Nothing But the Truth (2008)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jameson W

  
  Really good political thriller! The cast is absolutely fantastic...

• Raymond W

  
  Nothing but the Truth is a well-crafted, gripping and tense thriller that features fantastic performances from Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Vera Farmiga and Alan Alda.

• jay n

  
  A compelling story and strong acting make this a winner. Dillon plays a real son of a bitch.

• Cynthia S

  
  Excellent star-filled cast. Very thought provoking movie with a surprise ending....I have to say- I didn't see that one coming at all!! I understand the reason behind her decision (and everyone who sees this movie will also), but how we react to her decision is what makes this a… More
  Excellent star-filled cast. Very thought provoking movie with a surprise ending....I have to say- I didn't see that one coming at all!! I understand the reason behind her decision (and everyone who sees this movie will also), but how we react to her decision is what makes this a good movie. Kudos to the writer of this one!

• Sajin P

  
  Kate Beckinsale delivers one of her best performances in this political thriller. She plays the role of a journalist who is imprisoned for not revealing the source who gave her information for a controversial news report. And finally when it is revealed to the audience who the source… More
  Kate Beckinsale delivers one of her best performances in this political thriller. She plays the role of a journalist who is imprisoned for not revealing the source who gave her information for a controversial news report. And finally when it is revealed to the audience who the source is, we realize that she had more reasons than professional integrity, for not betraying her source. Although Beckinsale is the focal point of the movie, the supporting cast, especially Vera Farmiga and Alan Alda, were solid in their performance. Alan Alda does get the best lines in the movie : "A man can live a good life, be honorable, give to charity... but in the end, the number of people who come to his funeral is generally dependent on the weather." "Sometimes a mistake is like wearing white after Labour Day, and sometimes a mistake is invading Russia in winter!"

• Dean M

  
  It is a beautifully acted, deftly written examination of the tension between freedom of the press and the power of the state. Kate Beckinsale keeps the story going easily with her brilliant performance. The story is of course, focused on her, and the effect of imprisonment and… More
  It is a beautifully acted, deftly written examination of the tension between freedom of the press and the power of the state. Kate Beckinsale keeps the story going easily with her brilliant performance. The story is of course, focused on her, and the effect of imprisonment and interrogation can be seen on her face when she sees her son through the glass of visiting hours, or when Dupois questions her in court. Matt Dillon is also a brilliant actor. The characters are dark, but also with redeeming qualities. David Schwimmer's character of the husband does hurtful things, but out of weakness rather than malice. Dillon's character is ruthless in his prosecution, but in truth, he is just doing his job well. Even Beckinsale's character is not the underdog hero that this film could have been about. I found the solution who was the source at the end that surprised me as what I believe Beckinsale's character was innocent as well as she kept promise to her source.

• Drew S

  
  Far less wishy-washy than The Contender, Nothing But the Truth is a similar look at staying committed to a principle despite personal cost. Rod Lurie has a notable gift for drawing strong performances out of his cast, especially his actresses. His feminocentric look at politics is a… More
  Far less wishy-washy than The Contender, Nothing But the Truth is a similar look at staying committed to a principle despite personal cost. Rod Lurie has a notable gift for drawing strong performances out of his cast, especially his actresses. His feminocentric look at politics is a refreshing change from what you'd come to expect from many movies about the government, as they tend to be men's games. Regardless of gender, his actors always seem to have a very sophisticated grasp of the politics they're dealing with. Joan Allen was great in The Contender, and predictably, Vera Farmiga is powerful as a fictional reimagining of Valerie Plame who's too angry to show that she's terrified. The real surprise is Kate Beckinsale. We all remember her from her crappy movies, like that Underworld slough and Van Fucking Helsing, neglecting to remember that she's actually had a few pretty substantial roles in some smaller indies. Here she gets to look something big in the eye and stare it down, and she is incredibly admirable. She's prone to letting her character get weepy a little too often (though not when it "counts," whatever that means), but the movie regularly confronts her with the personal toll of the choice she's making, which would make it understandably difficult on anyone in her situation. Who wouldn't cry at the thought of being stranded in jail, missing the best years of their child's life? On the levels of technical proficiency, she's controlled and intense. In terms of what casting Beckinsale herself actually brings to the table, you get someone who is easy to underestimate at first glance, which is subsequently reconciled with an admission of greater but not limitless strength, and finally proves herself unshaken by circumstances that she really can't win against. In that way, there are some parallels between the actress and the character here. Maybe I'm giving her too much credit, but I was truly impressed, and I hope to see more of such work from her in the future. The rest of the movie? It's a glossy, well-oiled look at journalistic shield law, which eventually unfurls into a greater examination of civil rights and our freedoms versus our security. This isn't really unique, potent or colorful enough to become all that valuable to most people, but it's a surprisingly swarthy political thriller in an era that's really turning a blind eye to them. It's a shame that the movie's distribution company buckled, essentially stranding this with a DVD release, but I wonder if it would have made that much money in the theaters anyway.

• Clintus M

  
  This is an excellent political thriller which was based on the true story of journalist Judith Miller but is primarly fiction according to director Rod Lurie. Great performances shine throughout, but I'll have to single out Kate Beckinsale's. I had only seen her in the… More
  This is an excellent political thriller which was based on the true story of journalist Judith Miller but is primarly fiction according to director Rod Lurie. Great performances shine throughout, but I'll have to single out Kate Beckinsale's. I had only seen her in the special effects-laden vampire films, so this gritty performance was an unexpected treat. Alan Alda, also delivered a brilliant role, and his speech to the Supreme Court was mezmerizing. It would be a provoking civics lesson. While the film is intelligent and compelling,it also has the feel of several stories pasted together. Its very suspenseful, leading to the surprise climax, which I won't give away. This is a movie about principles and their consequences. Whatever side of the political spectrum you occupy, this is definitely worth viewing.

• Nicki M

  
  I really expected this one to be totally boring, (saw the words "political" in the blurb which normally means over complicated and not that excting), but was pleasantly surprised with it. Compelling and interesting all the way through and acting excellent. Apparently based… More
  I really expected this one to be totally boring, (saw the words "political" in the blurb which normally means over complicated and not that excting), but was pleasantly surprised with it. Compelling and interesting all the way through and acting excellent. Apparently based on a true story - I couldn't decide if I admired her determination or wanted to shake her and say "just tell them!".

• Josh L

  
  Great political thriller with good performances from a very well matched cast. I've seen it twice and was compelled from start to finish both times.

• familiar s

  
  Pretty decent thriller with stunning performances from the lead actors. The ending kinda ruined the movie a bit for me, otherwise I'd have rated it 5/5. Wish the writers had planned something better on how to end it (the alternative ending wasn't any good either)!!!

• Brian D

  
  Great cast with a great story moves a long at a steady pace.It does feel like a tv movie but you get over that.Nice to see David Schwimmer in a different role for a change, under used but all the same it may me forget about hes friends role.Anyway nice movie not boring and easy to… More
  Great cast with a great story moves a long at a steady pace.It does feel like a tv movie but you get over that.Nice to see David Schwimmer in a different role for a change, under used but all the same it may me forget about hes friends role.Anyway nice movie not boring and easy to follow with a great little twist at the end..

• Cassie H

  
  A nail biter with so many unexpected turns and twists.

• Derek A

  
  <i>Nothing But the Truth</i> is an underrated, lesser-known 2008 political thriller that delivers on all levels. The story is based off true events and revolves around a reporter whose story blows a CIA's cover and the government's atrociously relentless pursuit… More
  <i>Nothing But the Truth</i> is an underrated, lesser-known 2008 political thriller that delivers on all levels. The story is based off true events and revolves around a reporter whose story blows a CIA's cover and the government's atrociously relentless pursuit of discovering her "source" whom the reporter refuses to reveal.<p>The story is gripping and powerful, filled with excellent performances. Kate Beckinsale doesn't usually impress outside of her looks, but here she does a film where she spends 90% of it with no makeup and she delivers one of the finest performances of her career! Alan Alda and the underrated Vera Farmiga were exceptional here as well.<p>It's amazing to me that extremely average political thrillers like <i>State of Play</i> had a tremendous amount of marketing and A-list actors only to deliver a mediocre movie... but yet a film like <i>Nothing But the Truth</i> falls through the cracks and turns out to be one of the finer films of the year.<p>This film is engaging from start to finish... I found myself emotionally attached to the poor reporter. It was an amazing, unforgettable story that was based off true events. Heartbreaking to say the least.... And the ending will absolutely floor you, I did not see that coming. <i>Nothing But the Truth</i> was a pleasant surprise that everyone should check out.

• Manu G

  
  Very Nice and the ending simply loved it even though its not a happy one. Kate Beckinsale portrayed one of her best roles as an actress on this one. Thinking Pulitzer Prize and hoping to bring down a President, D.C. political columnist Rachel Armstrong writes that the President… More
  Very Nice and the ending simply loved it even though its not a happy one. Kate Beckinsale portrayed one of her best roles as an actress on this one. 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?

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Don't Reveal the Source"</i> In Washington, D.C., a female reporter faces a possible jail sentence for outing a CIA agent and refusing to reveal her source. <b><u>REVIEW</u></b> Wow. Just wow. I did not see that coming. As… More
  <i>"Don't Reveal the Source"</i> In Washington, D.C., a female reporter faces a possible jail sentence for outing a CIA agent and refusing to reveal her source. <b><u>REVIEW</u></b> Wow. Just wow. I did not see that coming. As you might have already known, I'm not the usual kind of guy who enjoys politically charged movies, its just not my cup of tea. It either tends to be just pure propaganda BS or just plain preachy. There are some rare occassions however when handled by a man with a vision, all pretentiousness aside not taking sides whatsoever, the end result might turn out to be something great. Such rare occassion is this movie, I was just floored. Speechless. Its journalistic integrity vs national security, the government's ever growing control over the people vs freedom of speech, its all even handed arguments and this movie excellently fleshes it all out bit by bit until we reach the shocking conclusion. This is a movie that will captivate you, it goes past the glamour of its leading actors and all that hoopla and brings you right in the complexity of the story. It makes you think, it lubes up the rusty spots in your brain and gets you involved. After watching this movie, I just felt sad because this is the kind of movies Hollywood rarely makes anymore. Rod Lurie, on double duty here both as a director and a writer deserves all the kudos he can get. He shines in both departments, there was no right wing-left wing backstory here, it was an unflinching and inspired look at some of today's current issues and it was handled very greatly. It was intense, it was emotional, it was hard hitting and it is definitely one of 2008's most underrated films. The acting department all turned in some very fine performances. Matt Dillon who exudes a commanding presence playing a special prosecutor. His unnerved emotions served greatly in portraying the role and its one of the best I've seen of him so far. Alan Alda plays a high powered attorney with gusto, I've never really been a fan of his but after this one, I'm gonna check out some of his other works soon. Kate Beckinsale turns in an intense performance as the reporter and this is by far her greatest performance to date. And lastly, Vera Farmiga who has always been a top dog in the acting department turns in a mesmerising and captivating portrayal of a hard edged CIA agent and yet also a caring mom to her daughter. Her portrayal was never out of tune and the delivery was as natural as one actress can get. God only knows why she wasn't nominated for Best Supporting Actress in the recently concluded Oscars. The ending will just floor you and I promise you, you will not see it coming. Not by a long mile.

• Walter M

  
  The first time we see Rachel Armstrong(Kate Beckinsale) in "Nothing but the Truth," she is in hell, chaperoning her son Timmy's(Preston Bailey) class on a field trip. In her day job, she is a national reporter for the Capital Sun Times where she has just landed a… More
  The first time we see Rachel Armstrong(Kate Beckinsale) in "Nothing but the Truth," she is in hell, chaperoning her son Timmy's(Preston Bailey) class on a field trip. In her day job, she is a national reporter for the Capital Sun Times where she has just landed a scoop, outing Erica Van Doren(Vera Farmiga) as a CIA operative in the wake of Venezuela being bombed in retaliation for an attempt on the President's life. Since this involves national security, Pat Dubois(Matt Dillon) has been appointed special prosecutor to find the leak. Rachel is jailed for contempt when she will not give up her source. Writer/director Rod Lurie has lots to say with his film "Nothing but the Truth" but not the skill. Regardless, there is nothing new of note, even with inspiration from recent events, on the conflict between national security and freedom of the press while missing a valuable opportunity to comment on the necessity of the press to ask the right questions at the right time, not afterwards. That's for the historians. As it is, the movie does not go any deeper than a normal case study.(If you want to know what I am talking about, then read The Constitution: That Delicate Balance by Fred Friendly and Martha Elliott. Or would you just prefer the "Murphy Brown" reference?) On the plus side, superfluous plot twists are kept to a minimum, even with a revelation that while technically making sense, just seems rather silly. That only leaves the cast to act out in all possible directions, the best of whom is Vera Farmiga. At least Angela Bassett gets a decent role for a change while it looks like Alan Alda will be playing lawyers well into his old age.

• Sol C

  
  I am shocked that this film was not nominated for any Oscars the year it came out. The film is really good. The film is well cast and everyone delivers. I definitely recommend this film.

• Jeffrey M

  
  Intelligent, riveting, and executed brilliantly. Check out this little-known film.

• Deb S

  
  The plot loosely incorporates the real-life drama of former CIA agent Valerie Plame and New York Times writer Judith Miller (who served 85 days in jail on the same charges). Kate Beckinsdale plays a newspaper reporter/soccer mom who publicly reveals the identity of a CIA agent and… More
  The plot loosely incorporates the real-life drama of former CIA agent Valerie Plame and New York Times writer Judith Miller (who served 85 days in jail on the same charges). Kate Beckinsdale plays a newspaper reporter/soccer mom who publicly reveals the identity of a CIA agent and gets thrown into jail, with her refusal to give up her source. At times, her "choice" may seem unreasonable and a little cold to the viewer, but director Lurie's brilliant twist adds even more layers to her character's dilemma. Matt Dillon plays the real SOB of a prosecutor bent on cracking the valiant Beckinsdale. Vera Farmiga was memorable in her role of the "outed" CIA agent who can drop the F-bomb with the kind of ease that makes her lines sound like a real conversation, not a script. Alan Alda stars as the interested but largely ineffective defense attorney. And well-crafted supporting roles are played by Angela Basset as her editor, David Schwimmer as her husband, and Noah Wyle, as legal counsel for her newspaper. As entertainment, the film succeeds with its main character ensnared in an ethical dilemma. I found it gripping enough to keep watching to the bitter end (no pun intended). <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2n99h8o" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/2n99h8o.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2pqowav" target="_blank"><img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/2pqowav.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=t6f2qb" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/t6f2qb.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=24ziz3d" target="_blank"><img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/24ziz3d.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>

Read all 20 featured audience ratings