The father said he wasn't guilty.

That was the impressive thing about AMS' performance. We wanted to believe that he was innocent. It has been over twenty years since I have seen this film, and I didn't really love it. However, AMS and Jessica Lange gave great performances. The last scene between them was especially great. Jessica Lange's breakdown as she confronted him after her realization of the truth was very well-performed. If memory serves me, she concludes by mentioning that he had murdered some little boy (recalling testimony from earlier in the film) during the war, and AMS suddenly turns from her warm father to steely-cold. He backs away, accusing her of having been brainwashed by his accusers. My memory may be flawed, but that was a great bit of acting.

No, it obviously was not the truth.

I'm happiest...in the saddle.

The pushups scene that the grandfather had with the son gave it away.

When he was doing push-ups with the grandson, he says, “healthy body makes a healthy spirit.”

Similarly, the last witness in court, the one who got raped, mentioned that her rapist said those same words while she did push-ups on a bayonet - “healthy body makes a healthy spirit.”

That gave it all away.