The Thin Blue Line
Seen it?1988 | 103 min | Crime, Documentary
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime fans and the curious. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Gritty, eye-opening.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 43 min.
- What might put you off
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
100% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.7 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
Awards data unavailable, so this isn't counted
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$1 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 143K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Errol Morris
- 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