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Catalog/Drama/A Bright Shining Lie
A Bright Shining Lie poster
B
Strong
MASTER SCORE 66.7 / 100
1998·Drama / War / TV Movie·1h 58m

A BRIGHT SHINING LIE

“In war as in life, the difference between truth and deception is what a man allows himself to believe.”

Something in his past keeps career Army man John Paul Vann from advancing past colonel. He views being sent to Vietnam as part of the US military advisory force a stepping stone to promotion. However, he disagrees vocally (and on the record) with the way the war is being run and is forced to leave the military. Returning to Vietnam as a civilian working with the Army, he comes to despise some South Vietnamese officers while he takes charge of some of the U.S. forces and continues his liaisons with Vietnamese women.

Above the Line
Terry George·DirectorTerry George·TeleplayNeil Sheehan·AuthorJack Conroy·Director of PhotographyGary Chang·Original Music ComposerNicholas Beauman·Editor
Cast
Bill Paxton·John Paul VannAmy Madigan·Mary Jane VannDonal Logue·Steven BurnettRobert John Burke·Frank DrummondVivian Wu·LeeEd Lauter·General WeyandKurtwood Smith·General WestmorelandEric Bogosian·Doug EldersJames Rebhorn·AmbassadorLes Mau·Colonel Dinh
Full Crew
(14 credits)
Directing· 1
Terry George·Director
Writing· 2
Terry George·TeleplayNeil Sheehan·Author
Camera· 1
Jack Conroy·Director of Photography
Editing· 1
Nicholas Beauman·Editor
Sound & Music· 1
Gary Chang·Original Music Composer
Art & Design· 4
Tom Nursey·Art DirectionGraham "Grace" Walker·Production DesignJoan Bergin·Costume DesignCaroline Usher·Set Decoration
Production· 3
Lois Bonfiglio·Executive ProducerGreg Ricketson·ProducerDianne Crittenden·Casting
Other Departments· 1
Jamie Ware Billett·Video Assist Operator
By the Numbers
66.7
OF 100
Master Score
6.4
OF 10
IMDb
—
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
—
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

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Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

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Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind A Bright Shining Lie's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#223355
#7799BB
#AA8844
Mood
Somber, Dramatic, Intense
Composition
Split
Era
1990s
Visual Style
Photographic

“The poster features a close-up of a man's face in profile on the left, looking right, against a dark blue sky. Below his face, a landscape unfolds with green fi”

wardramabiography
Key Elements
Man's FaceHelicoptersExplosionSmokeWaterFields
Atmosphere
Gritty
Color Mood
Mixed
Setting
Rural
Design Score
7/10
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THE NEIGHBORHOOD

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THREE WAYS DEEPER

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AUT
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