Where the Truth Lies (2005)

Director:

Atom Egoyan

Writers:

Atom Egoyan (screenplay)
Rupert Holmes (novel)

Release Date:

7 October 2005 (Canada)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

K. O'Connor, a young journalist known for her celebrity profiles, is consumed with discovering the truth behind a long-buried incident that affected the lives and careers of showbiz team Vince Collins and Lanny Morris.

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Los Angeles | Leg | Investigation | Cigarette Smoking

Awards:

2 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Kevin Bacon	...	Lanny
Colin Firth	...	Vince
Alison Lohman	...	Karen
David Hayman	...	Reuben
Rachel Blanchard	...	Maureen
Maury Chaykin	...	Sally Sanmarco
Sonja Bennett	...	Bonnie
Kristin Adams	...	Alice
Deborah Grover	...	Mrs. O'Flaherty
Beau Starr	...	Jack Scaglia
Arsinée Khanjian	...	Publishing Executive
Gabrielle Rose	...	Publishing Executive
Don McKellar	...	Publishing Executive
David Hemblen	...	NY Hotel Concierge
John Moraitis	...	Irv Fleischman

Also Known As:

Somebody Loves You (Canada: English title) (working title)
Alaston totuus (Finland) [fi]
Ekei pou vrisketai i alitheia (Greece) [el]
False verità (Italy) [it]
Quand la vérité ment (France) (festival title) [fr]
Sanna lögner (Sweden) [sv]
Vérité nue, La (France) [fr]
Wahre Lügen (Germany) [de]
Wahre Lügen - Where the Truth lies (Germany) (poster title) [de]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, nudity, drug use and language. (DVD version)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

UK | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (DVD version) | Canada:18A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Japan:R-18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | USA:Open (rating surrendered) (2005) | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Argentina:16 | Germany:16 | Australia:R | South Korea:18 | Singapore:R21 (cut) | Hungary:16 | Sweden:11 | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:R (Alberta/Manitoba) (original rating) | Canada:18A (Alberta/Manitoba) (re-rating on appeal) | Malaysia:(Banned) | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Brantford, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Serendipity Point Films

Trivia:

Director Atom Egoyan made cuts to the film, including an orgy scene, in a failed attempt to challenge the NC-17 rating given by the MPAA. ThinkFilm has since announced that the version shown in US theaters is the same as the one shown at the Cannes Film Festival.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The telethon takes place in 1957. The boys sing the song "Together (Wherever We Go)" from Gypsy. But Gypsy didn't open on Broadway until 1959. And the songs weren't public knowledge until then.

Quotes:

Lanny Morris: Having to be a nice guy is the toughest job in the world when you're not.

Movie Connections:

Featured in This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)

Soundtrack:

I Ain't Got Nobody (And There's Nobody Cares for Me)

Disappointing effort from Egoyan

Egoyan's weakest film, at least since he came to prominence with Exotica. It's actually a somewhat interesting mystery, but it has a lot of flaws. There is a death, possibly a murder, in the hotel suite of two famous comedians (played by Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon), based on Martin and Lewis. That's the film's biggest flaw, that this completely fictional mystery uses Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis as a model. It's very distracting. The bulk of the story has a young journalist (Alison Lohman) writing the story of the two comedians, trying to solve the mystery. The film-making is pretty good, but Egoyan, except for The Sweet Hereafter, has always been a weak director when it comes to actors. Lohman, who was great in Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men, is awful here (she does get naked and have sex with a woman, though, which makes the film almost worth seeing). Kevin Bacon, who gave his best performance ever last year in the still underseen The Woodsman, isn't especially good, either. Only Firth does a good job. The film is also overscored with some very cliché mystery music. Mychael Danna's scores for Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter were brilliant; this one's a flop.