TRUTH

Canada, 2006, 90 minutes. Colour.
Stephanie Zimbalist, Thea Gill, Dean Cain, Spencer Rochfort, Garry Chalk.
Directed by Timothy Bond.

Truth is an entertaining murder mystery with social implications. It is in the vein of Chinatown with shady deals in properties around Los Angeles. This is a 21st century, television movie treatment of the topic.

The film was also interesting in its presentation of journalists – especially women. The four central characters are investigative journalists. Stephanie Zimbalist stars as a journalist who irritated people and was forced out of the profession, taking up teaching. One of her students whom she had sent on an investigative track is murdered at the beginning of the film. Her friend who is a celebrity personality on television, with film scandal buzz, goes to consult the professor and decides that they will investigate the murder. This leads, of course, to quite a number of murders, police cover-ups, shady deals. Dean Cain appears as an executive who has building plans, a playboy, who is accused of being a drunk driver causing the death of his girlfriend in the 1980s. (The screenwriters seem to have had one eye on the Edward Kennedy situation of the late 60s.)

Thea Gill is very strong as the celebrity-turned-professional reporter. Stephanie Zimbalist is the professor. Garry Chalk is a sinister heavy as the corrupt policeman. The film was directed by Timothy Bond, a television director.

1. Interesting murder mystery? Characters? Situations? Big business and corruption? Police cover-ups? The work of investigative journalists?

2. The Los Angeles setting? The city, the countryside, San Bernadino? The universities, the executive buildings? Apartments and homes? The musical score?

3. The title, as explained by the various characters? Meredith and her urging her students to pursue to the truth? Laura and truth becoming her quest? Her using deceit to persuade Peter to give testimony? Lies in the service of truth?

4. The opening, Amelia and her investigation, going to the prohibited zone, the encounter with the guard? Persuading him to tell her the truth? Getting in the car, the explosion? The leaking oil? The fire? Police investigation? Murder?

5. The introduction to Laura, seeing her on the television screen, her glamour, the scandals, investigations, her wink to the audience? Her work in the studios? Her assistant and cameraman?

6. Amelia’s funeral? Meredith arriving? Laura and her grief? Amelia’s husband and child? The concern?

7. Laura going to visit Meredith? Meredith’s story, working with students, training them to be journalists? Her career, investigations, her not being employed by papers? Being an idol to Amelia and Laura? Christie as the student for the present? Her agreeing to pursue the case? The visits, the documents, the board with all the clues? Her being threatened in the car? Urging Laura to continue? Allowing Christie to go? The discussions? The police? The gradual revelation about her bitterness? Her being upset when Christie was abducted? Her knowing Peter, going to see him? Laura and Christie seeing her with him? The twist, the connection, the expose, the money? Her meeting Peter – and the setup, the wire, her being arrested? Her regrets about Amelia’s death?

8. Laura, strength of character? The taunts about her being a celebrity gossip? Her decision to become a reporter? The investigations, going to interview the people who had sold their homes? Mrs Oxley and her caution? The final interview and getting the truth? The neighbour and her wanting to be on television, her photo album? Laura using her to pretend to be Mrs Oxley? The persuasive performance? Peter believing it?

9. The police, Lycar and the connection with the cases, the cover-ups, Oxley and the payoff? His being the heavy for Peter Bergson? His henchman, in the car? The pursuit of Meredith? Laura and Meredith in the car, her speeding ahead, across in front of the bus? The henchman and his admitting of the guilt, laying down his gun, the arrest?

10. The council meeting, Christie’s presence, the vote in favour of the zoning? Christie and her talking to the other councillor, getting the information, the names? Laura discovering that the names of the board were taken from the cemetery near where Amelia was killed?

11. Peter, his business, the plans, on television? The truth, being confronted by Laura? His sense of honour? Agreeing to meet, being wired? The arrests?

12. Roy Moloney, following Laura, her suspicions? His eventual mellowing? The exchange of information? The bond between them?

13. The background of journalism? The background of police investigations? The background of police cover-ups? The background of shady deals, council approvals, building sites? Luxury sales? An interesting combination for a television murder mystery?