Nothing But the Truth
A tense political drama ripped straight from the headlines, Rod Lurie's Nothing But the Truth tells the tale of a Washington, D.C. reporter who is targeted by the government after refusing to reveal her source for a story that identified an undercover CIA operative. Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale) is an ambitious young reporter working at the Capitol Sun-Times, one of Washington, D.C.'s biggest newspapers. When the paper published Rachel's incendiary story revealing the identity of covert CIA agent Erica Van Doren (Vera Farmiga), charismatic special prosecutor Patton Dubois (Matt Dillon) demands that she reveal her source for the story. With the support of her husband, Ray (David Schwimmer); her editor, Bonnie (Angela Bassett); and the paper's in-house attorney, Avril (Noah Wyle), Rachel defies Patton's request and all hell breaks loose. When Rachel likewise refuses to reveal her source even to U.S. District Court Judge Hall (Floyd Adams), she is cited with contempt of court and thrown in the D.C. Detention Center until she decides to cooperate. As Rachel's attorney, Albert Burnside (Alan Alda), argues her case all the way to the Supreme Court, the public begins to question why the embattled reporter would sacrifice both her family and her career to maintain her journalistic integrity. more..
Director: Rod Lurie
Starring: Kate Beckinsale,Matt Dillon,Vera Farmiga,Alan Alda,David Schwimmer
Lurie hits closer to the bone here than he did in his ham-handed "The Contender" (2000).
A typically intelligent if occasionally overwritten political thriller, boasting a powerhouse cast.
Lurie has crafted a different kind of thriller, one with a mind and a heart.
Competently constructed and nicely acted by Kate Beckinsale and Vera Farmiga.
In the spirit of its title, Nothing but the Truth pivots on a plot twist that's both good and fair. And kudos to the ever-earnest Beckinsale for surviving a prison brawl as splatterific as anything Mickey Rourke had to endure in "The Wrestler."
Best DVD Release
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (2010)
Best Actress
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards (2009)
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