Where the Truth Lies (2005)

Karen O'Connor, a young journalist known for her celebrity profiles, is consumed with discovering the truth behind a long-buried incident that affected the lives and careers of showbiz team Vince Collins and Lanny Morris.

Director:

Atom Egoyan

Writers:

Atom Egoyan (screenplay), Rupert Holmes (novel)

Stars:

Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth, Alison Lohman

2 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Bacon	...	Lanny
Colin Firth	...	Vince
Alison Lohman	...	Karen
David Hayman	...	Reuben
Rachel Blanchard	...	Maureen
Maury Chaykin	...	Sally Sanmarco
Sonja Bennett	...	Bonnie
Kristin Adams	...	Alice
Deborah Grover	...	Mrs. O'Flaherty
Beau Starr	...	Jack Scaglia
Arsinée Khanjian	...	Publishing Executive
Gabrielle Rose	...	Publishing Executive
Don McKellar	...	Publishing Executive
David Hemblen	...	NY Hotel Concierge
John Moraitis	...	Irv Fleischman

Storyline

Karen O'Connor tells the story about two distinct but related periods in her life. In 1972, she is an up-and-coming Los Angeles based journalist who has been given the lucrative assignment of convincing once successful comic Vince Collins, who is at the tail end of his career, to allow her to ghost write his memoirs. Most specifically, she has the task from her publishers of discovering the reason behind two issues in Vince's life from 1957: why he and his former on-stage partner Lanny Morris, who is still active and well known within the entertainment business, broke up their professional partnership shortly after they hosted a successful thirty-nine hour telethon for polio research in Miami, there not having been any indication of problems between the two before that; and how did the dead body of Maureen O'Flaherty end up in the water filled bathtub in Vince and Lanny's New Jersey hotel suite, the opening of that New Jersey hotel owned by mobster Sally Sanmarco which was Lanny and ...

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Plot Keywords:

male nudity | voyeur | threesome | rear entry sex | breasts | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, nudity, drug use and language

Details

Official Sites:

Serendipity Point Films

Country:

Canada UK

Language:

English Cantonese

Release Date:

7 October 2005 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Where the Truth Lies

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$234,461, 9 October 2005

Gross USA:

$872,142

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,477,678

Company Credits

Production Co:

Serendipity Point Films, First Choice Films, The Movie Network (TMN)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Atom Egoyan made cuts to the film, including an orgy scene, in a failed attempt to challenge the NC-17 rating given by the MPAA. ThinkFilm has since announced that the version shown in U.S. theaters, is the same as the one shown at the Cannes Film Festival.

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Goofs

Karen wears a ring on her right hand throughout the movie except when she leaves the hotel after spending the night with Lanny. When she addresses the concierge the ring is on her left hand.

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Quotes

Karen: [voice in her head] What have they done?
[narrating, ominously]
Karen: Once upon a time, when terrible things happened to people, they were left as a mystery. Even the tabloids kept a distance. Some things... were allowed to be left just the way they were...

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Alternate Versions

In the United States, the MPAA cut the film for an R rating. However, the original uncut version was later released unrated on DVD. Some international versions, including the UK version, are the original uncut version.

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Connections

References Today (1952)

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Soundtracks

Whisper Not
(1967)
Performed by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
Courtesy of Universal Music Division Jazz (France)
Licensed by kind permission from The Universal Film & TV Licensing Division
Written by Benny Golson
Published by Catalyst Music Publishing Ltd.

User Reviews

A Question Of Casting

I was engrossed by the premise. Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth and a dead girl in a bathtub. To see Firth and Bacon go through the steps of a sort of Jerry Lewis Dean Martin routine was, in itself, reason enough to see the movie. On top of that, a director like Egoyan. I was hooked but immediately, regrettably unhooked every time Alison Lohman opened her mouth. Who could possibly believe it? That character should exude intelligence other than sensual vibes. Miss Lohman doesn't exude either and makes the whole premise collapse. Imagine a young Jodie Foster or now Natalie Portman or even Rachel McAdams in those shoes. That was a pivotal part The whole believability of the premise depended on her. Because of her performance I saw the cracks in everyone else's performance. So the experience, for me, was a series of exhilarating rushes and disappointing stops. Who said that casting was 90% responsible for the success of a film?. Whoever said it was right. Here the truth lies at the feet of a casting director and of a director for casting.