Bad Lies

Charlie is an old and revered Chicago trial attorney with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from his Army days in Vietnam. His bad heart forced him to give up trial work years ago. But now his beloved charity - a shelter for battered women - slips to the brink of bankruptcy. It's been Charlie's dream for so many years to expand the shelter, now it won't even stay open.

Enter Eddie. He never even played on the Regular Tour, but he worked so hard on his golf game - while he held a day job - he makes it through Qualifying School and into the Seniors Tour for golfers fifty and over.

In his first two years, Eddie tears it up and becomes the Number One money-winner on the Seniors Tour and Number One in the hearts of the fans - the "Working Man's Champion."

But in Year 3, Max, a prominent writer for the golf magazine Tee Time, accuses Eddie of cheating - by taking illicit drugs to make him stronger and by often replacing his marked ball closer to the hole.

With these attacks, the fans turn on Eddie and his golf game collapses. He doesn't make enough money to cover travel expenses.

Eddie asks his business manager to find the best libel attorney in the country. The manager finds, and implores, Charlie to take the case. But he can't, he's promised wife Marge no more trial work, due to his bad heart.

Knowing how much rescuing the women's shelter means to Charlie, Marge releases him from his promise and Charlie takes on the case.

Tee Time hires two top guns as defense attorneys. The lofty Hugo is a national expert on the First Amendment and Freedom of Speech. Roz looks like everyone's kindly grandmother, but she's a pit bull, and a Chicago street fighter.

Because Eddie is a "public figure," Tee Time can't be found liable for lies, unless the lies were printed with malice, or reckless disregard for the truth - a tough burden for Charlie to overcome.

The ensuing trial, long and hostile, proves too much for Charlie's health. It seems he won't be able to finish the trial.

Late in the trial, the defense springs a surprise witness - Liz claims the happily-married Eddie beat her up during rough sex two years ago. Charlie turns sleuth and finds proof Liz's accusation is bogus and Charlie convinces the judge to rule her testimony inadmissible.

The dazed Tee Time makes an offer of $16 million to settle the case, but the amount cannot be disclosed. Charlie and Eddie know an undisclosed amount won't clear Eddie's good name, so they reject the offer.

The trial goes on and finally the jury awards Eddie several times what Tee Time had offered to settle. For Eddie, it was never about the money - it was about getting his good name back. He donates his two-thirds share of the judgement to his favorite charity and he makes a triumphant return to the Seniors Tour.

Charlie uses his third of the judgement to build a large state-of-the-art women's shelter for battered women. And his PTSD begins to fade away.