Nothing but the Truth (2008 American film)

Last updated
Nothing but the Truth
Nothing but the truth film.jpg
Original poster
Directed by Rod Lurie
Written byRod Lurie
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Alik Sakharov
Edited bySarah Boyd
Music by Larry Groupé
Production
company
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 8, 2008 (2008-09-08)(TIFF)
  • December 19, 2008 (2008-12-19)(New York premiere)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$11.5 million
Box office$409,832 [1]

Nothing but the Truth is a 2008 American political drama film written and directed by Rod Lurie. The film stars Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Angela Bassett, Alan Alda and Vera Farmiga. According to comments made by Lurie in The Truth Hurts, a bonus feature on the DVD release, his inspiration for the screenplay was the case of journalist Judith Miller, [2] [3] who in July 2005 was jailed for contempt of court for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury investigating a leak naming Valerie Plame as a covert CIA operative, but this was merely a starting point for what is primarily a fictional story. In an April 2009 interview, Lurie stressed: "I should say that the film is about neither of these women although certainly their stories as reported in the press went into the creation of their characters and the situation they find themselves in." [4]

Contents

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2008. It was scheduled to open in New York City and Los Angeles on December 19, but because distributor Yari Film Group filed for Chapter 11 protection, it was never given a theatrical release. [4]

Plot

President Lyman is shot in an assassination attempt. In retaliation, the United States bombs Venezuela, accusing that country of instigating the attack.

Rachel Armstrong, an ambitious reporter for the Washington D.C. paper Capital Sun-Times, is preparing to publish a report that alleges that the Lyman administration knowingly lied to Congress and the American public by blaming Venezuela for the assassination attempt, and that the Administration received a CIA report by an operative who had investigated the Venezuela connection and found that they were not at all linked to the assassination attempt. The report also reveals that the CIA operative is Erica Van Doren, whose daughter Alison attends the same school as Timmy, Rachel's son. Rachel confronts Van Doren at a soccer match, and requests confirmation. Erica refuses to cooperate but gives herself away by losing her temper over "irresponsible journalists". Rachel, who has no doubts about the veracity of the report, publishes her story and it becomes front-page news with the full support of editor Bonnie Benjamin and legal counsel Avril Aaronson.

Because revealing a covert operative's identity is a treasonous offence if committed by a government employee, and because any individual leaking such sensitive and secret information constitutes a threat to national security, special Federal prosecutor Patton Dubois convenes a grand jury to identify and prosecute that person. But when Dubois asks her to name the government employee who was her source, she refuses to give any answer at all. A high-profile attorney, Albert Burnside, who was hired by the newspaper to defend Rachel and boasted that his personal friendship with Judge Hall will facilitate matters, is shocked when his client is jailed for contempt of court for failing to answer. Burnside admonishes the prosecutor for making "a big mistake", warning "sometimes a mistake is like wearing white after Labor Day, and sometimes a mistake is invading Russia in winter".

Days become weeks, weeks turn to months, and in the meantime Van Doren is murdered in front of her home by a political fanatic with a gun. Rachel is aggressed by inmates in prison, but still steadfastly defends the principle of confidentiality, a position that eventually estranges her husband Ray, who like Dubois imagines that she's protecting a government employee, alienates her young son Timmy, and costs her embattled newspaper millions of dollars in fines and legal fees. However, Dubois is only interested in Armstrong's original source. Armstrong pleads to Dubois that she could never give up her source as they would now be seen as responsible for the murder of Van Doren. Burnside even appeals her case before the Supreme Court, arguing that without protection of sources then there is no freedom of the press, perhaps ultimately no democracy, but the court decides against him 5–4, citing the overriding concern of national security.

Eventually, Judge Hall accepts that Armstrong will never give in and divulge her source. And so, convinced that incarcerating her can serve no useful purpose, and since she has not been convicted of any offense, decides to release her from jail. On the day she is released, Dubois has the U.S. Marshals arrest her, and charges her for obstruction of justice, and convinces her to take a deal for a shortened sentence rather than go to trial. She agrees to two years in prison, with the possibility of early parole for good behavior. As Armstrong is taken to the prison facility, she reminisces about her time as a volunteer at Timmy's school: Once, on a field trip, she spoke to Van Doren's daughter, Alison. Alison innocently mentioned that her mother worked for "the government", and had recently gone to Venezuela on "business", thus revealing her as the original source.

Cast

Production

Attorney Floyd Abrams had argued for The New York Times and Judith Miller in the grand jury investigation of her report about Valerie Plame, and he was hired as a consultant on the film by screenwriter/director Rod Lurie, who was so impressed with his demeanor he cast Abrams as Judge Hall.

Distribution

Release

Kate Beckinsale at the premiere of Nothing but the Truth, at TIFF 2008 Nothing But the Truth25 (6920547644).jpg
Kate Beckinsale at the premiere of Nothing but the Truth, at TIFF 2008

The film received its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2008, with the cast in attendance. Yari Film Group was to give the film a limited release in the United States (Los Angeles and New York City) on December 19, 2008, but due to the Chapter 11 protection that was filed by the company, Nothing but the Truth was pulled from its scheduled date and has never been released in theaters.

Home media

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the film on DVD on April 28, 2009.

Reception

Box office

The film opened in several international markets despite its distribution struggles in the United States. It made $409,832 at the foreign box office, with the biggest intake from Italy, where it made $223,130. [1]

Critical response

Although the film never officially opened in theatres, several critics who had seen it in advance screenings nonetheless published their reviews. As of June 2020, the film holds an 82% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 60 reviews with an average rating of 6.76 out of 10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A well-crafted political thriller, Nothing but the Truth features a strong cast that helps the real-life drama make an effortless transition to the big screen." [5] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 64 out of 100, based on 12 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [6]

Manohla Dargis of The New York Times thought the "confusing film mixes familiar plot points with some grievous nonsense, most of which involves the two women's irritatingly distracting home lives. That's too bad for all sorts of reasons, including this one: when not cooing inanities at pipsqueaks, the actresses are pretty good, both together and individually. There's pleasure in watching them go manolo a manolo against each other, particularly Ms. Farmiga, who fills out her size 0 with macho swagger. Despite a shaky start, Ms. Beckinsale does eventually look the part of the harassed and haggard heroine, if largely by not wearing any eye makeup." [7]

Not all reviews were positive as Los Angeles Times critic Sam Adams observed the film "isn't ripped from the headlines so much as it's pasted together like a ransom note, using scraps so small their origins are indiscernible. The obvious inspiration for the story of a newspaper reporter who is jailed for refusing to reveal her sources is the Valerie Plame affair, and for a while the details match up. But from there, Lurie spins off into invention like a Law & Order writer on deadline, scrambling the issues so thoroughly it's no longer clear what, if anything, the movie is meant to address." [8]

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone rated the film three out of four stars and commented: "Lurie is expert at springing surprises and getting the best out of a first-rate cast. Beckinsale excels at finding the chinks in Rachel's armor. Farmiga goes so deep into her character you can feel her nerve endings. And Alda is simply superb as a lawyer whose peacock vanity about his designer wardrobe hardly prepares you for his moving argument for principles before the Supreme Court." He added: "Lurie has crafted a different kind of thriller, one with a mind and a heart." [9] In reviewing the DVD release, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded it 3.5 out of four stars and called it "a finely crafted film of people and ideas, of the sort more common before the movie mainstream became a sausage factory. It respects the intelligence of the audience, it contains real drama, it earns its suspense, and it has a point to make." [10]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryRecipient(s)Result
2008 Women Film Critics Circle Best Equality of the SexesNothing but the TruthWon
2009 Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Actress Kate Beckinsale Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Vera Farmiga Nominated
2010 Saturn Awards Best DVD or Blu-ray Release Nothing but the TruthWon

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Beckinsale</span> British actress (born 1973)

Kathrin Romany Beckinsale is an English actress. She has gained acclaim for her roles in action films, romance films, and period dramas. Beckinsale made her film debut in Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She gained prominence taking leading roles in numerous British costume dramas such as Prince of Jutland (1994), Cold Comfort Farm (1995), Emma (1996), and The Golden Bowl (2000). She challenged herself taking roles in films such as The Last Days of Disco (1998), Brokedown Palace (1999), Pearl Harbor (2001), Serendipity (2001), Tiptoes (2003), The Aviator (2004) and Click (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valerie Plame</span> American writer, spy novelist and former CIA officer (born 1963)

Valerie Elise Plame is an American writer, spy novelist, and former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer. As the subject of the 2003 Plame affair, also known as the CIA leak scandal, Plame's identity as a CIA officer was leaked to and subsequently published by Robert Novak of The Washington Post. She described this period and the media firestorm that ensued as "mortifying, and I think I was in shock for a couple years".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judith Miller</span> American journalist and commentator

Judith Miller is an American journalist and commentator who covered Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) program both before and after the 2003 invasion, which was later discovered to have been based on inaccurate information from the intelligence community. She worked in The New York Times' Washington bureau before joining Fox News in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mamie Van Doren</span> American actress (born 1931)

Mamie Van Doren is an American actress, singer, and sex symbol. She is perhaps best known for the rock 'n' roll, juvenile delinquency exploitation film Untamed Youth (1957).

Kathryn Morris is an American actress, best known for her lead role as Detective Lilly Rush in the CBS series Cold Case.

<i>The Contender</i> (2000 film) 2000 American film

The Contender is a 2000 American political drama film written and directed by Rod Lurie. It stars Gary Oldman, Joan Allen, Jeff Bridges and Christian Slater. The film focuses on a fictional United States President and the events surrounding his appointment of a new Vice President (Allen).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Lurie</span> American film director (born 1962)

Rod Lurie is an American director, screenwriter, and former film critic.

The Plame affair erupted in July 2003, when journalist Robert Novak revealed that Valerie Plame worked as covert employee of the Central Intelligence Agency, although the seeds of the scandal had been laid during 2001 and 2002 as the Bush administration investigated allegations that Iraq had purchased Nigerien uranium.

The Plame affair was a political scandal that revolved around journalist Robert Novak's public identification of Valerie Plame as a covert Central Intelligence Agency officer in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vera Farmiga</span> American actress (born 1973)

Vera Ann Farmiga is an American actress. Farmiga began her professional acting career on stage in the original Broadway production of Taking Sides (1996). After expanding to television and film, Farmiga's breakthrough came in 2004 with her starring role as a drug addict in the drama Down to the Bone. She received praise for starring in the 2009 comedy-drama Up in the Air, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

The CIA leak grand jury investigation was a federal inquiry "into the alleged unauthorized disclosure of a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee's identity", a possible violation of criminal statutes, including the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982, and Title 18, United States Code, Section 793.

<i>Pet Sematary</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by Mary Lambert

Pet Sematary is a 1989 American supernatural horror film and the first adaptation of Stephen King's 1983 novel of the same name. Directed by Mary Lambert, with King writing the screenplay, it stars Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, Blaze Berdahl, Fred Gwynne, and Miko Hughes as Gage Creed. The title is a sensational spelling of "pet cemetery".

The Plame affair was a dispute stemming from allegations that one or more White House officials revealed Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent Valerie Plame Wilson's undercover status. An investigation, led by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, was started, concerning the possibility that one or more crimes may have been committed. The initial focus was on Scooter Libby; however, he was not the primary source of the leak.

<i>Fair Game</i> (2010 film) 2010 film by Doug Liman

Fair Game is a 2010 biographical political drama film directed by Doug Liman and starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. It is based on Valerie Plame's 2007 memoir Fair Game and Joseph C. Wilson's 2004 memoir The Politics of Truth.

<i>Higher Ground</i> (film) 2011 American film

Higher Ground is a 2011 American drama film directed by Vera Farmiga in her directorial debut. The film is an adaptation of the 2002 memoir This Dark World: A Memoir of Salvation Found and Lost by Carolyn S. Briggs, who co-wrote the screenplay. The film follows Corinne Walker (Farmiga) and her vacillating relationship with Christianity. The cast also includes Joshua Leonard, John Hawkes, Donna Murphy, Norbert Leo Butz, and Bill Irwin.

"Smoldering Children" is the tenth episode of the first season of the television series American Horror Story, which premiered on the network FX on December 7, 2011. The episode was written by James Wong and directed by Michael Lehmann. This episode is rated TV-MA (LV).

<i>Mindscape</i> (2013 film) 2013 film

Mindscape is a 2013 internationally co-produced psychological thriller film, and the directorial debut of Spanish filmmaker Jorge Dorado. The film stars Taissa Farmiga, Mark Strong, Noah Taylor, and Brian Cox. The screenplay was written by Guy Holmes and follows John, a detective with the ability to enter people's memories; he takes on the case of a brilliant but troubled 16-year-old girl, Anna, to determine whether she is a sociopath or a victim of psychological trauma.

<i>Closer to the Moon</i> 2013 film by Nae Caranfil

Closer to the Moon is a 2013 comedy-drama film written and directed by Nae Caranfil, and starring Vera Farmiga, Mark Strong, Harry Lloyd, Joe Armstrong, Tim Plester, Christian McKay, and Anton Lesser. Based on the true story of the Ioanid Gang, it is one of the most expensive productions in Romanian cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vera Farmiga on screen and stage</span> American actress

Vera Farmiga is an American actress. She began her career on stage as an understudy in Ronald Harwood's 1996 play Taking Sides on Broadway. The following year, she starred in the Off-Broadway play Second-Hand Smoke (1997) by Mac Wellman. Farmiga made her film debut in the drama-thriller Return to Paradise (1998). She then had supporting roles in the romantic drama film Autumn in New York (2000), the crime drama film The Opportunists (2000), and the action thriller film 15 Minutes (2001). Farmiga's breakthrough role came in 2004, when she was cast in the drama film Down to the Bone. For her performance, she won the Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Acting and was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. She then starred in the political thriller The Manchurian Candidate (2004) and the crime thriller Running Scared (2006).

<i>Sardar</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by P. S. Mithran

Sardar (transl. Chief) is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language spy action-thriller film written and directed by P. S. Mithran and produced by S. Lakshman Kumar under his production banner Prince Pictures. The film stars Karthi in a dual role alongside Raashii Khanna, Rajisha Vijayan, Chunky Pandey, Laila, Rithvik, Munishkanth, Avinash, Yugi Sethu and Balaji Sakthivel in pivotal roles. The music was composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar, with cinematography handled by George C. Williams and editing done by Ruben. The film marks Hindi film actor Chunky Panday's debut and Laila's comeback to Tamil cinema.

References

  1. 1 2 "Nothing but the Truth". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved December 17, 2013.
  2. ↑ EW.com
  3. ↑ Paste
  4. 1 2 "Interview – Rod Lurie on Nothing but the Truth". Monsters and Critics. April 29, 2009. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Nothing but the Truth (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Nothing but the Truth Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  7. ↑ Dargis, Manohla (December 17, 2008). "Nothing but the Truth review". The New York Times .
  8. ↑ Adams, Sam (December 19, 2008). "Nothing but the Truth". Los Angeles Times .
  9. ↑ Travers, Peter (December 17, 2008). "Northing but the Truth review". Rolling Stone .
  10. ↑ Ebert, Roger (April 29, 2009). "Reviews: Nothing but the Truth". Chicago Sun-Times .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.