True Believer (1989)

A cynical former civil liberties attorney now reduced to "specializing" in defending drug dealers becomes transformed by an eight-year-old murder case.

Director:

Joseph Ruben

Writer:

Wesley Strick

Stars:

James Woods, Robert Downey Jr., Margaret Colin

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Woods	...	Eddie Dodd
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Roger Baron
Margaret Colin	...	Kitty Greer
Yuji Okumoto	...	Shu Kai Kim
Kurtwood Smith	...	Robert Reynard
Tom Bower	...	Cecil Skell
Miguel Fernandes	...	Art Esparza
Charles Hallahan	...	Vincent Dennehy
Sully Diaz	...	Maraquilla Esparza
Misan Kim	...	Mrs. Kim
John Snyder	...	Chuckie Loeder
Luis Guzmán	...	Ortega (as Luis Guzman)
Graham Beckel	...	Sklaroff
Tony Haney	...	Montell
Joel Polis	...	Dean Rabin

Storyline

Eddie Dodd is a burnt out former civil rights lawyer who now specializes in defending drug dealers. Roger Baron, newly graduated from law school, has followed Eddie's great cases and now wants to learn at his feet. With Roger's idealistic prodding, Eddie reluctantly takes on a case of a young Korean man who, according to his mom, has been in jail for eight years for a murder he did not commit.

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Plot Keywords:

drug dealer | korean | law | lawyer | civil liberties | 

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Taglines:

When evidence leads to murder, sometimes it takes a dangerous man to free an innocent one.

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Genres:

Drama | Crime

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 February 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das dreckige Spiel

Filming Locations:

Chinatown, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$8,742,750 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character Shu Kai Kim is based on Korean-American Chol Soo Lee, who was imprisoned for nearly 10 years after wrongful conviction for a murder he did not commit.

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Goofs

The opportunity for cross-examination or re-direct examination of the witnesses is frequently glossed over. Not just that a character doesn't cross-examine such as the lack of cross of the prisoner at the end of the state's case, but most egregiously, the judge gives the district attorney no opportunity for re-direct of the eyewitness who testified she never took her eyes off the gun even though she obviously wanted to say more. No competent DA would fail to give her a chance to clarify her statements during the cross-examination.

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Quotes

Eddie Dodd: [to Kitty] You know, I haven't gotten stoned once since the trial started.

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Connections

Referenced in The Simpsons: Homer and Apu (1994)

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Soundtracks

"Freedom Rider"
Written by Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi
Performed by Traffic
Courtesy of Island Records

User Reviews

Taut action supersedes continuity troubles

Eminently watchable drama from 1989 with Woods as burned-out lawyer Eddie Dodd, formerly idealistic & successful civil liberties attorney who's now a callous defender of drug dealers ("No, pot possession cases are free. Coke dealers pay cash: that subsidizes the pot possession cases." Character reputably based on real-life S.F. lawyer J. Tony Serra; hence the long hair), & Rbt. Downey, Jr., as his idealistic law clerk, fresh out of school. (Downey, Jr.'s, @first incredulous: "You were my age when you defended that case," to which Dodd retorts, "I was never your age.")

There're a few continuity problems here, mainly which fingers the charcoal is on after Dodd's tussle with Chuckie, but they're pretty much overshadowed by some great sub-plots (Manhattan D.A.'s [Kurtwood "70s Show" Smith] curious interest in an 8-year-old murder case, Dodd's faded romance with P.I. Margaret Colin, the sadly schizoid Vietnam vet ["Cecil, are you what heroes are made of?"]) & the main story line, the case of a convicted murderer. Dodd @first dismisses Downey, Jr.'s, suggestion that they take the case but later becomes so emotionally immersed in it that when Roger (Downey, Jr.) spins the futility here with "We all think it's a good fight," Eddie pounces on him with some memorable oratory: "Don't give that liberal, yuppie b***s**t about a good fight; this isn't f*****g Yale! A good fight is one you win!"

Directed by Joseph Ruben, with a nice, incidental orig. score by Brad Fidel & some slick ambient tunes (Doors's Crystal Ship, Lou Reed's Busload of Faith).