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Nothing But the Truth (2008)
Inspired by the infamous Plame Affair, in
which US journalist Judith Miller was jailed for refusing to reveal
sources pertaining to a story that leaked the name of a covert CIA
operative, director Rod Lurie’s latest offering is a suspenseful,
compelling and eminently believable affair.
In the aftermath of a botched attempt on
the life of the US president that was tenuously linked to Venezuelan
militants, Capital Sun-Times reporter Rachel Armstrong (Kate
Beckinsale) is hours away from breaking the biggest story of her
career. In the piece she names Erica Van Doren (Vera Farmiga), a
seemingly unremarkable ‘soccer mom’, as an undercover CIA agent
responsible for denouncing the American government’s retaliatory attacks
on Venezuelan military targets. Coincidentally, Erica’s daughter
attends the same school as Rachel’s son, and though the two women have
had no prior contact this does little to engender Van Doren with a great
deal of trust on the part of the CIA, who suspect her of being
responsible for the leak.
Following a contempt of court ruling for
refusing to name her sources on the contentious piece, Armstrong
experiences the full might of US governmental wrath in the form of
gung-ho FBI prosecutor Patton Dubois (Matt Dillon), who pushes for a
jail term and harsh fines for her employers until such time as the
source of the leak is revealed. Despite the best efforts of Rachel’s
lawyer (Alan Alda) the judge concurs, and thus begins a lengthy battle
between journalistic integrity, First Amendment rights and post-9/11
counter-terrorism laws. To divulge the name of an undercover agent is
an act of treason, and to refuse to identify such an informant if
required by a Grand Jury is a criminal act on the part of any journalist
involved.
The real life case of Judith Miller makes
for fascinating reading. Despite being jailed for over three months she
refused to divulge her source naming Valerie Plame as a CIA operative,
believing that to reveal confidential sources would violate the
integrity of the entire journalistic profession. The motives of the
unnamed source were also highly suspect, as a mere two weeks prior
Plame’s husband, a political correspondent, had published a series of
articles highly critical of US foreign policy.
Denied a theatrical release when the film’s
distributor filed for bankruptcy, Nothing But the Truth garnered
positive reviews following advance screenings and its eventual release
on DVD in mid-2009. Beckinsale does an admirable job as the woman torn
between motherhood and her professional convictions, and the toll taken
on her husband (David Schwimmer) and young son engenders a palpable
sense of loss and desperation as the saga unfolds. Her decisions also
have profound and unexpected repercussions, though the first rate
ensemble cast keep things from getting too unrelentingly heavy.
With some extremely deft performances and
an engrossing and timely premise, this worthwhile political thriller is
a definite success for the beleaguered Lurie. The excellent special
features also ensure that despite of its distribution problems,
Nothing But the Truth is, in all honesty, one worth staying in for.
Special Features
Director’s Commentary
The Truth Hurts: The Making of Nothing
But the Truth
Eight deleted scenes |
