Nuts

Claudia Draper kills her client, Allen Green, in self-defense after he attacks her. The act triggers a legal crisis as her mother and stepfather plot to control the fallout. They fear a public scandal that could ruin Claudia's life.

Her mother Rose and stepfather Arthur seek to have Claudia declared mentally incompetent to avoid public exposure. They enlist Dr. Herbert Morrison to evaluate her and push for indefinite commitment. Claudia learns that this could imprison her in a mental institution if successful.

The defense attorney hired by Claudia's parents quits after Claudia assaults him in court when he moves to have her committed. In the aftermath, the judge appoints public defender Aaron Levinsky to handle the case. Levinsky is determined to speak to Claudia directly before engaging with the rest of the defense.

Levinsky probes Claudia's background to understand how a girl from a seemingly model upper-middle-class family ended up facing a murder charge. With each new detail, he uncovers disturbing strands from her life that challenge assumptions about her innocence. His investigation reshapes the defense strategy.

In the psych ward, Claudia experiences a nightmare in which she relives the day she killed Allen Green. The memory centers on the moment Green attacked her when she refused his advances. The scene underscores the trauma fueling the defense's questions about her mental state.

When Claudia's mother testifies, Claudia flashes back to crying in her bedroom while her mother closes the door on her. The moment reveals a strained mother-daughter dynamic that informs Claudia's sense of confinement. The audience learns this moment contributed to her emotional vulnerability.

During cross-examination of Arthur, Claudia's stepfather, it is revealed that he molested her from childhood until she was 16. Claudia experiences another traumatic flashback as the past intrudes on the courtroom. The revelation adds a brutal layer to the defense's argument about her experience and mental state.

Claudia testifies in her own defense, insisting she is not insane simply because she does not fit society's image of how a woman should behave. She asserts agency and questions stigma around female sexuality and assertiveness. The testimony marks a turning point as she confronts the court directly.

The judge rules that Claudia is mentally competent to stand trial, allowing the case to proceed. Claudia leaves the courtroom on her own recognizance, stepping into the next phase of the legal process. The decision is pivotal, removing the fear of indefinite commitment.

The case proceeds with Levinsky representing Claudia in the manslaughter charge. The narrative notes the seriousness of the charge and the weight of Claudia's past experiences on the proceedings. The film uses this point to highlight the complexity of justice when personal history intersects with legal guilt.

Claudia stands trial for first degree manslaughter, with Levinsky as her attorney, and is acquitted. The verdict marks a decisive turn in her life and validates Claudia's claim of resilience. The outcome underscores the film's message about perseverance despite trauma.

The film closes with the information of her acquittal and the lasting impact of her experiences on her life. Levinsky's defense is credited as pivotal to her exoneration. The audience is left with a sense of cautious hope rather than a simple happy ending.