Few movies dare to enter the world of broadcast journalism. Even fewer movies dare to enter the world of politics. Put them together, and you have a world of possible trouble on your hands. Despite that, James Vanderbilt’s most recent movie, “Truth,” tackles both.
Vanderbilt stands as the powerful trifecta behind the movie. He produced, wrote and directed the journalistic thriller. Although, Vanderbilt has written multiple screenplays before for blockbusters such as “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “White House Down,” but “Truth” is his directorial debut.
“Truth” tells the story behind the “60 Minutes” broadcast that tore down the careers of producer Mary Mapes (Cate Blanchett) and news legend Dan Rather (Robert Redford) and is based on Mary Mapes’ autobiography “Truth and Duty: The Press, The President And The Privilege Of Power.”
Mapes decided to produce a story detailing then President George Bush’s supposed “ditching” of his Vietnam duty by maneuvering his way into the Texas National Guard, then promptly going AWOL for part of his assignment. The story premiered several months before the 2004 election and was backed with documents, however, competing networks and Bush supporters later criticized the information as false. Mapes’ story and broadcast fell apart and went under investigation, leading to Mapes’ removal and Rather’s resignation.
When this scandal broke at the height of the 2004 presidential election, Mary Mapes never actually made a headline. The majority of the public burden sat on the shoulders of CBS and Dan Rather, the supposed golden child of broadcast journalism. Despite public perception, Mapes faced some of the strongest hardships. She was knocked down, never to come back up; tossed out onto the street for standing up for what she believed was true investigative journalism.
“Truth” refreshingly highlights Mapes and her struggles, rather than those of Rather and CBS. Cinematically, often even when other characters were in the shot, Mapes still remained the focus of the camera. The audience could see the scandal unfold in her eyes. When Rather retired, the audience knew only because he called Mapes to tell her. The story focuses on Mapes and her fight for her beliefs and her story.
Even though Mapes wasn’t the star of the public fight, she was certainly the one hurt most behind the curtain. Vanderbilt could have easily succumb to the story that everyone knew, the story that hurt Rather and CBS, but, he stayed true to the story of Mapes and told the story well. “I always knew we were going to experience it through her eyes and part of it is because I think she is a fascinating character,” Vanderbilt explained.
Cate Blanchett (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) did a fantastic job portraying Mapes’ deterioration from self-confident and bold to worn-down and defeated, and the chemistry between Blanchett and Redford was enough to make any audience’s heart warm.
Mapes was supported by a team of fantastic reporters, including Mike Smith (Topher Grace) and Colonel Roger Charles (Dennis Quaid), who brought some laughs and bite to the otherwise intense drama. While certainly not first in line to receive 2015 Best Picture, “Truth” was a riveting story of those who stand up for what they believe in spite of any doubt and any cost.
Grade: B+
