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{{short description|1999 film by Clint Eastwood}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox film {{Infobox film
| name = True Crime | name = True Crime
| image = Truecrime.jpg | image = Truecrime.jpg
| image_size = 215px
| alt = | alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster | caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = ] | director = ]
| producer = Clint Eastwood<br />]<br />Lili Fini Zanuck | producer = Clint Eastwood<br />]<br />]
| screenplay = ]<br />]<br />] | screenplay = ]<br />]<br />]
| based on = {{Based on|''True Crime''|]}} | based_on = {{Based on|''True Crime''|]}}
| starring = ]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />] | starring = {{Plainlist|
* Clint Eastwood
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]}}
| music = ] | music = ]
| cinematography = ] | cinematography = ]
| editing = ] | editing = ]
| studio = ]<br />The Zanuck Company | studio = ]<br />]
| distributor = ] | distributor = ]
| released = {{Film date|1999|03|19}} | released = {{Film date|1999|03|19}}
Line 20: Line 27:
| language = English | language = English
| budget = $55 million<ref name="BOM" >{{mojo title|truecrime|True Crime}}</ref> | budget = $55 million<ref name="BOM" >{{mojo title|truecrime|True Crime}}</ref>
| gross = $16,649,768<ref name="BOM" /> | gross = $16.6 million (US)<ref name="BOM" />
}} }}

'''''True Crime''''' is a 1999 American ] ] directed by ], and based on ]'s 1997 novel of the same name. Eastwood also stars in the film as a journalist covering the execution of a death row inmate, only to discover that the convict may actually be innocent. '''''True Crime''''' is a 1999 American ] ] directed by ], and based on ]'s 1995 novel of the same name. Eastwood also stars in the film as a journalist covering the execution of a death row inmate, only to discover that the convict may actually be innocent.

The film was released on March 19, 1999, grossing $16 million against its $55 million production budget.


==Plot== ==Plot==
Steve Everett (]), an ] ] recovering from ], is assigned to cover the execution of convicted murderer Frank Beechum (]) following the death in a car wreck of Everett's colleague, Michelle Ziegler, who had originally been assigned to the story. Steve Everett, an ] ] recovering from ], is assigned to cover the execution of convicted murderer Frank Beechum following the death of Everett's colleague, Michelle Ziegler, who had originally been assigned to the story.


Everett, despite instructions to the contrary from his editor, investigates the background to the case and comes to suspect that Beechum has been wrongly convicted; he has only a few hours to prove his theory and save Beechum's life. Everett investigates the background to the case and comes to suspect that Beechum has been wrongly convicted of murdering Amy Wilson. He gets permission from his editor's boss to investigate, and is told that the top editor would call the Governor, and that would do the job, if Everett gets hard proof. He thus has a little over 12 hours to confirm his hunch and save Beechum.


Everett interviews a prosecution witness, Dale Porterhouse, who saw Beechum at the store where the shooting took place and said in his statement to the police that he saw him carrying a gun. Everett questions Porterhouse's account, saying that, because of the layout of the store, he could not have seen a gun in Beechum's hand and that he maybe said what he did in order to impress his co-workers. Everett interviews a prosecution witness, Dale Porterhouse, who saw Beechum at the store with a gun. Everett questions Porterhouse's account, saying that, because of the layout of the store, he could not have seen a gun in Beechum's hand.


Everett confronts D.A. Cecelia Nussbaum for putting an innocent man on death row. She reveals that a third person was interviewed after the crime, a young man who claimed he had only stopped at the store to buy a soda from a machine outside and saw nothing. Everett decides that this man, never called as a witness, is probably the real killer. Meanwhile, Warden Luther Plunkett also starts have qualms about the safety of Beechum's conviction. Everett confronts D.A. Cecelia Nussbaum, who reveals that, a young man, Warren, was interviewed and claimed he had stopped at the store to buy a soda and saw nothing. Everett suspects that Warren, never called as a witness, is probably the real killer. He breaks into the deceased reporter's house, suspecting that she had been onto something and finds her file on Warren. Meanwhile, Warden Luther Plunkett also starts to have doubts about Beechum's guilt.


Everett falls out with his bosses and loses his job. While working his notice he tracks down Angela Russel, the grandmother of his suspect. She tells him that her grandson Warren could not have been the murderer, and berates him for the lack of interest from the press when Warren himself was killed in a mugging two years after Amy's murder. Everett falls out with his bosses and is fired on the spot, but he points out that his contract entitles him to adequate notice. They ask him how much notice he requires, and, looking at his watch, he says 6 hours and 7 minutes. He tracks down Angela Russel, Warren's grandmother. She tells him that her grandson could not have been the murderer, and berates him for the lack of interest from the press when Warren himself was killed in a mugging two years after Amy's murder.


The prison chaplain misrepresents an exchange with Beechum as a confession to the crime. Everett hears about this on the radio and loses heart; on top of this, his wife has found out about his affair with his editor's wife and has turned him out of the house. He is about to start drinking again when he sees a piece on TV that shows a photograph of Amy wearing a locket, a locket he realises he has seen before, being worn by Angela Russel. The prison chaplain misrepresents an exchange with Beechum as a confession to the crime. Everett hears about this on the radio and loses heart; on top of this, his wife Barbara has found out about his affair with his editor's wife and has turned him out of the house. He is about to start drinking again when he sees a piece on TV that shows a photograph of Amy wearing a locket, a locket he realizes he has seen before, being worn by Angela Russel.


Everett drives to Angela's house. When he tells her about the locket she realises the truth: her grandson was the guilty man. Everett now has to get Angela to the Governor's house in order to persuade him to order a stay of execution, but it seems to be too late. The thiopental, the first drug used in the execution, has already been injected into Frank's bloodstream and he has lost consciousness. Doctors try to revive him, while Bonnie begs for her husband to wake up. Everett drives back to Angela's house. When he tells her about the locket, she realizes the truth: her grandson was the killer. Everett now has to get Angela to the Governor's house in order to persuade him to order a stay of execution. As they approach the Governor's mansion, the first of three drugs used in the execution has already been injected into Frank's bloodstream and he has lost consciousness. The Governor calls, and the doctors try to revive him, while his wife Bonnie bangs on the window calling out for him to wake up.


Six months later, a week before Christmas, Everett is out shopping for his daughter. He catches sight of Frank and his family doing their Christmas shopping; until now we had been left to believe that Frank had died. Steve and Frank acknowledge each other, and the film ends. Six months later, a week before Christmas, Everett is out buying a stuffed hippo for his daughter, and the store's proprietor mentions that he is famous and may even win a Pulitzer. He catches sight of Frank and his family doing their Christmas shopping. Steve and Frank acknowledge each other, but Frank's daughter shouts for him to "come on," which Frank does.


==Cast== ==Cast==
{{castlist|
* ] as Steve Everett * ] as Steve Everett
* ] as Frank Louis Beechum * ] as Frank Louis Beechum
* ] as Bob Findley * ] as Bob Findley
* ] as Bonnie Beechum * ] as Patricia Findley
* ] as Bonnie Beechum
* ] as Alan Mann * ] as Alan Mann
* ] as Warden Luther Plunkitt * ] as Warden Luther Plunkitt
* ] as Barbara Everett * ] as Barbara Everett
* ] as Kate Everett
* ] as Amy Wilson
* ] as Reverend Shillerman * ] as Reverend Shillerman
* ] as Michelle Ziegler * ] as Michelle Ziegler
* ] as Dale Porterhouse * ] as Dale Porterhouse
* ] as Angela Russel * ] as Angela Russel
* ] as Gail Beechum * Penny Bae Bridges as Gail Beechum
* ] as D.A. Cecilia Nussbaum * ] as D.A. Cecilia Nussbaum
* ] as Bridget Rossiter * ] as a toy shop girl
* ] as Tom Donaldson * ] as Mr. Ziegler
* ] as Toy Shop Girl * ] as Wally Cartwright
}}


==Reception== ==Reception==
''True Crime'' was a large ] domestically; with an opening weekend gross of $5,276,109 and a total domestic gross of $16,649,768, out of a $55 million budget.<ref name="BOM" /> It received mixed reactions from critics, with a score of 53% on ]. ''True Crime'' was a large ]{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} domestically; with an opening weekend gross of $5.3 million and a total domestic gross of $16.6 million, against a $55 million budget.<ref name="BOM" />

On ], the film has an approval rating of 56% based on 41 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "''True Crime'' has the potential for a gripping character-driven mystery, but a pedestrian story and a miscast Clint Eastwood undermine its effectiveness."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1084928_true_crime|title=True Crime|website=]}}</ref> On ], the film has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/true-crime|title = True Crime|website = ]}}</ref> Audiences polled by ] gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com|title=Find CinemaScore|format=Type "True Crime" in the search box|publisher=]|access-date=February 19, 2020}}</ref>


==References== ==References==
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==External links== ==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0139668|True Crime}} * {{IMDb title|0139668}}
* {{allrovi movie|177413|True Crime}} * {{TCMDb title|331246}}
* {{mojo title|truecrime|True Crime}} * {{AFI film|61756}}
* {{mojo title|truecrime}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|1084928-true_crime|True Crime}} * {{rotten-tomatoes|1084928-true_crime}}
* {{metacritic film|truecrime|True Crime}}
* {{Metacritic film}}


{{Clint Eastwood}} {{Clint Eastwood}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:True Crime}} {{DEFAULTSORT:True Crime}}
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Latest revision as of 13:28, 22 December 2024

1999 film by Clint Eastwood

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True Crime
Theatrical release poster
Directed byClint Eastwood
Screenplay byLarry Gross
Paul Brickman
Stephen Schiff
Based onTrue Crime
by Andrew Klavan
Produced byClint Eastwood
Richard D. Zanuck
Lili Fini Zanuck
Starring
CinematographyJack N. Green
Edited byJoel Cox
Music byLennie Niehaus
Production
companies		Malpaso Productions
The Zanuck Company
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • March 19, 1999 (1999-03-19)
Running time127 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$55 million
Box office$16.6 million (US)

True Crime is a 1999 American mystery thriller film directed by Clint Eastwood, and based on Andrew Klavan's 1995 novel of the same name. Eastwood also stars in the film as a journalist covering the execution of a death row inmate, only to discover that the convict may actually be innocent.

The film was released on March 19, 1999, grossing $16 million against its $55 million production budget.

Plot

Steve Everett, an Oakland journalist recovering from alcoholism, is assigned to cover the execution of convicted murderer Frank Beechum following the death of Everett's colleague, Michelle Ziegler, who had originally been assigned to the story.

Everett investigates the background to the case and comes to suspect that Beechum has been wrongly convicted of murdering Amy Wilson. He gets permission from his editor's boss to investigate, and is told that the top editor would call the Governor, and that would do the job, if Everett gets hard proof. He thus has a little over 12 hours to confirm his hunch and save Beechum.

Everett interviews a prosecution witness, Dale Porterhouse, who saw Beechum at the store with a gun. Everett questions Porterhouse's account, saying that, because of the layout of the store, he could not have seen a gun in Beechum's hand.

Everett confronts D.A. Cecelia Nussbaum, who reveals that, a young man, Warren, was interviewed and claimed he had stopped at the store to buy a soda and saw nothing. Everett suspects that Warren, never called as a witness, is probably the real killer. He breaks into the deceased reporter's house, suspecting that she had been onto something and finds her file on Warren. Meanwhile, Warden Luther Plunkett also starts to have doubts about Beechum's guilt.

Everett falls out with his bosses and is fired on the spot, but he points out that his contract entitles him to adequate notice. They ask him how much notice he requires, and, looking at his watch, he says 6 hours and 7 minutes. He tracks down Angela Russel, Warren's grandmother. She tells him that her grandson could not have been the murderer, and berates him for the lack of interest from the press when Warren himself was killed in a mugging two years after Amy's murder.

The prison chaplain misrepresents an exchange with Beechum as a confession to the crime. Everett hears about this on the radio and loses heart; on top of this, his wife Barbara has found out about his affair with his editor's wife and has turned him out of the house. He is about to start drinking again when he sees a piece on TV that shows a photograph of Amy wearing a locket, a locket he realizes he has seen before, being worn by Angela Russel.

Everett drives back to Angela's house. When he tells her about the locket, she realizes the truth: her grandson was the killer. Everett now has to get Angela to the Governor's house in order to persuade him to order a stay of execution. As they approach the Governor's mansion, the first of three drugs used in the execution has already been injected into Frank's bloodstream and he has lost consciousness. The Governor calls, and the doctors try to revive him, while his wife Bonnie bangs on the window calling out for him to wake up.

Six months later, a week before Christmas, Everett is out buying a stuffed hippo for his daughter, and the store's proprietor mentions that he is famous and may even win a Pulitzer. He catches sight of Frank and his family doing their Christmas shopping. Steve and Frank acknowledge each other, but Frank's daughter shouts for him to "come on," which Frank does.

Cast

Reception

True Crime was a large box-office bomb domestically; with an opening weekend gross of $5.3 million and a total domestic gross of $16.6 million, against a $55 million budget.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 56% based on 41 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "True Crime has the potential for a gripping character-driven mystery, but a pedestrian story and a miscast Clint Eastwood undermine its effectiveness." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.

References

  1. ^ True Crime at Box Office Mojo
  2. "True Crime". Rotten Tomatoes.
  3. "True Crime". Metacritic.
  4. "Find CinemaScore" (Type "True Crime" in the search box). CinemaScore. Retrieved February 19, 2020.

External links

Clint Eastwood
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