Truth

Truth examines the scandal that erupted after CBS Nightly News anchor Dan Rather ran a 60 Minutes segment asserting that President George W. Bush used family connections to avoid Vietnam combat and never fulfilled his Texas Air National Guard obligations. If this report had not been discredited, it might conceivably have tipped the 2004 Presidential election to Democrat John Kerry. When I was studying journalism under Pierre Salinger, he insisted that controversial stories be corroborated by two independent sources. But what if those sources lie? This is exactly what happened to Mary Mapes (Cate Blanchett), Rather's (Robert Redford) longtime producer. Responsible for finding and scrutinizing stories, Mapes is curious about the Bush allegations, and—encouraged by CBS News president Andrew Heyward (Bruce Greenwood)—she assembles an investigative team (Dennis Quaid, Elisabeth Moss, Topher Grace). Rushed due to an early air-date, their reporting—which may have been accurate—nevertheless contains journalistic flaws and relies on an erratic source (Stacy Keach). Even today, basic questions have still not been answered: namely, how did Bush get into the Guard and why was he excused from duty? Based on Mapes's 2005 book Truth and Duty: The Press, The President, and the Privilege of Power, filmmaker James Vanderbilt's Truth offers a layered and detailed condemnation of contemporary journalism, illustrating how Internet obsession with minutia/gossip has often obscured the bigger picture. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director James Vanderbilt and producers Brad Fischer and William Sherak, a Q&A with Vanderbilt and costars Cate Blanchett and Elisabeth Moss (33 min.), “The Team” cast featurette (9 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are deleted scenes (13 min.), “The Reason for Being” segment on the real story (12 min.), and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an excellent film.] (S. Granger)