this one never reached the heights of some of Nielsen’s more famous works.
Wrongfully Accused grossed just under $10 million at the worldwide box office. It boasts a lackluster 18% on Rotten Tomatoes. We all know that critics are unfairly hard on parody movies. Is it really that bad? If you’re a fan of Nielsen and his signature slapstick pun-based comedy, you’ll likely want to add this one to your list. But it may not win over any new fans. Our viewers are in luck, as Wrongfully Accused is available to stream for free on Tubi. Fans of Leslie Nielsen and parody films have a chance to put this underrated thriller on their lists. And here’s why they should.
What Happens in ‘Wrongfully Accused’?
Release Date
July 23, 1998
Runtime
87 minutes
Director
Pat Proft
Producers
Bernd Eichinger, James G. Robinson, Martin Moszkowicz, Robert Kulzer
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Richard Crenna
Fergus Falls
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Kelly LeBrock
Lauren Goodhue
Wrongfully Accused hails from writer/director Pat Proft, who co-wrote all three original Naked Gun films. Nielsen stars as world-class violin master Ryan Harrison. Reclusive millionaire Hibbing Goodhue sponsors his performances. Harrison is invited to Goodhue’s home by his wife, Lauren, where he discovers the millionaire dead. After a fight with Goodhue’s assailant, Harrison is knocked out and awakens to find himself arrested for the murder.
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Harrison escapes from his prison transport and returns to the home, teaming up with Goodhue’s mistress, Cass Lake, to find the real killer. Cass believes that Lauren is behind the murder. Harrison gradually pieces together the story, uncovering the real events and all those involved in the case. Goodhue was murdered after he learned too much about a bigger conspiracy involving a plot to assassinate the United Nations Secretary General, Sir Robert McKintyre. Now Harrison has to clear his name before the real criminals execute the rest of their plan.
Wrongfully Accused is your standard parody murder movie. No one is claiming it should have won the Academy Award for Best Picture. But were the critics right? Was it that bad? That’s up to each viewer to decide. But believe it or not, Wrongfully Accused might actually contain more slapstick and puns than The Naked Gun.
The Leslie Nielsen Signature Humor
Warner Bros.
At times, The Naked Gun acted like a serious movie. That is, not every scene was chock-full of wordplay or gags. Some jokes defied logic, but most were grounded in reality without going too far over the top. The same cannot be said of Wrongfully Accused. Almost every moment on screen features rapid-fire jokes and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it visual humor. The absurdity is dialed up to 11.
Take the scene where Harrison is loaded onto the prison bus after being convicted. A voiceover narrates that he’ll be executed by firing squad, lethal injection, and electrocution. On screen, he’s shackled with handcuffs, ankle restraints, a ball gag, and given a name tag. An officer explains safety procedures on the bus in the style of airplane flight-attendant instructions. Next, a banana peel on the road causes the bus to swerve off and into the woods. Harrison thinks he’s free, but he must outrun a train that can drive off the tracks and through the woods. Harrison and the train peek at each other around a tree and play a game of chase through the woods before he finally escapes. It’s Leslie Nielsen at his best, too.
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And that’s just a fraction of the jokes packed into this five-minute scene. The rest of the film features Mentos product placement, movie references, mishaps involving hotwiring a car, and even a hospital escape that involves jumping from a high window into a pile of dirty diapers below. Another scene features Harrison doodling over a convenience store’s ‘wanted’ photo of himself, only for the police to arrest someone who looks exactly like his sketch. That happens right after he gives the same cop his fake name, “Buzzin Frog,” after a novelty toy in the store.
It’s impossible to count all the references or catch them all on one viewing. Ryan Harrison is the same “straight man suffering increasingly absurd scenarios” that Nielsen inhabits in all his parody roles. That’s not a bad thing; it’s what we’ve come to know and love from him. Those who haven’t seen The Fugitive may miss some of the references. But for every missed reference, there are dozens of gags to fill in. Parody fans will laugh out loud at some of Nielsen’s finest comedic chops.
Wrongfully Accused holds a bleak 18% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But look up any clip compilation from the film, and the comments tell a different story. Fans love the same Naked Gun levels of absurd comedic scenarios. An 18% rating and a box office gross of under $10 million don’t do the film justice. If you’re one of the few that haven’t checked out this classic, it’s available to stream for free on Tubi. Viewers don’t need an account to access the library of free flicks. Tubi also features some other underrated Nielsen parodies, such as Superhero Movie and Camouflage. So take a look at Wrongfully Accused if you haven’t already. There are fantastic gags around every corner, and it certainly deserves better than its Rotten Tomatoes score.
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