Cloris Leachman, the real star of this film, plays a housewife from a family that appears to be upper middle class family. She is called to serve on Jury Duty and eagerly accepts. She does this for she feels that it is her right to make sure justice is served.
The real suspense starts when her excitement turns into suspicion, then fear, as she discovers the truth about the case. That the defendant is innocent, she knows who the real murderer is, and the murderer knows she is on the jury. This is a decent TV thriller of yesteryear and worth watching one afternoon.
February 3, 2007 |  | A "Suspence" TV Movie Produced 30 Years Ago |  |
This movie was reproduced in low quality EP mode by Front Row Entertainment in 1995. The TV movie was produced in 1974. It is an above average TV movie and is truly suspenseful with a plot twist that I have never seen before. It is a murder mystery starring Nick Nolte, Cloris Leachman and Laurence Luckinbill.
December 21, 2004| | | "Death Sentence" doesn't really star Nick Nolte | |
The real stars of "Death Sentence" (originally a 1972 Movie of the Week entitled "After the Trial") are Cloris Leachman and Laurence Luckinbill. Nick Nolte is in the picture, though in a relatively minor role as a man on trial for the murder of his wife. Leachman is a bored housewife who's thrilled to have been picked to be on the jury ("I think this is the first time I've ever felt like a full-fledged member of this community!").
Her excitement turns to fear, though, when the unfolding evidence begins to indicate that someone close to her may have actually committed the murder. The suspense culminates in a middle-of-the-night confrontation during (what else?) a raging thunderstorm.
This film is a good example of the "suspense" genre of TV movie, with some genuinely suspenseful moments. It's solidly acted and scripted, if not exceptional in any way. The generally poor quality of the film and the sound detract somewhat, but are to be expected in TV movies that are nearly 3 decades old. If you can get it at a low enough price, "Death Sentence" is diverting enough for an evening. August 15, 2001
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