Nothing But the Truth (2008)

In Washington, D.C., a female reporter faces a possible jail sentence for outing a CIA agent and refusing to reveal her source.

Director:

Rod Lurie

Writer:

Rod Lurie

Stars:

Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Vera Farmiga

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kate Beckinsale	...	Rachel Armstrong
Matt Dillon	...	Patton Dubois
Angela Bassett	...	Bonnie Benjamin
Alan Alda	...	Albert Burnside
Vera Farmiga	...	Erica Van Doren
David Schwimmer	...	Ray Armstrong
Courtney B. Vance	...	Agent O'Hara
Noah Wyle	...	Avril Aaronson
Floyd Abrams	...	Judge Hall
Preston Bailey	...	Timmy Armstrong
Kristen Bough	...	Allison Van Doren
Julie Ann Emery	...	Agent Boyd
Robert Harvey	...	Warden
Michael O'Neill	...	CIA Director
Kristen Shaw	...	Angel

Storyline

Thinking Pulitzer Prize and hoping to bring down a President, D.C. political columnist Rachel Armstrong writes that the President ignored the findings of a covert CIA operative when ordering air strikes against Venezuela. Rachel names the agent, Erica Van Doren, a woman whose young daughter is in Rachel's son's class at school. The government moves quickly to force Rachel to name her source. She's jailed for contempt when she refuses. She won't change her mind, and the days add up. Chaos descends on Van Doren's life as well. First Amendment versus national security, marriage and motherhood versus separation. What's the value of a principle?

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Plot Keywords:

cia | jail | reporter | confidentiality | freedom of the press | 

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Taglines:

Don't Reveal the Source

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sexual material and a scene of violence

Details

Official Sites:

Yari Film Group [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 July 2009 (Philippines)

Also Known As:

Faces da Verdade

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles National Cemetery - 950 S Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,500,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$409,832

Company Credits

Production Co:

Yari Film Group (YFG), Battleplan Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 108 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Floyd Abrams, who plays the judge in the film and is also credited as technical advisor, is a real-life attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), for which he has litigated cases raising issues of First Amendment rights and national security similar to those at the heart of the film's plot.

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Goofs

When Rachel is beaten up in jail, she gets serious scars on her lower lip and her right eye. In a later scene, the scars are completely gone. In later subsequent scenes, the scars are back, and seen to be gradually healing.

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Quotes

Erica Van Doren: You are an unpatriotic little cunt who's gonna walk right off the plank in the bowels of hell!

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Connections

Featured in The 14th Annual Critics' Choice Awards (2009)

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Soundtracks

By My Side
Written by Larry Groupé
Performed by Larry Groupé
Courtesy of LeWoof! Music

User Reviews

The kind of intelligent movie Hollywood rarely makes anymore

This was shown last night at the Toronto International Film Festival and was very well received. It is a beautifully acted, deftly written examination of the tension between freedom of the press and the power of the state, based very loosely on the Valerie Plame case. The fact that writer and director Rod Lurie spent 13 years in the newspaper business is evident throughout, making for one of the most compelling and believable portrayals of what it is like to be a political reporter for a major newspaper since All the President's Men. Kate Beckinsale (the reporter) and Vera Farmiga (as the CIA operative) are outstanding and each delivers an Oscar-worthy performance. Matt Dillon gives one of his best performances as the smarmy, ambitious and self-righteous prosecuting attorney. David Schwimmer, an odd casting choice, does a fine job within a fairly narrow range. Surprisingly, I even enjoyed Alan Alda's performance as a high-powered, rather cynical and self-obsessed Washington lawyer, hired to defend the beleaguered reporter. But the two women really steal the show.

There was much discussion in our group about the ending and whether it enhanced or undercut the basic message of the film. No point in spoiling it here, but I can assure you it will provoke debate.