The Thin Blue Line

The Thin Blue Line (1988)

Erases the border between art and activism.

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.

Date of release
1988-08-28
TMDB
7.7 / 10 (430)
Runtime
1h 43m
Genres
Crime, Documentary
Director
Errol Morris

Casting

  • Randall Adams — Self
  • David Harris — Self
  • Gus Rose — Self - Homicide Detective in Dallas
  • Jackie Johnson — Self - Homicide Detective in Dallas
  • Marshall Touchton — Self - Homicide Detective in Dallas
  • Dale Holt — Self - Internal Affairs Investigator in Dallas
  • Sam Kittrell — Self - Police Detective in Vidor
  • Hootie Nelson — Self - Friend of David Harris in Vidor
  • Dennis Johnson — Self - Friend of David Harris in Vidor
  • Floyd Jackson — Self - Friend of David Harris in Vidor
  • Edith James — Self - Defense Attorney
  • Dennis White — Self - Defense Attorney

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