Rating: 
Summary: Cop Drama That Made Cop Figures Human
Review: "The Onion Field" is another one of those gripping cop dramas that makes it puzzling that the film didn't receive a single Academy Award nomination. Based on the true story and scripted by former cop Joseph Wambaugh (who also wrote the book), "The Onion Field" describes the mental breakdown of a cop (portrayed with excellence by John Savage) who witnesses his partner's murder in an onion field in California, the frustrating nature of the justice system and the loopholes it contains. The chilling contrast between Savage's fragile cop and James Woods' disturbing killer is highly intriguing. But most importantly, "The Onion Field" is a film that gives big screen cop figures a human, emotional quality, all filtered here by the high calliber acting and well written script.
Rating:
Summary: They don't make 'em like this anymore
Review: "The Onion Field" brought up the tail end of a "golden era" of intelligent, gripping and realistic American crime dramas that began with 1967's "In Cold Blood", and continued through the 70's with films like "Serpico" and "Dog Day Afternoon". Director Harold Becker ("City Hall", "Sea Of Love") assembles the perfect cast to portray the true story of a kidnapping and cold-blooded murder of an L.A. police officer in 1963. John Savage's usually distracting tics and twitches are put to good use as the high-strung, guilt-ridden cop who survives the harrowing incident. James Woods infuses his edgy, psychotic cop-killer with an underlying native intelligence that makes him even more frightening than usual. Newcomer Franklyn Seales is quite memorable in a layered performance as Woods' conflicted accomplice (unfortunately, Seales all but vanished after this potentially star-making role). Ted Danson and Ronny Cox also give excellent support. The scene dramatizing the "onion field incident" itself chills the viewer with the same unblinking realism that made "In Cold Blood"'s deliberate, step-by-step re-enactment of the Clutter killings so haunting. The film can also be seen as an unflinching look at the American justice system, and the resulting lose/lose scenarios that sometimes occur on both sides of the docket. Riveting and unforgettable.
Rating:
Summary: Cop Drama That Made Cop Figures Human
Review: "The Onion Field" is another one of those gripping cop dramas that makes it puzzling that the film didn't receive a single Academy Award nomination. Based on the true story and scripted by former cop Joseph Wambaugh (who also wrote the book), "The Onion Field" describes the mental breakdown of a cop (portrayed with excellence by John Savage) who witnesses his partner's murder in an onion field in California, the frustrating nature of the justice system and the loopholes it contains. The chilling contrast between Savage's fragile cop and James Woods' disturbing killer is highly intriguing. But most importantly, "The Onion Field" is a film that gives big screen cop figures a human, emotional quality, all filtered here by the high calliber acting and well written script.
Rating: 
Summary: Devastating
Review: A rather surreal tale from Wambaugh,s pen about two policeman, one of whom is disturbed and tortured because he let his partner ( Ted Danson) be murdered by a sadistic James Woods. ( so he thinks).John Savage plays the tortured officer who cant live with the sight of the execution of his partner and the reality of the impotence of the criminal justice system that still pulls him apart years after the incident. The film plays almost like a documentary and Woods is truly chilling. Matching him and going beyond is Franklin Seales a bizzare interloper into Woods, family. He is truly even more disturbing than Woods if thats possible. Whats being said in this film is very depressing and it jumps out at you !
Rating:
Summary: Devastating
Review: A rather surreal tale from Wambaugh,s pen about two policeman, one of whom is disturbed and tortured because he let his partner ( Ted Danson) be murdered by a sadistic James Woods. ( so he thinks). John Savage plays the tortured officer who cant live with the sight of the execution of his partner and the reality of the impotence of the criminal justice system that still pulls him apart years after the incident. The film plays almost like a documentary and Woods is truly chilling. Matching him and going beyond is Franklin Seales a bizzare interloper into Woods, family. He is truly even more disturbing than Woods if thats possible. Whats being said in this film is very depressing and it jumps out at you !
Rating:
Summary: great acting
Review: Excellent film. The fine acting by the lead characters is well supported by the child actors.
Rating: 
Summary: About As Interesting As Watching Onions Grow
Review: For some reason, whenever Hollywood tries to make a movie out of a Joseph Wambaugh novel, the film tends to fall flat. And "The Onion Field" is a good example of how a good book can be turned into a bad film. "The Onion Field" has all the makings of a good film: A good cast, high drama and a true-life story with a poignant message. However, this film does not make full use of these characteristics and the end result is a movie that never realizes its potential. If anything, "The Onion Field" is a long, boring film that leaves you feeling empty and drained.
Rating: 
Summary: A uneven sometimes slow movie, but it's still good
Review: I just saw this for the first time last week. I can now say I saw it; it's actually good, but often slow in spots, and hard to follow here and there. It's based on a true story of a LAPD officer murdered in cold blood, and his partner becomes a basket case because he didn't kill the suspects right after, and it leads him to mental breakdown where he's kicked off the force for shoplifting, and finally attempts suicide. Both roles were played rather well by John Savage who was nearing the end of his career, and Ted Danson before he became the bartender at Cheers. Also equally well performed was James Woods in his debut role as the murder suspect. It starts out slow, and picks up the pace, but unfortunately the ending I found rather weak. Still worth giving a look.
Rating:
Summary: Enlightening Movie of a true crime story
Review: The Onion Field is a true story by Joseph Wambaugh, a former policeman who knows of what he writes. The actors, especially James Woods actually looks like the killer he plays. Ted Danson is seen in his first major movie role, for only a short time, but an important character in the movie, which caused the LA Police Department to change it's rules about never "giving up your weapon" to anyone. It has a somewhat surprising ending, when you find out who is "remembering" the ordeal which is the basis of the theme of the movie, and how it affects his life. Joseph Wambaugh is at his best when he writes TRUE CRIME stories, such as this as well as "The Blooding", about the first time DNA was used to solve a case, which took place in England. He can hold you spell-bound.
Rating:
Summary: POWERFUL AND FITTING ADAPTATION
Review: The studio brass finally got it right when they let Joseph Wambaugh write and supervise the production of his (then most) powerful non-fiction masterwork. THE ONION FIELD is one of 1979's best films and it's brutality, both socially and judicially, is stunning. Harold Becker was the right director for this labor of love, an "A lister" at the time would have screwed it up and the film's intensity would have been lost under the hype. The acting is the core of THE ONION FIELD: James Woods was robbed of an Oscar nod. John Savage plays his heart out as the tortured Carl Hettinger and Ronny Cox is solid as Pierce R. Brooks (Brooks later wrote OFFICER DOWN CODE 3, which is a staple in any police library). Christopher Lloyd has a small important role as The Jailhouse Lawyer. This was justice for Wambaugh after his studio war over THE CHOIRBOYS (1977). Put this one in the win column.
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