The Jericho Mile (1979)

Where the Hell is the DVD?

Peter Strauss for a very short time after Rich Man, Poor Man was one of the coolest and most sought after actors of the time, especially for TV movies. If you don't remember the Movie of the Week the you never heard of this great flick, and Peter Strauss was awesome as a convict doing hard time that found his escape on the track.

I haven't seen this movie since it first aired, but I remember it as one of the better TV movies of all time. Great story, great performances. Just give us the damn DVD already! 5 Cleats March 8, 2007

DVD please!

This is one of the best movies I ever remember seeing, it deserves to be on DVD for all of the fans. We shouldnt have to pay $90 for a VHS fer cryin out loud! September 16, 2006

profrom dover

Best classic box set I ever bought.Seller is sterlingcds,by the way.Only 23.00.Terrific.I first saw this when I was in first grade and mickey mouse club was new.If you grew up in the fiftys as a kid,you don't want to miss this.thats STERLINGCDS thanx Robt

May 28, 2006

profrom dover

If you have ever done time(I have)you will see this movie quite realistic.(pot was a big felony bk in 1971.)I didn't go to a major place like folsom,but susanville was bad enough.The gang rivalries,the deals,the pruno(I still know how to make it!)and the day to day living were authentic.This was one of the best "made for TV movies ever. thanx Robt March 26, 2006

An inspirational television classic

When watching the 1979 made-for-television movie "The Jerico Mile," most viewers will be impressed by how well the film has aged. Relevant, stylish and intense, "The Jerico Mile" is arguably one of the great television movies in history. Directed by Michael Mann, who would go on the create "Miami Vice" and such A-list Hollywood films as "Last of the Mohicans," "Heat," and "The Insider," this humane film details life in Folsom Prison and the men who scratch out an existence within its cement walls.

"The Jerico Mile" begins with an extraordinary opening montage, expertly edited with the funky riffs of "Sympathy for the Devil" playing in the background. Within their prison, criminals play handball, deal drugs, lift weights and lounge in frustrated boredom. Standing out is Rain Murphy (Peter Strauss), a loner who endlessly runs around trash cans, sweat poring from his body, muscles tense and glistening, escaping the confines in his own, unique way. Serving a life sentence after murdering his father, Murphy obsessively runs on a daily basis. When he's clocked by the prison warden and psychologist one afternoon, they realize Murphy is achieving Olympic-level times.

Murphy has one friend, a black man and cellmate neighbor (Richard Lawson, in a very good supporting peformance) who runs afoul of the white supremacists led by Dr. D (Brian Dennehy, in one of his earliest roles). A murder takes place, leading to a race riot, and Murphy reluctantly finds himself in the middle of inmate tensions. The prisoners eventually bond, building a race track within the prison, thus giving Murphy a chance to make the Olympic team and run for freedom.

"The Jerico Mile" is a brilliant, symbolic story. Filmed on location, using actual prisoners, Mann went to obvious lengths to achieve utter realism. Strauss won the Emmy for his heartbreaking performance, and deservedly so. When he's not running, his character is a walking time bomb, seething with rage, struggling with a tortured past. His minutes-long monologue when he finally opens up to the prison psychologist is brilliant, hall-of-fame stuff. Strauss' character is never very likeable, constantly on the verge of self destruction, pushing away efforts of the warden and track coach as they attempt to give him a chance for glory. Rain Murphy is running from demons, and they could catch him at any moment.

I would love to see "The Jerico Mile" remade today as a major motion picture, though I cannot imagine an actor giving as good a performance as Strauss. Everything clicks perfectly in "The Jerico Mile." It is a poetic, inspirational achievement, marked by excellent visuals, terrific supporting performances, the fluid direction of Mann, and the stunning performance of Strauss. This is a true television classic, deserving of rediscovery and a quality DVD release. February 8, 2004

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