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)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,045, 21 December 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$3,045, 21 December 2008

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

Numerous times, Rachael is referred to as "Miss Armstrong", but since she's married, the correct title is "Mrs."

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Quotes

Alan Burnside: Look Ray, if you can sleep at night, you can sleep at night.
Ray Armstrong: She made a choice. Choices have consequences!
Alan Burnside: If you think your wife felt like she had a choice in this, then maybe you two shouldn't be together.
Ray Armstrong: Well, you can tell her or not. That's up to you. Keep up the good work!

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Connections

References The Twilight Zone (1959)

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Soundtracks

Uptown
Written by Larry Groupé
Performed by Larry Groupé
Courtesy of LeWoof! Music

User Reviews

History versus Harbingers

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH does what the newspapers have basically stopped doing: it focuses on issues that affect the nation from the very top of the government down, revealing the machinations of behind the scenes secrecy that could break the Bill of Rights into pieces. In many ways it is a horror movie, if the story line of the film 'based on a real incident' examined in such a carefully realized way is unknown to many viewers Yes, movies are movies and need to alter names and places and events to create a dramatic effect, but the story here is one that needs diligent attention as we continue to re-evaluate the dense and covered shadows that remain from the last administration.

An attempted assassination of the President too quickly leads to naming Venezuela as perpetrator and under the guise of 'national security' that country is placed as the target for a possible preemptive war (sound familiar?). Cover-up begins and an undercover CIA operative is disclosed by a gutsy female reporter whose story is so important that it suggests the possibility of being in line for a Pulitzer Prize. But the government doesn't want the truth to leak and the reporter is eventually jailed and imprisoned for refusing to reveal her source of the story. The ending of the film is indeed terrifying.

The well selected cast includes Kate Beckinsale as the brave reporter, Vera Farminga as the outed CIA operative, David Schwimmer as Beckinsale's frightened husband, Matt Dillon as the government henchman assigned to get Beckinsale to reveal her source and Alan Alda as the lawyer who supports Beckinsale's stance (his speech before the Supreme Court will be remembered as some of the finest and most gripping writing in years). Others in strong supporting roles include Angela Bassett, Noah Wylie, and Floyd Abrams.

Sam Lurie wrote and directed this engrossing film with the good sense to not hammer the audience over the head with the fairly obvious comparisons to the shenanigans of the Bush/Cheney administration, leaving the evidence in plain sight that when the President decides what can and can't be known to the public - in the name of 'homeland security' - our constitutional rights and even our democratic form of government is at stake. This is a fine movie, beautifully acted, and SHOULD be seen by everyone. Grady Harp