Alan Alda discusses politics in journalism with the screening of his new movie ‘Nothing But The Truth’
The movie faded to black. The credits rolled. Ben Asher, a television, radio and film junior, whirled around in his seat. He and two other students, Stephanie Levine and Jillian Liese, jumped into conversation.
The three Syracuse television, radio and film majors, plus a packed Hergenhan Auditorium, watched an advance screening Thursday night of ‘Nothing but the Truth.’ Moviegoers were even having trouble finding a seat in the overflowing room next door.
The film, directed and written by Rod Lurie (‘The Contender’, ‘Resurrecting the Champ’), pulls the audience into the world of Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale), a reporter who is sent to jail for more than three years in order to protect the identity of a source. She hires lawyer, Albert Burnside (Alan Alda), to protect her right to keep her source confidential.
‘I thought it was very well shot and written,’ Asher said.
Asher isn’t big on ‘talking’ movies – films that are dialogue-driven with extensive character interaction – like ‘Syriana,’ he said.
‘It still kept my attention,’ Asher said of the film. ‘It had a pretty real feel to it – a little rough at the end.’
Levine wasn’t impressed with the ending either. Lurie told the crowd during the question and answer session following the screening that he wrote the ending first. It was too obvious that Lurie wrote the movie out of order, Levine said.
Lurie and Alda chatted with the audience after the screening, and both seemed amiable and personable. One audience member asked Alda if he would be willing to risk it all and protect a source like Beckinsale’s character did in the film.
‘Go to jail – are you crazy? I didn’t even like the army,’ Alda joked.
Both discussed the movie’s overtly political tones and the mixed portrayal of journalists.
‘Every journalist is seen as having an agenda (now),’ Lurie said.
His parting remarks to the crowd – which S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications student composed a large part – set the burden of changing the face of journalism students’ shoulders.
‘For those of you entering the journalism field, you have my congratulations,’ Lurie said. ‘Now go and fix it.’
Published on October 30, 2008 at 12:00 pm
