The Thin Blue Lie (2000) (TV)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Roger Young

Writer (WGA):

Daniel Helfgott (written by)

Release Date:

13 August 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A spine-chilling thriller about a courageous young reporter who risks his life and career to go deep into police abuse within homicide.

Cast

Rob Morrow	...	Jonathan Neumann
Randy Quaid	...	Phil Chadway
Paul Sorvino	...	Frank Rizzo
Cynthia Preston	...	Kate Johnson
G.W. Bailey	...	K.C.
Al Waxman	...	Art Zugler
Beau Starr	...	Detective Marshall
Barry Wiggins	...	Detective King
Chuck Shamata	...	Vinnie
Louis Di Bianco	...	Deep Nightstick
Melissa DiMarco	...	Sandra Durano
Bruce McFee	...	Detective Harris
Joe Pingue	...	Detective Regossi
Philip Granger	...	John Reilly
Hayley Tyson	...	Sharon Chadway
Patrick Patterson	...	Chief Inspector Golden
Christian Potenza	...	Danny O'Brien
Richard Clarkin	...	Scala
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ryan Rajendra Black	...	Alberto (as Ryan Black)
Joanne Boland
Michael Copeman	...	Jack Reynolds
Jason Jones	...	Prosecutor
Kelsa Kinsly	...	Reporter
Chantal Lonergan	...	Chelsea
Mayumi Rinas	...	Mrs. Gonzalez
Juan Carlos Velis	...	Miguel Gonzalez
Scott Walker	...	Fire Chief

Directed by
Roger Young

Writing credits (WGA)
Daniel Helfgott		(written by)

Produced by
Daniel Helfgott	....	executive producer
Fritzi Horstman	....	associate producer
Janet Turner	....	executive producer
Roger Young	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Patrick Williams

Cinematography by
Donald M. Morgan

Film Editing by
Benjamin A. Weissman

Casting by
Victoria Burrows
Stephanie Gorin

Production Design by
Jeff Ginn

Set Decoration by
Kent McIntyre

Costume Design by
Ruth Secord

Makeup Department
Rachel Affolter	....	assistant makeup artist
Vann E. Gouweleeuw	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Daniel Hank	....	production manager: Philadelphia
Ross Leslie	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christopher Binney	....	second assistant director
Gregory Bolton	....	third assistant director
Michal Page	....	third assistant director
David Vaughan	....	first assistant director (as David Vaughn)

Art Department
Jason Herriott	....	key scenic
Garry Honcharuk	....	property master
Mark Kravjansky	....	props
Paul Lenart	....	lead set dresser
Erica Milo	....	sets buyer

Sound Department
Suzanne Angel	....	adr supervisor
Bob Costanza	....	sound effects editor
G. Michael Graham	....	supervising sound editor
Peter Reale	....	sound re-recording mixer

Stunts
Robert C. Shannon	....	water safety

Camera and Electrical Department
Gabriele DiChiara	....	gaffer
Ava Gerlitz	....	still photographer
Mike Gowland	....	generator operator
Alex Jordan	....	lighting technician
Mark Silver	....	key grip
Glen Treilhard	....	focus puller
Kit Whitmore	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Craig Hayes	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Penka Kouneva	....	orchestrator
Stephen M. Rowe	....	music editor

Other crew
Heather Anderson	....	assistant: Rob Morrow
Tera Goldblatt	....	production assistant
Susan James	....	assistant production coordinator
Winnifred Jong	....	script supervisor
Danny Pawlick	....	dialect coach
Burton Sharp	....	adr group coordinator
Alison Wells	....	unit publicist
Ralph Berge	....	production executive (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Helfgott-Turner Productions
• Paramount Network Television Productions
• Showtime Networks

Distributors

• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (Brazil) (video)
• Showtime Networks

Also Known As:

The Goon Squad (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:MA | Germany:12 | USA:R | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Helfgott-Turner Productions

Ordinary and obvious made-for-tv no brainer

"The Thin Blue Lie" is an ordinary docudrama which tells of investigative reporter Jonathan Neumann (Morrow) who moves to Philadelphia in 1976 and sets about writing a series of Pulitzer winning articles about police abuses of authority under mayor Frank Rizzo (Sorvino). This formula flick has the simplistic look and feel of a made-for-tv production with an obvious no-brainer telling of a true story. On the upside it offers some good performances by Morrow, Quaid, and Sorvino. On the down side it's an obvious and predictable pitting of liberal against conservative forces which focuses on the age old and trite rationalization that it's okay to breach individual human rights for a greater good. An mediocre product for channel surfers.