Truth (2015)

Yes, it's a film that sheds light on the finest parts of journalism. But I value this movie because it's a story of a woman who had been harassed by her father all her life. If it weren't for that father, the protagonist may have not become the fighting woman she is now today.The most moving scene of all, however, is when we find out the reason she married her husband. A girl like her would marry a guy like him for that sole reason, and I know because I am that girl.So is this too personal to be a movie review? I hope not. There are probably tons of women out there who live family lives like that of the protagonist. And to know the true value of this precious piece of work, you need to see it, and then you need to get your partner to see it, and then you need to find a way to talk about that scene with your partner, and just a few words exchanged about that scene will make your life so worth it. For that reason, this is one of those great movies like "The Machinist" or "Gone Baby Gone" which cannot get enough attention because the gorgeous part is only in its spoilers.

I saw The Post this week and decided to also watch Truth at home to compare two stories about journalism and the media. I found Truth to be just as compelling a story as The Post, with a steller cast and screenplay, with plenty of drama, even though I knew the general outlines of the story and the outcome for those at CBS News. I did not know a lot of the details about how CBS, Mary Makes, and Dan Rather were caught up in some unfortunate mistakes that had little bearing on the veracity of the claims about Lt. George W. Bush and his time in the Air National Guard. This story paints an even larger story about how corporations react to bad publicity and right wing pressures that if anything have gotten worse over time. The movie does a good job in presenting how much fact checking is involved in major news stories, and how easily it can all become unraveled through a series of small errors that add up to one large error. The movie makes a strong case for the truth of the story hence the title of the movie. Cate Blanchett is outstanding as Mary Mapes and Robert Redford is excellent as Dan Rather, and the supporting cast is uniformly excellent. This is a movie that contains top flight actors across the board. Do yourself a favor and watch this movie. It is a worthwhile two hour investment.

CBS prime news producer Mary Mapes (Cate Blanchett) and her staff investigate allegations that George W. Bush was given preferential treatment while in the military which kept him out of Viet Nam and that he may have also been AWOL for a periods of time. Believing the memos in their position are hard evidence validating their claims, they prepare a segment for their weekly 60 Minutes program. News veteran Dan Rather delivers their findings before their viewing audience just months before the 2004 presidential election.This film illustrates how people can convince themselves they are doing the right thing for all the wrong reasons and leads to the beginning of the downfall of news organizations. If you're not sure how the news is produced, you might want to see this one.

NO SPOILERS- The story, script and direction keep this movie moving along at a decent pace which is a good thing because it's excruciating to look at Redford(who looks 90)as Dan Rather- I think someone else should have been cast for this part. BUT(and that's a big but), watch this movie to see Cate perform, who I am becoming convinced has taken the field, and is now the best female actor in the business.