The Onion Field

When Karl Hettinger is talking into the patrol car microphone, the microphone is turned around and he is actually talking into the back of it.

Just before Powell's arrest on March 9, 1963, he is shown driving on a road marked with "Botts Dots".

The lane markers were not used statewide until September 1966.

When Jimmy is seen watching television at Greg's house he is watching "General Hospital".

This scene takes place in early March 1963 while "General Hospital" debuted April 1, 1963.

The bad: it has the look and feel of a rather cheap tv movie from the seventies. Dont expect any big drama or thrills.

Based on his 1973 true crime novel of the same title, 'The Onion Field' is an okay watch, that works primarily due to the Strong Performances it offers.'The Onion Field' Synopsis: Two criminals kill a cop & later suffer the consequences.

This film's tag-line "What happened after is the real crime" certainly rings true. Joseph Wambaugh deftly adapted his own bestselling true crime into a gripping thriller.

First let me say that this case was a tragedy and I feel for the real police officer victims. Perhaps I was missing the point of the filmmaker, but I thought this was a frustratingly bad film and a big disappointment.

The work of cop turned writer Joseph Wambaugh was most popular in the 70s as Wambaugh for a while blended both careers. No doubt the man had good insight into the workings of the police and the criminal mind.

In any society short of a Police State the criminals will be in a position to work the system to their advantage.The checks and balances put in place to protect the innocent from police malfeasance and governmental interference in the justice system are there for them to hide behind just as much as they're there to ensure that the average man and woman gets a fair crack of the whip.

Directed by Harold Becker. Starring James Woods, John Savage, Franklyn Seales, Ted Danson, Ronny Cox, Dianne Hull, David Huffman, Lee Weaver, Christopher Lloyd, Beege Barkett, Priscilla Pointer.

The best thing about "The Onion Field" is the cast. James Woods gives a terrific performance, while Ted Danson (though he's not around much) is also a highlight.

A vastly comprehensive staging of a real-life case that begins with a brilliant opening title tracking shot, this non-fiction novel of a film fuels its two hours with mortality and guilt complexes, and the exploitation of the judicial system to spoil fair dealing. Set in 1963, this is a potent, disturbing story but it's also a messy one, colonized by peripheral figures and various plot strands.