Culture
Mystery documentary
The Thin Blue Line (1988): Cast, Ratings & Box Office
The Thin Blue Line is a 1988 mystery documentary directed by Errol Morris, starring David Harris and Randall Adams. It runs 1 hour 43 minutes and earned $1.2 million worldwide. It earned 2 award nominations, including Best Director at the Spirit Awards 1989. Critics gave it 79 on Metacritic.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 43m (103 min)
- Director
- Errol Morris
- Genres
- Mystery , Crime , Documentary
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Miramax Films
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is The Thin Blue Line About?
The premise of The Thin Blue Line without spoilers.
In 1976, a seemingly innocent ride with teenager David Harris triggers a series of events that lead to the wrongful conviction of Randall Dale Adams for murder. This gripping documentary explores the case as the truth emerges, revealing a complex situation involving false testimony, unreliable eyewitness accounts, and questionable police conduct. The film examines how these factors contributed to the imprisonment of an innocent man and questions the justice system's processes.
The Thin Blue Line Themes & Keywords
· 31 tags- reenactment
- wrongful conviction
- police officer killed
- 1970s
- criminology
- law
- murder
- dallas texas
- color in title
- trial
- independent film
- national film registry
+19 more Show fewer
- hitchhiking
- ku klux klan
- drive in theater
- police detective
- car theft
- milkshake
- license plate
- hypnosis
- profanity
- interrogation
- juvenile delinquency
- drowning
- crime documentary
- police officer
- death row
- capital punishment
- perjury
- title spoken by character
- false accusation
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Cast & crew
The Thin Blue Line Cast
David Harris leads the cast, with Randall Adams. Directed by Errol Morris.
-
Director Errol Morris
From the director
More from Errol Morris
More films directed by Errol Morris, best-rated first: The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, A Brief History of Time, Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. and The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman's Portrait Photography.
Ratings
The Thin Blue Line Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The Thin Blue Line 79 on Metacritic.
-
Metacritic 79 Metascore
User score 8.3
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 77% User score
See on TMDB
Box office
The Thin Blue Line Box Office
The Thin Blue Line grossed $1.2 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$1.2M
- US & Canada
- $1.2M
Awards
The Thin Blue Line Awards & Nominations
The Thin Blue Line earned 2 award nominations, including Best Director at the Spirit Awards 1989.
2 nominations1 ceremony
-
Spirit Awards 1989 2 nominations- Nominated Best Director – Errol Morris
- Nominated Best Feature
Videos
The Thin Blue Line Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 2 trailers.
- Trailer Three Reasons: The Thin Blue Line
Details
The Thin Blue Line Also Known As
14 alternative titles, including “La delgada línea azul” and “正義難伸”.
- Also known as
-
- La delgada línea azul
- 正義難伸
- La sottile linea blu
- Der Fall Randall Adams
- 细细的蓝线
- Le dossier Adams
- A Tênue Linha da Morte
- הקו הכחול הדק
- İnce Mavi Çizgi
- Тонкая голубая линия
- 가늘고 푸른 선
- Linia albastră subțire
+2 more Show fewer
- Cienka niebieska linia
- På en skör tråd
Seen The Thin Blue Line?
More like this
Movies Like The Thin Blue Line
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Trials of Darryl Hunt, The Phantom and Blue Murder - Killer Cop.
From the blog
Articles About The Thin Blue Line
2 articles about The Thin Blue Line. The latest: “The Power of the Documentary: Changing Minds and Hearts”.
FAQ
The Thin Blue Line FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of The Thin Blue Line, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Thin Blue Line?
The Thin Blue Line runs 1 hour 43 minutes (103 minutes).
When was The Thin Blue Line released?
The Thin Blue Line was released on September 1, 1988.
Who directed The Thin Blue Line?
The Thin Blue Line was directed by Errol Morris.
More films by Errol Morris Who is in the cast of The Thin Blue Line?
The Thin Blue Line stars David Harris and Randall Adams.
How much did The Thin Blue Line make at the box office?
The Thin Blue Line grossed $1.2 million worldwide.
How is The Thin Blue Line rated?
The Thin Blue Line has 79 on Metacritic and 77% on TMDB.
Was The Thin Blue Line nominated for any awards?
The Thin Blue Line received 2 nominations across 1 ceremony.
Does The Thin Blue Line have a post-credit scene?
No. The Thin Blue Line has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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