Brubaker (1980)

Director:

Stuart Rosenberg

Writers:

Joe Hyams (book)
Thomas O. Murton (book)

Release Date:

20 June 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The most wanted man in Wakefield prison is the warden!

Plot:

The new warden of a small prison farm in Arkansas tries to clean it up of corruption after initially posing as an inmate.

Plot Keywords:

Prison Riot | Whipping | Female Nudity | Corporal Punishment | Beating

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Robert Redford	...	Henry Brubaker
Yaphet Kotto	...	Richard 'Dickie' Coombes
Jane Alexander	...	Lillian Gray
Murray Hamilton	...	John Deach
David Keith	...	Larry Lee Bullen
Morgan Freeman	...	Walter
Matt Clark	...	Roy Purcell
Tim McIntire	...	Huey Rauch
Richard Ward	...	Abraham Cook
Jon Van Ness	...	Zaranska
M. Emmet Walsh	...	C.P. Woodward
Albert Salmi	...	Rory Poke
Linda Haynes	...	Carol
Everett McGill	...	Eddie Caldwell
Val Avery	...	Wendel

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:16 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:18 (1980) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Columbus, Ohio, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Bob Rafelson started as director, but was replaced by Stuart Rosenberg.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: At the end, when the car is leaving the prison, the grass around is violently shaking revealing the helicopter carrying the camera.

Quotes:

Henry Brubaker: I don't see playing politics with the truth.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Teen-Age Crime Wave (#6.22)" (1994)

Rock-Solid Men-In-Prison Melodrama

Robert Redford will never be remembered as a great actor but he sure knows how to command attention. He is quite charismatic in the title role of this fast-moving (and very entertaining) prison drama based (loosely) on actual events. He plays a convict who is assigned to a Southern prison. But the story has a twist that will surprise you if you do not know anything about the film (I advise you not to read anything about the movie if you want to be surprised). Redford does a good job because the role fits him well. The supporting cast is excellent. Morgan Freeman has a small role as a crazy convict, Murray Hamilton is a nasty politico and the always great Jane Alexander plays Redford's friend. It is long but never boring. The film is at times very suspenseful if a bit conventional by today's standards. It is very satisfying if you accept the fact that this is Hollywood 's version of hard hitting prison melodrama. Good music score by Lalo Schifrin. Recommended if you like the subgenre.