Home / True Believer

True Believer

Year:

1989

Duration:

105 min | USA:108 min

Genres:

Drama | Crime

IMDB rate:

6.7

Director:

Joseph Ruben

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1989-02-17

Filming Locations: Long Island City Queens, New York, USA

Earnings

Gross: $8,742,750 (USA) Filming Dates 29 February 1988 - 27 April 1988 Related Links

Cast

Actor

Character

Robert Downey Jr.

True Believer

James Woods

Eddie Dodd

Margaret Colin

Kitty Greer

Yuji Okumoto

Shu Kai Kim

Kurtwood Smith

Robert Reynard

Tom Bower

Cecil Skell

Miguel Fernandes

Art Esparza

Charles Hallahan

Vincent Dennehy

Sully Diaz

Maraquilla Esparza

Misan Kim

Mrs. Kim

John Snyder

Chuckie Loeder

Luis Guzmán

Ortega (as Luis Guzman)

Graham Beckel

Sklaroff

Tony Haney

Montell

Joel Polis

Dean Rabin

Will Marchetti

Judge Quealy

Maureen McVerry

Billy

Abigail Van Alyn

Connie Dennehy

Deborah Offner

Laura Gayley

Thomas Wagner

Tommy

Richard Fancy

Ballistics Expert

Kurt Fuller

George Ballistics

Ginger Rolstad

Translator (as Ginger Chung)

Thelton E. Henderson

Judge Baum

Gerry Bamman

Brian Nevins

Charles Dean

Detective #1

Gustave Johnson

Detective #2

Cab Covay

Teardrop

Tony Abatemarco

Glen Fulton

Ken Grantham

Cecil's Judge (as Kenneth Grantham)

Ralph Peduto

Court Officer

Margot Rose

Ms. Jessum

Jan Michael Shultz

Lindeman (as Jan Shultz)

George Maguire

Maitre'd

David Espinoza

Corrections Officer

Conrad Dunn

Slim Jim (as George Jenesky)

Sean O'Brien

Clyde Gruner

Cully Fredricksen

Scarecrow

Taylor Gilbert

Reynard's Receptionist

Peter Anthony Jacobs

Reporter

Stu Klitsner

Magnate (as Stu Klitsher)

David Booth

Minister

Peter Fitzsimmons

Court Clerk

Jarrett Sullivan

Boy

Mike Stone

Client (as Michael Stone)

Chris Jorie

Assistant D.A. (as Chris Jorie)

Karen A. Brown

West Village Rocker (uncredited)

Darryl Fong

Jimmy Chin (uncredited)

Woody Harrelson

Man in Dodd's office (uncredited)

Theodore Carl Soderberg

Resturant patron (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

The character Shu Kai Kim is based on Korean-American Chol Soo Lee, who was imprisoned for nearly 10 years after wrongful conviction for a murder he did not commit.

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The character of Eddie Dodd was modeled after famed civil rights lawyer Tony Serra.

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Goofs

When showing the original murder in flashbacks, the killer is standing five feet or more away from the body when he shoots him. When Dennehy tells Dodd and the flashback is shown beneath the bridge, the gun is aimed only a few inches from the previous bullet hole. A gun fired that close would leave burn marks and gunpowder residue on the victim's head, which would be incongruous with the eyewitness accounts of the actual murder.

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During the prison knife fight, Kim stabs the Nazi in the chest. The knife then alternates between still being in the Nazi's chest to being (correctly) taped to Kim's hand.

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Beneath his mugshot, Chucky Loeder's name is spelled with a "y", however, in the credits it is spelled "ie".

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Quotes

Eddie Dodd: We pleaded out Clyde Gruner to five years probation.

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Roger Baron: Art Esparza killed Jimmy Chin... the killer wasn't Chinese! Cecil Skell was right!

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Eddie Dodd: It's in the area of narcotics, Mr. Reynard, that the government tramples on the Fourth Amendment.

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