Synopsis

Oakland reporter Steve Everett is assigned to cover the imminent execution of Frank Beechum, a death row inmate convicted of murder. As Everett examines the case, he begins to suspect that Beechum is innocent. With only a few hours remaining, the disgraced journalist races to uncover decisive evidence and persuade officials to stop the execution.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is based on Andrew Klavan's 1995 novel of the same name.

• The novel's death row inmate was white, but the film changed the character to an African American man in an effort to make the story more relevant to contemporary debates about race and capital punishment.

• The production marked one of the film's notable family connections: Clint Eastwood's daughter Francesca appears as Steve Everett's daughter, while Frances Fisher, Eastwood's former partner, plays the district attorney. Dina Eastwood also appears in the film.

• The story unfolds against a tightly compressed deadline, with Everett having only a few hours to investigate the case before the scheduled execution. That structure gives the film its combination of newsroom drama, mystery, and race-against-time suspense.

• The film was released by Warner Bros. on March 19, 1999. It had a reported production budget of $55 million but earned approximately $16.6 million domestically, making it a significant box-office disappointment.

• True Crime was rated PG-13 and runs 127 minutes. Its credited production team includes cinematographer Jack N. Green, editor Joel Cox, production designer Henry Bumstead, and composer Lennie Niehaus, all longtime collaborators associated with Eastwood's filmmaking.