The Thin Blue Line (1988)

Name: The Thin Blue Line
Genre: Crime, Documentary
Released: 1988-08-28
Duration: 103 min
Cast: Randall Adams, David Harris, Gus Rose, Jackie Johnson, Marshall Touchton

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.

Watch The Thin Blue Line online

Released 1988-08-28 · 103 min · Crime, Documentary

Directed by Errol Morris

Cast

Randall Adams as Self
David Harris as Self
Gus Rose as Self - Homicide Detective in Dallas
Jackie Johnson as Self - Homicide Detective in Dallas
Marshall Touchton as Self - Homicide Detective in Dallas
Dale Holt as Self - Internal Affairs Investigator in Dallas
Sam Kittrell as Self - Police Detective in Vidor
Hootie Nelson as Self - Friend of David Harris in Vidor
Dennis Johnson as Self - Friend of David Harris in Vidor
Floyd Jackson as Self - Friend of David Harris in Vidor
Edith James as Self - Defense Attorney
Dennis White as Self - Defense Attorney
Don Metcalfe as Self - The Judge
Emily Miller as Self - Surprise Eyewitness
R.L. Miller as Self - Surprise Eyewitness