Movie-Nothing But the Truth

Nothing But the Truth (2008) is a first rate thriller, with strong political and social overtones that really leave asking questions about the freedoms we may no longer enjoy.

Starring Matt Dillon and Kate Beckinsale, the movie shows how the freedoms protected in the Constitution may not be as sacrosanct as we think, and certainly we are not being fully protected.

Beckinsale is reporter Rachel Armstrong, who names an undercover CIA operative in her paper. The plot of this is very much like the Valerie Plame incident, where the operative is about being hung out to dry because of her husband upsetting the current administration. But the plot takes a different turn, not exploring that territory (though there should be a movie about that) but instead follows what happens to the reporter as she is prosecuted by a relentless government prosecutor, played by Dillon.

He forces her to testify to a Grand Jury, and when she refuses to yield the source of her information, goes after her with the fullest force of the government. What I liked about this is it shows how Grand Juries actually work....no lawyer, you have very few legal options or recourse, the normal legal system is circumvented with Grand Juries. And I could not help but think how un-American this use of a Grand Jury seemed to be...reminiscent of the Star Chamber, or a Tsar's court.

Rachel refuses to yield, and is jailed...for years. She loses her husband and child. She almost loses her life in a prison brawl. But still she refuses to give up her source. And the prosecutor does not care one iota...he wants the name. Never mind that the Constitution and case law over the years provides for the freedom of the press...new laws have circumvented that also!

Rachel is finally released by the judge who thinks that it will not do any good to keep her in prison, but Dillon finds another way to re-arrest her and she finally gives in. She tells who told her the identity of the CIA agent. It is a shocking conclusion, and you feel such compassion for Rachel when you find out.

The movie will make you examine the freedoms we say we have, the freedoms you say makes us America....are they still there? Do those freedoms no longer apply to us?

Nothing But the Truth does not answer all these questions, but that it raises them while making an entertaining movie, is an pretty nice piece of work. The acting, production values are all top notch, but the script and the underlying social commentary is what makes this movie excellent.