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The Thin Blue Line poster

The Thin Blue Line (1988)

1h 43m · 28 Aug 1988

Erases the border between art and activism.

ReelRate
★ –/5
0 ratings
TMDB
7.7/10
431 votes
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One night in November 1976, after his car breaks down on a road outside Dallas, Randall Dale Adams accepts a ride from teenager David Harris. Harris is driving a stolen vehicle and, later that night, when Dallas police officer Robert Wood pulls the car over to check its headlights, he is shot and killed. A jury believes Adams is the killer, but stylized reenactments and interviews with key figures, conflicting testimonies and evidence are presented to argue that Adams was framed by a corrupt justice system, ultimately leading to his exoneration.

Movie ID54769
GenreCrime, Documentary
DirectorErrol Morris
Main castRandall Adams, David Harris, Gus Rose, Jackie Johnson, Marshall Touchton, Dale Holt, Sam Kittrell, Hootie Nelson
Release date28 August 1988
Release year1988
LanguageEnglish
Duration103 min (1h 43m)
Rating7.7 / 10 (TMDB)
Production houseAmerican Playhouse

Director: Errol Morris
Writers: Errol Morris

Trailer

Top cast

Randall AdamsSelf
David HarrisSelf
Gus RoseSelf - Homicide Detective in Dallas
Jackie JohnsonSelf - Homicide Detective in Dallas
Marshall TouchtonSelf - Homicide Detective in Dallas
Dale HoltSelf - Internal Affairs Investigator in Dallas
Sam KittrellSelf - Police Detective in Vidor
Hootie NelsonSelf - Friend of David Harris in Vidor
Dennis JohnsonSelf - Friend of David Harris in Vidor
Floyd JacksonSelf - Friend of David Harris in Vidor
Edith JamesSelf - Defense Attorney
Dennis WhiteSelf - Defense Attorney
Don MetcalfeSelf - The Judge
Emily MillerSelf - Surprise Eyewitness
R.L. MillerSelf - Surprise Eyewitness
Elba CarrSelf - Employee at Fas-Gas
Michael RandellSelf - Third Surprise Eyewitness
Melvyn Carson BruderSelf - Appellate Attorney
Ron AdamsSelf - Randall Adams' Brother (archive footage)
John DillingerSelf - Gangster (archive footage)

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