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

Did You Know?

Trivia

David Schwimmer's first dramatic acting since Band of Brothers (2001).

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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

Dubois: [Approaches Burnside after the court] This is a real honour for me. I studied you growing up, my dad was also a lawyer.

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Connections

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

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Soundtracks

Nothing But the Truth
Written by Rod Lurie, Coby Brown
Performed by Coby Brown

User Reviews

From the Very Onset, TRUTH Gets a Headlock on Your Psyche and Doesn't Let Go!

From the very onset, via a blink of an eye assassination attempt on the president, TRUTH gets a headlock on your psyche and doesn't let go. It manages to be both extremely entertaining and thought-provoking, tackling perhaps one of the most important issues facing Americans in the 21st century: Balancing the First Amendment Right of journalists to protect the confidentiality of their sources against the government's right to guarantee national security during wartime. And it manages to do so in a very unpretentious way, without any of the In-Your-Face preaching so often found in films dealing with this topic.

Kudos to Rod Luries taut and low-key direction coaxing a remarkable ensemble performance from a stellar cast. Kate Becksinsale shines as an unshakable journalist who refuses to buckle under constantly mounting Federal pressure to coerce her into revealing her source. Vera Farmiga (who never caught my attention before) delivers a solid performance as the outed CIA agent at the center of a firestorm. For Matt Dillon fans, an interesting note: His performance as the Special Prosecutor hand-picked by the President to find the Traitor Tout Suite is a laudable departure from his usual tough-guy/low-life roles.

Rounding out this outstanding cast are, Angela Basset, Alan Alda, Edie Falco and David Schwimmer. There is one final element to mention that adds a potent punch to Truth, but any details would be a SPOILER, so, when you see it, you'll know.

(9 Stars) ENJOY / DISFRUTELA!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

Details

Official Sites:

Yari Film Group [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 July 2009 (Philippines)

Also Known As:

Nothing But the Truth

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