# Truth (2015 film)
**Truth** is a 2015 American drama film written and directed by [James Vanderbilt](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-vanderbilt), dramatizing the 2004 [Killian documents controversy](https://www.edgepedia.org/killian-documents-controversy) in which [CBS News](https://www.edgepedia.org/cbs-news) anchor Dan Rather and producer Mary Mapes aired a "60 Minutes II" report on President George W. Bush's Texas Air National Guard service, a story whose collapse ended both of their careers at the network. Cate Blanchett plays Mapes and Robert Redford plays Rather.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/truth_2015) • [2](https://www.sonyclassics.com/truth/truth_presskit.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director / screenwriter | James Vanderbilt, his directorial debut[2](https://www.sonyclassics.com/truth/truth_presskit.pdf) |
| Source | Mary Mapes' 2005 memoir *Truth and Duty: The Press, The President, and The Privilege of Power*[2](https://www.sonyclassics.com/truth/truth_presskit.pdf) |
| Lead cast | Cate Blanchett (Mary Mapes), Robert Redford (Dan Rather), Topher Grace (Mike Smith), Elisabeth Moss (Lucy Scott), Dennis Quaid (Lt. Col. Roger Charles)[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/truth_2015) • [2](https://www.sonyclassics.com/truth/truth_presskit.pdf) |
| Release | Limited release October 16, 2015 by Sony Pictures Classics; wide release October 30, 2015; premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Truth-%282015%29) • [2](https://www.sonyclassics.com/truth/truth_presskit.pdf) |
| Box office | Domestic $2,541,854; worldwide $6,842,580 per The Numbers, against a $9,600,000 production budget[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Truth-%282015%29) |
| Critical reception | 63% Tomatometer from 178 reviews and 62% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/truth_2015) |
| Rating / runtime | Rated R for language and a brief nude photo; 125 minutes[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Truth-%282015%29) |
## Spoilers
### Subject matter
The film covers the events of September 2004, when "60 Minutes II" broadcast an investigative report, produced by Mapes and reported by Rather, alleging that [George W. Bush](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-w-bush) had received preferential treatment and may have been absent from duty for over a year during his service in the Texas Air National Guard during the [Vietnam War](https://www.edgepedia.org/vietnam-war) era.[2](https://www.sonyclassics.com/truth/truth_presskit.pdf) • [3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Truth-%282015%29) After the broadcast, the authenticity of the documents underpinning the report was questioned, sources changed their stories, and the ensuing scandal led to Mapes being fired and to Rather's resignation; Rather, the network's anchor for 24 years from 1981 to 2005, retired less than a year after the report aired.[4](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-truth-mary-mapes-cbs-news-producer-writer-20151020-story.html) • [5](https://www.sonyclassics.com/truth/index.html) • [6](https://time.com/4074875/truth-director-james-vanderbilt-mary-mapes-cate-blanchett/)
The film takes Mapes' perspective, drawing on her memoir. The film depicts Mapes maintaining that her reporting captured a bigger, more significant truth, while admitting the details behind it may have been inaccurate.[6](https://time.com/4074875/truth-director-james-vanderbilt-mary-mapes-cate-blanchett/) The supporting cast includes [Bruce Greenwood](https://www.edgepedia.org/bruce-greenwood) as CBS News president Andrew Heyward, Stacy Keach as Lt. Col. Bill Burkett, the source of the documents, [Dermot Mulroney](https://www.edgepedia.org/dermot-mulroney) as Lawrence Lanpher, and David Lyons as executive producer [Josh Howard](https://www.edgepedia.org/josh-howard).[2](https://www.sonyclassics.com/truth/truth_presskit.pdf)
## Production
**Vanderbilt's debut.** James Vanderbilt, previously known as the screenwriter of *Zodiac* (2007) and *The Amazing Spider-Man* (2012), wrote the script on spec and finished the first draft in 2007. He financed the film himself and made it his first directing job. He got the screenplay to [Cate Blanchett](https://www.edgepedia.org/cate-blanchett) the day after her 2014 Academy Award win.[6](https://time.com/4074875/truth-director-james-vanderbilt-mary-mapes-cate-blanchett/) The film was produced by Bradley J. Fischer, William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, Brett Ratner, Doug Mankoff, and Andrew Spaulding, with photography by Mandy Walker, editing by Richard Francis-Bruce, and music by [Brian Tyler](https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-tyler).[2](https://www.sonyclassics.com/truth/truth_presskit.pdf)
## Release and box office
[Sony Pictures Classics](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-pictures-classics) released the film in six theaters in the United States on October 16, 2015, expanding to a maximum of 1,122 theaters on October 30. The opening weekend gross was $66,232, about 2.6% of the eventual domestic total of $2,541,854.[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Truth-%282015%29) The two trackers disagree on the worldwide total: The Numbers reports $6,842,580, while [Box Office Mojo](https://www.edgepedia.org/box-office-mojo) reports $5,383,097, with $2,841,243 of that international.[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Truth-%282015%29) • [7](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt3859076/) Against a production budget of $9,600,000, the worldwide gross reported by The Numbers was 0.7 times the budget.[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Truth-%282015%29) Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the film on home video on February 2, 2016.[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Truth-%282015%29)
## Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 63% Tomatometer from 178 reviews and a 62% Popcornmeter audience score; the site's critics consensus says the cast and message are often enough to overcome an "occasionally didactic and facile dramatization of a nuanced real-life tale."[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/truth_2015) Reviewers singled out Blanchett's performance as Mapes; the RogerEbert.com review described the film's most engrossing section as the gradual retreat from the story by its participants and then by the network.[8](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/truth-2015) Time's review called Redford's Rather understated but convincing and noted that the film sides with its subjects, given its casting.[9](https://time.com/4074557/one-womans-truth-about-dropping-a-network-anchor/)
Rather has publicly endorsed the accuracy of the film.[10](https://www.the-take.com/read/does-dan-rather-think-truth-is-true-what-do-dan-rather-mary-mapes-say-truth-is-really-about) Mapes, who won a Peabody Award in 2005 for producing the CBS segment that broke the [Abu Ghraib prison](https://www.edgepedia.org/abu-ghraib-prison) abuse story, gave the rights to her story to Vanderbilt and attended festival screenings of the finished film.[5](https://www.sonyclassics.com/truth/index.html) • [4](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-truth-mary-mapes-cbs-news-producer-writer-20151020-story.html)
## References
1. [Truth (2015), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/truth_2015)
2. [Truth presskit, Sony Pictures Classics](https://www.sonyclassics.com/truth/truth_presskit.pdf)
3. [Truth (2015), The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Truth-%282015%29)
4. [Q&A: Mary Mapes describes seeing her 'Truth' on the big screen, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-truth-mary-mapes-cbs-news-producer-writer-20151020-story.html)
5. [Truth, Who's Who, Sony Pictures Classics](https://www.sonyclassics.com/truth/index.html)
6. [Truth's First-Time Director on Working With Cate Blanchett, Time](https://time.com/4074875/truth-director-james-vanderbilt-mary-mapes-cate-blanchett/)
7. [Truth (2015), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt3859076/)
8. [Truth movie review & film summary, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/truth-2015)
9. [The Truth About a Network Anchor Dropped Overboard, Time](https://time.com/4074557/one-womans-truth-about-dropping-a-network-anchor/)
10. [Does Dan Rather think Truth is true?, The Take](https://www.the-take.com/read/does-dan-rather-think-truth-is-true-what-do-dan-rather-mary-mapes-say-truth-is-really-about)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Films by genre, form, and subject › Documentary and biographical films › Individual biographical and docudrama films › Business, law, and journalism*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license