The true story the movie is based on, is about James Settembrino helped prosecutors by giving information about other drug dealers in order to get a lower sentence for his son.
The film was inspired by a documentary on PBS' Frontline about how changes in US drug laws has given deals of a minimum sentence to those guilty if they snitched on their accomplices.
When John Matthews and Daniel James are picking up the first test-run of drugs, the cargo at the rear of the semi-trailer switches from a pallet of shrink-wrapped 5-gallon buckets of paint to a stacked pair of pallets of rolls of insulation.
In the first scene with John Matthews, he uses a practice putting green in his office while on the phone. After walking over to a window that overlooks the warehouse, and then turning back to his desk, the practice putting green is missing.
John Matthews: I admire you so much. The stand you're taking. You didn't take the easy way out. Not setting up one of your friends. I couldn't do what you did. So it looks like you're the one teaching me what real character and integrity is all about. I love you, son.