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Dale Holt, Gus Rose, Jackie Johnson, Marshall Touchton, Randall Adams ... see more see more... , David Harris

Not many filmmakers can claim to have freed a convicted murderer from jail, but Errol Morris accomplished that feat with his stunning documentary about Randall Dale Adams. Morris, whose brilliant prev... read more read more...ious features Vernon, Florida and Gates of Heaven had focused on less substantial subjects, learned of Adams' plight when the director was in Texas in preparation for a film about a psychiatrist who testified in murder trials. In November 1976, after his car broke down on a road outside Dallas, Adams had accepted a ride from a stranger, David Harris. Harris was driving a stolen car, and when Dallas police officer Robert Wood pulled the two men over to check on the vehicle, Harris shot and killed Wood. A jury believed that Adams was the killer, thanks to the perjured testimony of Harris and the misleading accounts of two witnesses. A story about Adams on 60 Minutes helped to bring public attention to the case, but it was Morris' film, which contained extensive interview material with both Adams and Harris as well as stylized reenactments of the crime, that clinched the case for Adams' innocence. He was set free on March 15, 1988. Although Morris' film made many critics' top ten lists, it was unaccountably not nominated for an Academy award, raising doubts about the credibility of the Motion Picture Academy's nominating process in this category. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

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88% liked it

7,166 ratings

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100% liked it

11 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 41 min.

Directed by: Errol Morris

Release Date: January 1, 1988

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DVD Release Date: July 26, 2005

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Flixster Reviews (528)

  • fb619846742
    March 11, 2012
    fb619846742
    A disturbing look at a judicial system infected with chaos and corruption, specifically in the true story of an innocent man named Randall Adams who is sentenced to life in prison for a murder he did not commit. Instead of feeling the need to put his own stamp on the story, direc... read moretor Errol Morris, like he did in "Gates of Heaven", elects to let the people tell the whole story. The result is a detached though interesting case of a good man who got caught in the wrong spot at the wrong time. The negligence by the Dallas County Police is nothing short of repulsive, as they continually ignore the facts of the man they should be going after, instead looking for a quick fix find to nab someone so that they can find closure for the murder of one of their own policeman. It feels longer than it is at 100 minutes, and I would have liked some sort of way to feel more attached and emotionally invested to the story, but I still found myself interested and wanting to see Adams let go. It did not happen when this film came out originally, but the influence of this movie was so great that it prompted the case to be re-opened, and Adams was released in 1989. In addition to providing a saddening story about a chunk of a man's life ruined by a lazy judicial system, this movie also serves as a testament to the power and influence film can have on our society. It can free a man from prison.
  • ajv2688
    February 13, 2011
    ajv2688
    A very slow calculated documentary that goes over and over a crime as if the audience are the investigators. I found it really repetitive, but some people may like that, so I'll say it's so-so.
  • imrealgod
    December 20, 2010
    imrealgod
    While this documentary enlightened about the miscarriage of justice, it is executed in such a way that you don't get too involved in it. I liked 'Dear Zachary' as that documentary was interesting thoroughly. Mind it that 'Dear Zachary' was also a documentary & not a docudrama lik... read moree 'In The Name Of The Father' (one of my favorites), 'Let Him Have It', 'The Onion Field', etc.
  • puffchunk
    November 30, 2007
    puffchunk
    This movie is cool because after it was made, the accused man in the documentary was found innocent due to this film. Errol Morris is my son. However, it's not something you end up watching over and over.
  • StefanoEarnest
    December 31, 2011
    StefanoEarnest
    "The Thin Blue Line" is an absolutely riveting piece of documentary filmmaking, touching on issues both moral and within the justice system. Morris conducts a series of interviews with people involved in the case, gradually bringing more depth to the two main suspects, Randall Ja... read moremes and David Harris, and shows us the facts of what actually happened. In the end, we know who committed the crime, but we almost feel sorry for him. We learn about instances in his past that may have made him this way. With "The Thin Blue Line", Morris is undoubtedly trying to show us the mistakes that can be made in a court of law, but he is also showing us the life of David Harris, a murderer, and what it was that drove him to a life of crime. The result is a splendid documentary that was so provocative and powerful that it caused for the innocent, Randall James, to be released from prison. Add in a magnificent score by Philip Glass and you've got one of the best documentaries ever made.
  • kit85
    October 9, 2008
    kit85
    Although it is understandable that many may dismiss this as a formulaic 'talking head' documentary, this film is one of the best of its ilk. The noir style re-enactments illustrate the vagueness of witness accounts appropriately and complement the tone perfectly. This film is tes... read moretament to Morris? directorial finesse. Morris' exceptional technique results in a well paced film that is equally engaging whether or not you are familiar with the background of the case. The Thin Blue Line is a great film.
  • patrickdol
    March 25, 2008
    patrickdol
    I haven't seen all of it. I missed the last 20mins, but it's a pretty decent crime documentary. Being a fan of show like American Justice and the like it felt like a feature length version of those shows and I really enjoyed that.
  • mustardnoize
    March 18, 2008
    mustardnoize
    One of the most interesting documentaries I have seen. Morris has created what is essentially a non-fiction "film noir" that plays exceptionally well, in no small part because it's a real-world case. The usual interviews are here (sans narration, a brilliant move), and Phillip Gl... read moreass' wonderful minimalist score adds greatly to the mood and drama of the enfolding story, but the technique that really grabs your attention is the use of reenactments that change depending upon whose point of view is being presented. Morris' background as a detective is very evident in this excellent work, and it serves him well. A must-see documentary, even if only for the fact that it's one of the few that ever truly resulted in real-world action (its subject was freed from prison and was never re-tried due to the massive reasonable doubt this film presented). Highly recommended.
  • cacutshaw
    February 8, 2008
    cacutshaw
    Morris cemented his place as one of the greatest documentarians of all time with this amazing work that actually got a man freed from prison. Must see.
  • smootysveen
    March 9, 2007
    smootysveen
    Amazing. People need to see this. Errol Morris is a genius.

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Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy
December 22, 2006
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Arguably no other film of the 1980s, fiction or non-fiction, was as significant in blurring the boundaries between what's reel and real and in demonstrating the remarkable impact a movie could have. Full Review

Cole Smithey
February 13, 2006
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

Errol Morris' breakout documentary is immaculate.

Jake Euker
July 8, 2004
Jake Euker, F5 (Wichita, KS)

Accomplished but detached; you're pulled in, but you couldn't be blamed for resisting.

Rumsey Taylor
February 11, 2003
Rumsey Taylor, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Furthering its genre irregularity, it employs no narration to guide the viewer, and each shot is carefully static and composed. Its central scene, even, is a fabricated element in what is largely a no... Full Review

John A. Nesbit
April 17, 2001
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews

... sets a new standard Full Review

Janet Maslin
May 20, 2003
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Chuck O'Leary
October 9, 2005
Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily

No review available.

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