The son of blacklisted composer Sol Kaplan and an early protege of Roger Corman, Kaplan directed several competent exploitation films in the 1970s before graduating to somewhat more character-driven features in the 80s. Some of his most notable works of include the "troubled teens" movie, "Over the Edge" (1979), and the racing car saga, "Heart Like a Wheel" (1983), which boasted a fine performance by Bonnie Bedelia.

Kaplan achieved his greatest box-office triumph with "The Accused" (1988), depicting a working class woman, Sarah Tobias (played by Jodie Foster) who has been gang raped and demands