Lifer convict Larry "Rain" Murphy (superbly played with tremendous passion and conviction by Peter Strauss) ventilates his frustration by running around the yard. When Murphy shows potential as an Olympic runner, he gets a chance to actually be sprung from prison.
Director/co-writer Michael Mann brings a refreshingly stark and unsentimental sensibility to this gripping and potent tale of redemption and thwarted unrealized talent that also serves as an astute exploration of racial tension and power plays behind bars, with Murphy's final act of quiet defiance standing out as a strong example of the triumph of the human spirit against impossible odds. Moreover, it's an especially nice and inspired touch to have almost everyone who helps Murphy out have their own agendas for doing so.
The tip-top cast helps a lot: Richard Lawson as Murphy's easygoing pal R. C. Stiles, Roger E. Mosley as the formidable Cotton Crown, Geoffrey Lewis as altruistic psychologist Dr. Bill Janowski, Brian Dennehy as cocky top con Dr. D, Billy Green Bush as the cagey Warden Earl Gulliver, Ed Lauter as nurturing coach Jerry Beloit, Richard Moll as hulking brute Joker Gibb, William Prince as a smarmy race official, Miguel Pinero as the shrewd Rubio, and Burton Gilliam as wormy flunky Jimmy-Jack. Filmed at Folsom Prison with inmates as extras, this superior TV movie has a gritty authenticity and wrenching poignancy that's as powerful as it is undeniable.
Director/co-writer Michael Mann brings a refreshingly stark and unsentimental sensibility to this gripping and potent tale of redemption and thwarted unrealized talent that also serves as an astute exploration of racial tension and power plays behind bars, with Murphy's final act of quiet defiance standing out as a strong example of the triumph of the human spirit against impossible odds. Moreover, it's an especially nice and inspired touch to have almost everyone who helps Murphy out have their own agendas for doing so.
The tip-top cast helps a lot: Richard Lawson as Murphy's easygoing pal R. C. Stiles, Roger E. Mosley as the formidable Cotton Crown, Geoffrey Lewis as altruistic psychologist Dr. Bill Janowski, Brian Dennehy as cocky top con Dr. D, Billy Green Bush as the cagey Warden Earl Gulliver, Ed Lauter as nurturing coach Jerry Beloit, Richard Moll as hulking brute Joker Gibb, William Prince as a smarmy race official, Miguel Pinero as the shrewd Rubio, and Burton Gilliam as wormy flunky Jimmy-Jack. Filmed at Folsom Prison with inmates as extras, this superior TV movie has a gritty authenticity and wrenching poignancy that's as powerful as it is undeniable.