Trailer: ‘Nothing But The Truth’

We showed you scenes from Rod Lurie’s “Nothing But The Truth” earlier this month, now here’s the trailer. The film is loosely based on the Valerie Plame story and uses that CIA/Journalism-gate as a launching pad to explore injustice, governmental First Amendment abuses, and journalistic ethics.

The synopsis: “Nothing But The Truth” is the story of Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale), a young reporter on the national desk of the Capitol Sun-Times, a major Washington, D.C. daily. Rachel writes an explosive story that reveals the identity of covert CIA agent Erica Van Doren (Vera Farmiga) that, once published, causes all hell to break loose and the government to demand the identity of Rachel’s source.

With the support of her editor, Bonnie (Angela Bassett), her paper’s in-house attorney (Noah Wyle) and her husband, Ray (David Schwimmer), Rebecca defies the charismatic, career-minded special prosecutor, Patton Dubois (Matt Dillon). When Rachel also declines to reveal her source to U.S. District Court Judge Hall (Floyd Abrams), he cites her with contempt of court and throws her in jail, pointing out that Rachel alone holds the keys to her cell and that time in the D.C. Detention Center may help her come to realize this.

The story follows the hardships Rachel experiences behind bars as well as the legal struggle played out by her attorney, Albert Burnside (Alan Alda), as he pleads her case on First Amendment grounds — a case he argues all the way to the U. S. Supreme Court. Everyone is rabid to know: Who is the source and why is Rebecca so committed to sacrificing so much to protect it?

We saw it at the Toronto Film Festival and initially liked it, but it’s impact has cooled off, but it is decent (though the ending may make or break it for some) and does boast strong performances by Vera Farmiga and Alan Alda, but especially an Oscar-worthy one by Kate Beckinsale (we sort of forgot she was capable of this high quality of work, though we’re skeptical she’ll get noticed).