The Jericho Mile

Plot synopsis:
Larry Murphy was convicted of first degree murder and is serving a life term in Folsom Prison for shooting his father, which he feels was justified because his father was raping his stepsister. In prison he is nicknamed "Lickety Split" by the other inmates, but remains a loner who has only one person he calls a friend: a black inmate named Stiles. The film centers around his obsession for running around the prison yard. Larry has no idea how fast he is actually running until the prison psychologist (Geoffrey Lewis) has the prison sports writer time him. Once the warden (Billy Green Bush) finds out just how fast Murphy is, he has the state track and field coach (Ed Lauter) bring up a couple of his distance runners to run against Murphy. Murphy beats them and ultimately allows the track coach to train him in anticipation of the upcoming olympic trials. Before that can happen however, a new track has to be built to proper specs in the yard for Murphy to run on so he can register an official time to be eligible to compete at the olympic trials. The Warden asks the inmates to volunteer to build the new track.
Stiles manages to swing a deal with the head of the white gang, Dr. D, (Brian Dennehy), to get a conjugal visit with his wife three months early so he can see his new baby. Instead of Stiles' wife showing up, one of Dr. D's drug "mules" is put in her place so that Stiles can bring in some drugs. Stiles refuses to participate and goes back to his cell resulting in the "mule" getting arrested.
Stiles tells Murphy what happened and Murphy convinces Stiles to go into isolation. Stiles is killed after the prisoners are let out however. The conflicts continue with Murphy and the white gang, and the black gang and as a result, the white gang boycotts the building of the track and forms a picket line that the other gangs refuse to cross.
As the story continues, the truth unfolds and a gang fight ensues as the blacks and the Hispanics challenge the validity of the picket line. The track is built and Murphy clocks a qualifying time while beating Frank Davies (considered to be one of the fastest milers in the U.S.) to be able to compete in the Olympic trials. Murphy is then called before the U.S Olympic board where it is learned that it was never the board's intention to let a convicted murderer compete at the Olympic trials. Murphy is antagonized by the board member to try to find out if Murphy is sorry for what he did to his father. In a fit of anger, Murphy admits he would "blow him away" all over again given the same set of circumstances.
With his shot at the Olympics over, life at Folsom Prison returns to normal. Murphy hears that Frank Davies qualifies for the Olympics with an exceptional time. He then goes to his cell and grabs the stopwatch (given to him by Dr. Janowski) and his spikes. Murphy sets himself up on the start line with the obvious intention of seeing how he would have done had he raced against Davies. Murphy races as hard as he can while grabbing the attention of the prison inmates once more. As he crosses the finish line, a group of inmates are waiting with huge anticipation as to how Murphy did. An inmate grabs the stopwatch and yells out that Murphy beat Davies time at which point Murphy throws the stopwatch against the prison wall, smashing it to pieces.

Tags: revenge, violence

Review:
I watch a lot of movies - DVD, features, and classics, you name it.
The night I watched JERICHO MILE, my wife (who had ordered it on the internet) said she remembered it from when she was in high school, that it had stayed with her all of these years.
She, who remembered the original, and our kids (18 and 16) who had no idea what the movie was about couldn't believe it.
Bar none, when peter Strauss so passionately bangs his fist down and says, "i'd do it AGAIN!".
It didn't advocate violence because it was a defense crime, but evoked such intensity we couldn't believe it...when his fellow cell mates gave him their food in support of his efforts, there wasn't a dry eye in our house.Someone please make more movies like this one.
Peter Strauss gives a great performance as a convict named 'Rain' Murphy who keeps to himself.
His cell is bare of any comforts that other inmates have like books and pictures.
The only time he feels in another zone is in running.
He does it often and can run a mile in under four minutes.
At first, 'Rain' wants no part of this, but when his best friend is killed, he shows interest.This is a good movie, period.
Strauss is very good (What did you expect, anything less?) and Michael Mann shows hints of greatness that would come full bloom years later.
This movie had that bit of realism (probably because it was filmed among convicts).
It almost feels like this was a true story.
There is a lot of notable names like Brian Dennehy, Roger E.
Mosley, and Richard Moll as well.My heart sank when some pompous board of directors wouldn't let him run because he didn't feel bad for his crime.
This was back when TV movies were actually good.
'The Jericho Mile' is a gem of a film.
ESPN Classic, PLEASE SHOW THIS FILM!!!.
Powerful Film 24 years later.
The power of this film stuns me even today.
It has all the trademarks of a Michael Mann film, including the line that appears in all his works about the 'man' inventing a hard time that some character cannot handle.
Rain Murphy is a man who denies himself all of the creature comforts of civilization.
He rejects the idea of running in the Olmypics, or even trying, because it would disrupt his new life.
A life where he runs until he cannot walk, then zones out until he cannot talk stretching his muscles.
A shock to Murphy's system changes all of this, he buys into the dream of competing, only to be cheated.
Murphy's final act of defiance is memorable.
Mann might have gotten more polished over the years, this film shows talent always delivers.
I've never given a movie a 10 out of 10 before....
I've never given a movie a ten out of ten before but this is the closest I have ever come (I gave it a 9).
There are very few movies that I truly love, this however is one of them.
With it's gritty realism, fantastic on-site locationing, and it's great soundtrack it literally blew my young mind when I first saw it in 1979.
At that point I didn't know about prisons, violence, racial tensions, or the struggle to survive & live free.
I doubt that anyone who is an adult, or for that matter anyone who is growing up in todays world could be impacted by this film in the same way I was all those years ago, but I will say this: "if you haven't seen this movie I envy you"; this is because you have the chance to see this great film for the frist time.
For each of us they're different, but here's to the  rarest movies of them all:   the ones we actually love....
One of the best TV movies ever made!.
This movie was exceptional.
It tells the story of a man who, after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing his father-in-law when he found him raping his sister, sets out to become a world-class runner.
It not only gave a realistic portrayal of prison life, but also deftly portrays the mentality of someone who is serving such a sentence.
Peter Strauss played the role perfectly.
Along with "Rich Man, Poor Man", this movie was probably the best performance of his career.Probably the best scene in this movie was when Murphy was before the civilian board trying to get permission to run in the race and he sees right through the man's preconceptions and bigotry concerning convicts.
This man did not see Murphy as a person but rather as something other than what he was.
Very rarely has such passion and intelligence come from a made-for-TV movie..
One of the best TV movies I've ever seen.
I've seen The Jericho Mile several times.
I've always thought it was one of the best TV movies ever.
Peter Strauss is outstanding in this role.To sum things up...if you haven't seen The Jericho Mile, it's definitely worth a watch..
A film that deserved theatrical release.
This made-for-television movie is a cinematic gem that exemplifies the technique of Michael Mann with stirring contemporary music tightly integrated to the visual images.
Always with Mr. Mann, the amplification of impact by the music is almost as if there is an invisible academy-award-winning actor added to the ensemble of cast, writer, director and cinematographer.This film is definitely one of my all time favorites.
While nothing is perfect, this film comes very, very close.Along with an excellent script, great direction and masterful acting by Richard Strauss, there is an all-star ensemble of character actors at their finest: Roger Mosely; Brian Dennehy; Ed Lauter; Geoffrey Lewis; Richard Moll; Miguel Pinero; William Prince; Burton Guilliam; Ji-Tu Cumbuka; Richard Lawson and Billy Green Bush.
You may not recognize the names, but you will recognize every face.If this comes on TV, sit down with popcorn, turn up the sound for an amazing soundtrack and score, and prepare to be riveted for the 97 minutes of the film.
great film, not common enough.
An interesting and involved film about a "lifer" just trying to live out his days peacefully.
Elements of the main character appear in Michael Mann's later films, like Thief (1981), Heat (1995), and so on.
My favorite prison movie..
I really enjoyed this movie - I like prison movies in general (I'm not sure why -- I'm sure some shrink could make something out of it!) I spent one night in jail more than 20 years ago, and I knew then I would never go back - I got the individual version of "scared straight"!
The soundtrack, specifically "Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones, was the perfect backdrop for the film.
To this day, I think of "The Jericho Mile" every time I hear the song..
the Jericho mile is a great movie and this is what i have to say..
i love watching the Jericho mile.
i mean watching peter Strauss run the mile is like watching usain bolt sprint the 100 meter.
i think peter Strauss is a excellent actor and should do another running movie.
he is lightning fast has great energy and can run a mile in under 4 minutes and that my friend is amazing.
no man alive can out race rain Murphy i mean the man runs 80 mile a week no one does that but him.
i've watched the Jericho mile 100's of times and will watch it 100's more.
great movies get watched more than movies that are not.
i thank the makers of this film for giving years of there lives to make it.they are great people and i bless them all.thank you for letting me get my word out again thank you all..
Run Baby Run. The first time I saw this film I was a kid.
I was ten years old when it was released but since my family never went to movie theaters I saw it on Network TV.
It was only the second film to illicit that response (Rocky was the first) and there haven't been many since.
I can't say why exactly; Larry "Rain" Murphy didn't deserve to win any more that Rocky Balboa or anyone else.
I know I admired Murphy, not so much for what he did, but for the way he did his time.
I have a rule today, that when I see this film late at night on cable television (the only time most will come across it) I must watch, no matter what I have to do the next morning.
Fortunately it doesn't play often like Shawshank Redemption or other favorites, so I still get plenty of sleep and I never tire of the story of one man's unrepentant imprisonment and personal victory..
Best Film ever made!!!!.
I read on the web that this film is being remade into a theatrical feature.
It's about time Hollywood got their act together.
Go figure!!JERICHO MILE was made ahead of it's time.
It's a masterpiece.Michael Mann, a true visionary, found a way to engage an audience without overindulgence.
Peter Strauss' Emmy award performance is probably the best character role I've seen in my film-viewing lifetime.
Any actor who touches this role will never be the same (unless an Academy Award is already sitting on their mantle).The gritty multi ethnic ensemble, a backdrop for THE JERICHO MILE makes one understand the delicate social dynamics of our world.
Imagine a convict imprisoned since he was a teenager for life with no chance of parole, that doesn't know he is possibly the fastest runner in the world.
...what would you do??This movie makes you walk away feeling you haven't been cheated on any level.
Totally thrilling, engaging, emotional, and a "Rolling Stones" soundtrack that kick's ass!!!I always thought this would be made for the big screen...
In the meantime I'll have to continue re-watching my weathered VHS copy I've had for many years..
Strauss is convincing in an otherwise confusing TV movie..
THE JERICHO MILE scores a qualifying time for presenting a determined Peter Strauss who gives this one a good amount of stamina.
His role is an inmate who has the love and desire for running.
In a prison world filled with intolerance, he wants a chance to return to society again by changing his ways and become an Olympic hopeful.
This must be a cross between CHARIOTS OF FIRE and the cult classic PENITENTIARY, and while it has its own variety of moments, the film is better off confused by focusing heavy on racial violence and rapid-fire tensions.
Otherwise, a good and honest effort in displaying harsh prison life to the screen, but don't expect much in terms of hope and glory..
You know, all the copyright holder for this flick would need to do is put this on a DVD with some documentary/behind the scenes stuff, or a copy of the original story, and i'd shell out money.
Good movies get bought, period.
This is another reason why people pirate flicks, most of the films we see are filler and fluff and hype, and nothing more.
We need more movies like THIS availableMade for tv movies usually get a bad rap.
The only bad rap I can give this movie is it's VHS only release.Ben Affleck may have been "the bomb in Phantoms", but Straus was the bomb in THIS flick..
A Very Food Film.
I have seen the Jericho Mile many times during the past 13 years.
It is a very good film that strongly survives the passage of time.My life's experiences as a champion miler and studies of the prison system confirms the validity of the movie.
Racism is one of the major elements of prison life, along with basic food, and very limited medical attention and exercise.
Running is one of the only available exercises that would be allowed in the prison environment.
The only questionable statement made by the movie is "can a man on a prison diet achieve world record time in the mile run"  When I ran and set the Georgia High School Mile record, diet was very important to a runner.Prisons would not allow special diet.
Be assured, the movie is real, and Peter Strauss gives a great performance of a man tormented by his own demons.
Believe the movie.
This is a great movie.
The best role Peter Strauss ever did.
The music is good, the message harsh, the actors great and the story is both emotional and raw.
I was begining to think that I was the only person that had ever seen this film.
For me it is a great one, the character Murphy has no thought of hope or glory, he just likes to run!
It is others on the prison staff who have hopes of glory, ie Olympics.
In prison there is neither hope or glory.
The Jericho Mile (1979).
You can see a few blossoming Mann-erisms in this early TV movie.
Blame it on the limitations of television productions at the time, but the whole thing feels really flat.
And because the grittiness is watered down by television restrictions, it feels like a community theater version of prison life.
In the lead, Peter Strauss does a pretty good job but even he has some lemon moments (like the outburst in the counselor's office).
I don't think Mann's necessarily at fault for the film's failures, there aren't a whole lot of good TV movies from the 70's.
Two years later, he'd make THIEF, my favorite by him..
While all the other students watched a made for tv movie called Sooner or Later with Rex Smith and Denise Miller I was fortunate enough to watch this on the same weekend with my dad.
Well made well acted, to pull on the heartstrings film.
I heard it was even released theatrically in Europe and is was better than most of the films out that year.
Peter Strauss does an amazing job as well as the rest of the cast.
You cannot help but love Strauss' character and route for him all the way.
Not only one of the best movies made for tv but for me also great memories with my dad..
Hard To Find, But a Solid Need-To-See Running Film.
I have always had some fascination with prison movies about wrongly convicted men.
As I am also an avid runner and an enthusiast of the sport of running, this little flick combined both in great way.
The overall quality of the film and acting was much better than I expected from a T.V. movie from the late seventies.
The actual portrayal of running seemed accurate to me, unlike some sports films who falter in that main emphasis area.
The music (mainly The Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the Devil"), seventies hair and mustaches just gave it a sleek and stylish look.
Still an enjoyable solid running film, I only wish I could have seen it in better quality as this is a very hard to find title..
If you like speed, you'll love this!.
I would have totally forgotten about this film had it not been for the fact that I was originally going to review James Caan in Thief.
And noticed purely by accident that Michael Mann had directed both.Peter Strauss plays perhaps his best, certainly his most energetic role to date.
Facing a term in a hard prison for murder his only real freedom is running...around a track!This gets noticed by the prison sports coach and after a few scrapes & dramas he finds he is able to compete in the Olympics, only to be refused by the prison board unless he admits to his crime.A very simple, but moving film, of a man's fight for justice and to live out his passion for the track.
The cinematography is quite good although perhaps lingers a little too long on the slow mo shots of Strauss's sinewy body as he runs around the track.But the upbeat music goes hand in hand with the story, although there is perhaps too much pathos in-between.
The story gets sidetracked with social issues such as prison racism & violence, which to be honest we've seen elsewhere in other prison movies and so isn't really needed here.We also get to see glimpses of Mann's directing - the style found in his latter films such as Thief & Heat can just be seen in development here, but everything is very much understated & conservative which being a TV movie on a limited budget meant he probably wasn't allowed to explore & experiment.A good upbeat movie with a main message of hope & freedom lying from within, but which becomes muddled with too much political correctness.***/*****.
That's "Rain" Murphy, hard-timer, runner extraordinaire.
No Olympics for "Rain"!
He ran his own in the prison yard & beat out the official winner anyway!
Politics - Who needs it??!Good stretch for Strauss though.
More of an upstanding ladies man but rough around the edges at times, if you ask me.Richard Lawson was a nice treat.
Peter Strauss, by nature of appearing in mini-series and made-for-TV films, often gets an unfairly high proportion of bad reviews - Usually from casual observers who saw ten minutes of the film, having channel-hopped into it half-way through.
Well, I've just read all the other 20 reviews for this film and am delighted to see not a single bad word said about The Jericho Mile - That should be enough to have you blasting out to buy this film!!Peter Strauss won an Emmy for his role in this film and watching it even once will show you why he deserved it so much....
Looking to be objective, I attempted to criticise this film.
This is what true, realistic film-making is about.
This is not your typical Hollywood sensationalism, where everything is overacted - It's so realistic and true to life that people have thought it's based on a real event!!