Contre-pouvoir

"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.

A very good film.

Based upon actual events, this chilling tale explains how easy it is for power to corrupt and how society likes to look the other way.

Thank goodness for investigative journalists like Johnathan Neumann.

Great performance by Rob Morrow with support from Quaid and a nice little cameo by Al Waxman too.

It is impossible to watch this film and not realise what a great actor Paul Sorvino is. His portrayal of Mayor Rizzo is perfect.

8/10.

I live in Philadelphia and remember the real events well. I thought that this movie was a great portrayal of those events and of how living in Philadelphia and dealing with the Mayor Rizzo Gestapo was at that time, kept me interested all the way through.

From the beginning on, it was clear that this was going to be a weak film. The acting was very bad to mediocre (Rob Morrow, who made me think of the Dustin Hoffmann of the 1970s). The screenplay was even worse. It got a little better but towards the end, the whole film collapsed badly. I haven't really understood what part the female characters in this story had to play. The last scene on the graveyard was an anti-climax. Oliver Stone or A.J. Pacula would have made a different story, if they had found the material worthwhile at least. A waist of time.

Dries Van Dongen

One of the best made for TV movies ever. The story revolves around a new reporter (Rob Morrow) for The Philadelphia Examiner who senses police corruption. He put his life at risk in the investigation along with Randy Quaid's. Excellent performances throughout and well edited and directed. It is a movie which should be watched, especially those who think that a safe city should be sought by any means.