Quantcast

Nothing But the Truth

Posted by Ryan Adams On November - 18 - 2008

Thanks to Rod for pointing us to the trailer for Nothing But the Truth on Moviefone (via comingsoon.net)

Some critics who saw this in Toronto noticed the obvious parallel between the movie’s basic plot catalyst and the Valerie Plame/Judith Miller case. Some of those same early viewers got all uptight and indignant because the actual story Rod Lurie wanted to tell is nothing at all like the Plame case. Personally, I’m glad we didn’t get the movie those people were expecting because one headline reenactment packed with slimeballs per year is already one too many. Besides, Richard Dreyfuss feels enough self-loathing this season without playing Cheney and Robert Novak both.

Hard to tell from the trailer if the movie is as good as I hope, and I can’t trust some of the critics for the reasons above. There’s no doubt I’m looking forward to finding out fr myself, while a movie about Scooter Libby wouldn’t interest me at all. When the real events are so repulsive, a movie loosely “inspired by” those events is about as close as I want to get to reliving them.

| |

15 Responses for "Nothing But the Truth"

  1. Chance November 18th, 2008 at 10:41 pm 1

    Can Angela get something amazing already?

  2. backto1960 November 18th, 2008 at 10:51 pm 2

    Angela Bassett should have been the fourth African American woman to ever win an oscar…not that over the top, overrated, and excessive Jennifer Hudson.

    Bassett is amazing; it is sad that Hollywood won’t write meaty scripts for women of color. and then we have talentless blue-eyed monstrosities parading on red carpets, getting roles, recognition and fame. Life just isn’t fair.

  3. Ryan B November 18th, 2008 at 11:27 pm 3

    I signed on to comment on Angela Bassett; glad to see I’m in good company. I wish someone with some imagination would cast Bassett in something great. She’s so talented and beautiful, and has such gravity, there’s got to be something being turned down by Jodie Foster or Meryl Streep that could go to Angela Bassett.

  4. Dan November 19th, 2008 at 12:30 am 4

    Backto1960: Lay off of Jennifer Hudson already. We get it you don’t like her. Damn. But she has nothing to do with this post. It’s really in bad taste. I’m about to alert the cops and tell them that you may have something to do with those murders and I am not joking ( I live in Chicago).

    Angela is love, but I’m not interested in this film at all.

  5. backto1960 November 19th, 2008 at 1:00 am 5

    @ Dan

    what a distasteful thing to say. It was uncalled for. My criticism of Hudson is based on acting and strictly within the acting realm. Have I ever said that I don’t like Hudson? how can I hate someone I haven’t even met. She seems like a fun girl with an amazing personality but my criticism has nothing to do with Hudson as a person. Everything I have ever said about her here is strictly based on acting. That is what this site is about and that’s what I’m doing.

    You better watch your comments young man because the next time, I won’t be this friendly. A word to the wise is enough.

  6. Daniel November 19th, 2008 at 1:16 am 6

    Yeah, young man! You better watch yourself or you’re in for a whoopin’ from backto1960! =O

    But I do agree that Bassett is in need of some better roles! One of these years in the coming few will be her’s, I can guarantee it.

  7. RichardA November 19th, 2008 at 6:36 am 7

    I have some love for Angela Bassett. Send more scripts her way! It’s too early to think creatively now, but I’ll be playing casting agent today.

  8. E November 19th, 2008 at 7:29 am 8

    Angela Bassett is the mother of the Notorious BIG in the new movie Notorious.

    That screams Oscar!!!!!!!

  9. filmboymichael November 19th, 2008 at 8:30 am 9

    backto1960 – although said distastefully, I do have to agree with Dan and beg you to give up the Jennifer Hudson ghost. I agree with you that Angela Bassett is an amazing talent and it is pathetic that her star has faded somewhat in the last few years after her scorching portrayal of Tina Turner – but let the Jennifer Hudson criticism go.

    I know you didn’t like her performance, but the gal has over 29 awards for playing Effie White – not only the Academy Award, but the SAG and the New York Film Critics….so give it up…PLEASE.

  10. daveylow November 19th, 2008 at 9:32 am 10

    Angela Bassett unfortunately doesn’t have that much to do in the film, though of course, she’s fine in the scenes she’s in. The film is good and worth seeing, but it loses a bit of momentum the longer Kate Beckinsale’s character stays in prison.

    I thought Lurie did an interesting job using the Plame case as inspiration. The movie might get more attention if it were shown on HBO. Right now it might get lost among the other profile releases coming out at the end of the year.

  11. Bastian November 19th, 2008 at 10:08 am 11

    @ backto1960

    Wow, did you really wrote “how can I hate someone I haven’t even met”? That’s really great because a week ago you wrote that “I hate Angelina” (Jolie) again and again. It was so annoying that I had to avoid this site for days.

    Whatever, since that Tina Turner movie 15 years ago, Angela Bassett hadn’t appeared in o n e interesting project. Bloody agency, i think.

  12. Chance November 19th, 2008 at 10:53 am 12

    Too bad Angela’s scenes were cut in Mr. and Mrs. Smith…and they stuck her with ER, but hey, that might be good for her.

    I know! Pair her up with Eastwood! Instant nom.

  13. Matt Mazur November 19th, 2008 at 10:54 am 13

    Why does everything devolve into a Jennifer Hudson discussion anymore?

    lol.

    Bassett is so underused in this film, it is disgusting.

    The only thing good about Nothing but the Truth would be the performances of Alan Alda and Vera Farmiga. Beckinsale whines and pouts her way through the proceedings and when she gets put in jail, it becomes a terrible, cliche-filled Lifetime movie.

    If you thought The Contender was good (which in that film’s defense, it did contain some good performances), you will go ape over this one.

  14. La Diva Sim November 20th, 2008 at 4:51 pm 14

    I thought I was the only one that felt such disgust with Hollywood for under-employing one of its most talented leading ladies, Angela Bassett. She is fierce, sexy, a Queen in her craft of acting. I think we are all missing out when she doesnt get the right roles. I believe she’ll get her Oscar some time soon, talent like that cant be ignored for too long.

    http://www.angiebnews.blogspot.com

  15. cometsgreenandwhite!rule September 9th, 2009 at 8:25 am 15

    i love him!!!1


Leave a reply


  • Contender Tracker

    Best Picture
    Up in the Air
    Nine
    The Hurt Locker
    An Education
    Precious: Based on the Novel
    Push by Sapphire

    A Serious Man
    Inglourious Basterds
    Up

    Julie & Julia
    Star Trek
    District 9
    Bright Star
    Where the Wild Things Are
    A Single Man

    Best Actor
    Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
    Colin Firth, A Single Man
    George Clooney, Up in the Air
    Matt Damon, The Informant!
    Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
    Viggo Mortensen, The Road
    Ben Foster, The Messenger
    Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
    Michael Sheen, The Damned United

    Best Actress
    Gabby Sidibe, Precious
    Carey Mulligan, An Education
    Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
    Abbie Cornish, Bright Star
    Helen Mirren, The Last Station
    Michelle Monaghan, Trucker

    Best Supporting Actor
    Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
    Alfred Molina, An Education
    Stanley Tucci, Julie & Julia
    Peter Sarsgaard, An Education
    Robert Duvall, Crazy Heart
    Peter Capaldi, In the Loop
    Zach Galifianakis, The Hangover
    Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker
    Brian Geraghty, The Hurt Locker

    Best Supporting Actress
    Mo'Nique,Precious
    Anna Kendrick,Up in the Air
    Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
    Julianne Moore, A Single Man
    Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds
    Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
    Samantha Morton, The Messenger
    Emma Thompson, An Education
    Cara Seymour, An Education

    Best Director
    Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
    Lee Daniels, Precious
    Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
    Lone Scherfig, An Education
    Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
    Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
    Neill Blomkamp, District 9
    Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are
    Tom Ford, A Single Man
    Jane Campion, Bright Star

    Best Original Screenplay
    Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
    Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
    Jane Campion, Bright Star
    Quentin Tarantino,Inglourious Basterds
    Michael Haneke,White Ribbon
    Bob Peterson, Pete Docter,Up
    Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber, 500 Days of Summer

    Best Adapted Screenplay
    Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
    Nick Hornby, An Education
    Spike Jonze, Dave Eggars, Where the Wild Things Are
    Peter Morgan, The Damned United
    Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
    Scott Burns, The Informant!
    Tom Ford, A Single Man

    Best Editing

    Chris Innis, Bob Murawski, The Hurt Locker
    Sally Menke, Inglourious Basterds
    Dana E. Glauberman,, Up in the Air
    Joel and Ethan Coen,, A Serious Man

    Best Cinematography
    Greig Fraser,Bright Star
    Robert Richardson,Inglourious Basterds
    Roger Deakins, A Serious Man
    Christian Berger, White Ribbon
    Bruno Delbonnel,Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    Barry Ackroyd, The Hurt Locker

    Best Art Direction

    Where the Wild Things Are
    Julie & Julia
    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    Bright Star
    Inglourious Basterds
    White Ribbon
    District 9
    A Serious Man

    Best Sound Mixing

    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    District 9
    Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
    The Hurt Locker
    Star Trek

    Best Sound Editing

    District 9
    Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
    Star Trek
    Up

    Best Costume Design
    Janet Patterson, Bright Star
    Jany Temime,Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
    Anna B. Sheppard,Inglourious Basterds
    Mary Zophre, A Serious Man
    Colleen Atwood, Public Enemies
    Consolata Boyle,Cheri

    Best Original Score
    Carter Burwell, Karen O,Where the Wild Things Are
    Carter Burwell,A Serious Man
    Michael Giacchino,Up
    Alexandre Desplat, Cheri
    Elliot Goldenthal, Public Enemies

    Best Foreign Language Film (submissions)

    Letters from Father Jacob, Finland
    White Wedding, South Africa
    A Prophet, France
    Dawson, Isla 10, Chile
    Nobody to Watch Over Me, Japan
    Prince of Tears, Hong Kong
    No puedo vivir sin ti, Taiwan
    Kelin, Kazakhstan
    Mother, Korea
    The White Ribbon, Germany
    Silent Army, The Netherlands


    Best Documentary Feature

    The Beaches of Agnes
    Burma VJ
    The Cove
    Every Little Step
    Facing Ali
    Food, Inc.
    Garbage Dreams
    Living in Emergency
    The Most Dangerous Man in America
    Mugabe and the White African
    Sergio
    Soundtrack for a Revolution
    Under Our Skin
    Valentino
    Which Way Home


    Best Animated Feature
    Up
    The Princess and the Frog
    Coraline
    The Fantastic Mr. Fox
    A Christmas Carol
    Mary and Max
    Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
    Ponyo


    Best Visual Effects
    Star Trek
    District 9
    A Christmas Carol
    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    Transformers


    Best Makeup

    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    District 9

    Best Song

    Best Live Action Short

    Best Animated Short

    Best Documentary Short

    China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
    The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
    The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
    Lt. Watada
    Music by Prudence
    Rabbit a la Berlin
    Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak
    Woman Rebel

  • Ampas Breakdown

    Actors-1,222
    Producers-462
    Executives-436
    Sound-411
    Writers-388
    Art Directors-373
    Directors-375
    Public Relations-370
    Members at Large-254
    Shorts/Feature Ani-335
    Visual Effects-272
    Music-233
    Editors-227
    Cinematographers-197
    Documentary-145
    Makeup-115
    Total Voting Members -approx 6,000
  • Tuesday, December 1, 2009: Official Screen Credits forms due

    Monday, December 28, 2009: Nominations ballots mailed

    Saturday, January 23, 2010: Nominations polls close 5 p.m. PT

    Tuesday, February 2, 2010: Nominations announced 5:30 a.m. PT, Samuel Goldwyn Theater

    Wednesday, February 10, 2010: Final ballots mailed

    Monday, February 15, 2010: Nominees Luncheon

    Saturday, February 20, 2010: Scientific and Technical Achievement Awards presentation

    Tuesday, March 2, 2010: Final polls close 5 p.m. PT

    Sunday, March 7, 2010: 82nd Annual Academy Awards presentation