Contents


True Crime


1999



True Crime (1999)  

Directed by 
Clint Eastwood    
  
Writing credits (in credits order) 
Andrew Klavan   (novel) 

 
Larry Gross   and 
Paul Brickman   and 
Stephen Schiff    
  
Cast (in credits order) 
Clint Eastwood ....  Steve Everett  
Isaiah Washington ....  Frank Beachum  
Denis Leary ....  Bob Findley  
Lisa Gay Hamilton ....  Bonnie Beachum  
James Woods ....  Alan Mann  
Bernard Hill ....  Luther Plunkitt  
Diane Venora ....  Barbara Everett  
Michael McKean ....  Reverend Shillerman  
Michael Jeter ....  Dale Porterhouse  
Mary McCormack ....  Michelle Ziegler  
Penny Bae Bridges ....  Gail Beachum  
Francesca Ruth Eastwood ....  Kate Everett (as Francesca Fisher-Eastwood)  
John Finn ....  Reedy  
Laila Robins ....  Patricia Findley  
Sydney Poitier ....  Jane March  
Erik King ....  Pussy Man  
Graham Beckel ....  Arnold McCardle  
Frances Fisher (I) ....  Cecilia Nussbaum  
Marissa Ribisi ....  Amy Wilson  
Christine Ebersole ....  Bridget Rossiter  
Anthony Zerbe ....  Henry Lowenstein  
Colman Domingo ....  Wally Cartwright  
rest of cast listed alphabetically  
Karl Dahlquist ....  Office Mailboy  
Kathryn Howell ....  Nurse  
Lucy Alexis Liu   
John B. Scott ....  Col. Drummond  
William Windom ....  Bartender  
Hattie Winston ....  Murderer's mother  
Kelvin Han Yee ....  Zachary Platt  
  
Produced by 
Clint Eastwood    
Tom Rooker   (executive)  
Lili Fini Zanuck    
Richard D. Zanuck    
  
Original music by 
Lennie Niehaus    
  
Cinematography by 
Jack N. Green    
  
Film Editing by 
Joel Cox    
  
Casting 
Phyllis Huffman    
  
Production Design by 
Henry Bumstead    
  
Art Direction 
Jack G. Taylor Jr.    
  
Set Decoration 
Richard C. Goddard    
  
Make-up Department 
Tania McComas ....  key make-up artist  
James Lee McCoy ....  make-up artist  
Carol A. O'Connell ....  head hair stylist  
  
Production Management 
Art Levinson ....  unit production manager  
  
Assistant Director 
Robert Lorenz ....  first assistant director  
John M. Morse (I) ....  second second assistant director  
Tom Rooker ....  second assistant director  
Dodi Lee Rubenstein ....  second assistant director  
  
Sound Department 
Eric Gotthelf ....  foley mixer  
Walt Martin ....  production sound mixer  
  
Special Effects 
John Frazier ....  special effects co-ordinator  
  
Stunts 
Buddy Van Horn ....  stunt co-ordinator  
  
Other crew 
Stephen S. Campanelli ....  steadicam operator
camera operator  
Lynda Foote ....  key costumer  
Heather Green (II) ....  clapper loader  
Mo Henry ....  negative cutter  
Deborah Hopper ....  costume supervisor  
Bob Kaiser ....  color timer  
Mike Sexton ....  property master  
Casey Stone ....  additional recording engineer  
Ami Zins ....  film commissioner: Oakland  
  

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TRUE CRIME
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1999 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****):  ** 1/2
Welcome to Screenwriting 101.

In order to get you started, your first assignment will be something simple. You are to write one of those canonical thrillers in which the old reporter searches almost in vain for leads. You can use that old plot device of a clock that counts down the hours. This will provide some pseudo-tension to make up for any shortcomings in your script. Make it look like the protagonist has found almost no useful clues until the last act, when near miracles can occur.

Let's say we have a man on death row. Give the reporter less than a dozen hours to solve the crime in hopes that you'll at least have some of the audience on the edge of their seats.

Now focus all of your creative energy on that obligatory big scene toward the end in which the obviously innocent man is about to be executed. Think of all of the ways that you can manipulate the viewers' emotions. If you can get them to cry, you've got 'em hooked. Anyone who cries during a movie feels duty bound to recommend it. Don't worry that the critics will call the scene manipulative and maudlin; they don't buy the tickets.

If you are lucky, your agent will get you a novel to work from, "True Crime" by Andrew Klavan, for example. And if you're really fortunate, your agent will find you some big name stars to act in the movie, say Clint Eastwood as the reporter. If they get Clint, he'll probably want to direct it as well. Isaiah Washington would be perfect as the black, born-again-Christian who has been identified in a line-up as the murderer of a young, white, pregnant woman. Make the crime be over some trivial amount, say $96.

Clint, in his full laid-back mode, can sometimes put audiences to sleep, so hope that they'll cast some edgier actors against him. Denis Leary would make a good no-nonsense boss for Clint. If you can get him, James Woods as Leary's boss would certainly add explosive and humorous power to every scene he is in and would likely steal the movie.

The studio will probably assign other writers to the project to "help" you. Whatever you do, don't be too disappointed with the results. Don't forget that your script is just the score, and you have no control if the director decides to conduct it too slowly. Finally, with a strong enough cast, the movie will be entertaining even if far from memorable. Next time, you can tackle something a little more challenging, like say a teen comedy.

TRUE CRIME runs 2:07. It is rated R for profanity and some violence and would be fine for teenagers.

Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: www.InternetReviews.com




Have I seen this movie: Yes
And what did I think: Clint Eastwood gives another fine performance in True Crime, although the story has been rehashed so many times. He plays a reporter who is trying to find the truth about a crime to save a man from death row. While he does a fine job acting, and directing, I just can't picture him as a newspaper reporter... he just didn't look the part to me. Also I didn't like the idea of him womanising, it just made me dislike him. Also I didn't see the need for him to do it since he had a beautiful wife, lovely daughter and nice house. James Woods gave a nice performance, although he should have been on screen a little more. Denis Leary didn't have enough screen time either and his character wasn't anything too special. I liked how they portrayed the convict, played by Isaiah Washington as well. The scenes with his wife and daughter were touching and you kept hoping throughout the movie that he would be pardoned from execution. I won't give the ending away, you'll just have to see for yourself. It's worth renting, but even better to wait for cable perhaps.

I give True Crime 3 out of 5 stars
Review written August 12, 1999
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