True Crime (1999)

Can an over-the-hill journalist uncover the evidence that can prove a death row inmate's innocence just hours before his execution?

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Andrew Klavan (novel), Larry Gross (screenplay)

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Isaiah Washington, LisaGay Hamilton

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Steve Everett
Isaiah Washington	...	Frank Louis Beechum
LisaGay Hamilton	...	Bonnie Beechum
James Woods	...	Alan Mann
Denis Leary	...	Bob Findley
Bernard Hill	...	Warden Luther Plunkitt
Diane Venora	...	Barbara Everett
Michael McKean	...	Reverend Shillerman
Michael Jeter	...	Dale Porterhouse
Mary McCormack	...	Michelle Ziegler
Hattie Winston	...	Angela Russel
Penny Bae Bridges	...	Gail Beechum
Francesca Eastwood	...	Kate Everett (as Francesca Fisher-Eastwood)
John Finn	...	Reedy
Laila Robins	...	Patricia Findley

Storyline

Steve Everett, Oakland Tribune journalist with a passion for women and alcohol, is given the coverage of the upcoming execution of murderer Frank Beachum. His attractive colleague Michelle died in a car accident the night before. Bob Findley, Steve's boss and husband to Steve's current affair, wants him dead and gone as soon as possible. When Steve stumbles across the possibility of Frank Beachum being innocently on death row, Bob feels his time to have come. Now Steve only has a few hours left to prove the innocence of Frank and to be right with this theory, as he definitely will be history if he's not.

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Plot Keywords:

reporter | execution | death row | needle | recovering alcoholic | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 March 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

True Crimes

Filming Locations:

Cotati, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,276,109, 21 March 1999, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$16,635,339, 23 May 1999

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., The Zanuck Company, Malpaso Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Appearing in the movie as D.A. Cecilia Nussbaum is Frances Fisher, the former partner of Clint Eastwood. The pair's relationship ended in 1995 and the two worked together four years later on this film.

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Goofs

Camera reflected in window during the execution scene.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dr. Roger Waters: [examining Beechum] Blood pressure: 120 over 70. Normal. All right, open wide. Looks fine. Healthy as a horse. Just one more thing, Luther.
Warden Luther Plunkitt: You got to whiz in the cup, Frank. Then we're done.

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Connections

Referenced in The Directors: The Films of Clint Eastwood

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Soundtracks

Little Drummer Boy
Written by Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone
Performed by Kenny Burrell
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under License from Universal Music Special Markets

User Reviews

Effective Thriller supported by great cast

Clint Eastwood has still got it after all these years, and True Crime is proof. This effective thriller follows journalist Steve Everett in his hunt to free a man from execution. It is Eastwood's directorial flair that soars the film from a mediocre thriller into a highly original, sensational Oscar-worthy vehicle. The rest of the cast are also of top standard with Isaiah Washington playing the accused and Lisa Gay Hamilton as his distraught wife. Both co-stars give sensational, gripping performances and are indeed the film's highpoint (even shadowing Eastwood). James Woods also soars as Everett's strict yet sleasy employer. Penny Bae Bridges & Francesca Ruth Eastwood also give breakthrough performances as the daughters of Eastwood & Washington respectively. The extremely tense finale keeps audiences on the end of their seats impatient for the truth to revealed. Overall an extremely well-paced, gripping thriller guaranteed to intrigue audiences. 9/10