The Glass Shield (1994)

Director:

Charles Burnett

Writers:

Charles Burnett (writer)
John Eddie Johnson (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 June 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

In a world filled with violence... his only weapon is the truth!

Plot:

J.J. is a rookie in the Sheriff's Department and the first black officer at that station. Racial tensions...

Plot Keywords:

Anti Semitic Slur | Murder | Perjury | Sheriff | Bowling

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Erich Anderson	...	Dist. Atty. Korn
Richard Anderson	...	Massey
Michael Boatman	...	Johnny 'J.J.' Johnson
Bernie Casey	...	Locket
Wanda De Jesus	...	Carmen Munoz
Victoria Dillard	...	Barbara
Elliott Gould	...	Greenspan
Don Harvey	...	Bono
Tommy Redmond Hicks	...	Rev. Banks (as Tommy Hicks)
Ice Cube	...	Teddy Woods
Michael Ironside	...	Baker
Natalia Nogulich	...	Judge Helen Lewis
Lori Petty	...	Dep. Deborah Fields
Sy Richardson	...	Mr. Taylor
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Hal

Also Known As:

The Johnny Johnson Trial (USA)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #33023) | Norway:15 (video premiere) | UK:15 (video premiere)

Company:

CiBy 2000

Goofs:

Continuity: At the beginning of the film Johnson's training officer, Chuck Gilmore, gets upset with him for not ticketing the woman in the red convertible for speeding and Gilmore decides to take over the wheel himself. Immediately after that we see their car chasing the red convertible again with a brief shot during the chase of Gilmore sitting in the passenger seat.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Love and Death on Long Island (1997)

Why can't we just all get along?

Try to fit in or decide to do the right thing? Ambition is one of the things that stands in the way of J.J. Johnson(Michael Boatman)...the other is that he is a rookie state trooper with the LA Sheriff's Department and the first black officer at his first assigned station. Who is he teamed with? The station's only female deputy Deb Fields(Lori Petty). This movie progresses with nonstop suspense and explosive decisions to be made. Johnson and Fields uncover mass corruption when they discover that a well known criminal(Ice Cube)has been framed and jailed for a vicious murder. Do they break the unwritten code of silence or do the right thing? Well...what makes for a better movie?

This gritty police yarn is filled with obligatory violence and an all-star cast of actors like: Richard Anderson, M. Emmet Walsh, Michael Ironside, Bernie Casey and Elliott Gould. I was really impressed with Boatman and Ice Cube. On the other hand I have never been or will be a fan of Petty. Overall the truth proves to be pretty damn powerful.