DOING LIFE

US, 1986, 90 minutes, Colour.
Tony Danza, Charles W.Gray.
Directed by Gene Reynolds.

Doing Life is a telemovie produced by its star, Tony Danza, popular at the time in the television series Who's The Boss. He gives an effective performance as a streetwise criminal, arrested, condemned to death and then to life imprisonment, who takes up the study of law and is able to defend prisoners and himself. However, at the end of the film, he is refused parole because of the murder of which he was accused. He still practises law in prison as of the mid-'80s.

The film is set in New York in the early '60s, has the atmosphere of the streets, becomes an effective prison film as well as one about human dignity and rehabilitation.

The film is in the vein of Burt Lancaster as The Birdman of Alcatraz and James Wood as the criminal who studies law in Joseph Wambaugh's The Onion Field.

1. An effective telemovie? Audience? Re-creation of the American streets, prisons, rehabilitation? A prison reform film?

2. The atmosphere of New York in the '60s, the streets, the shops, homes? The prisons?

3. The impact of the film as a true Story, the rehabilitation, the pessimism of the ending as regards Jerry still in jail.

4. The portrait of the young American man, on the streets, crime, justice, prison, life condemnation, change, education, service?

5. The streets and the tough young men, the police harassing them, Jerry and his pals, hassled, their poses, the crime - whether they did it or not? The arrest?

6. The world of lawyers, interrogations, prison rights, the judge, his bias in the case?

7. Jerry as tough, angry, the interrogation of the witnesses, the allegations of torture, his anger, parents, wife and daughter, the condemnation, the death row, the commutation to life sentence, the passing of the years, the details of prison life, his change of heart? The guards?

8. The law, study, the books, their being withheld, his not getting the proper help, his writing the letter and the case coming in his favour?

9. The interpretation by the prison authorities?

10. The change in Jerry as a person, experiencing prison, his wife going to Texas, the support of his parents and their financial help with the degree, the obtaining of the degree, the riot and the hostage negotiations and his part, his taking on cases of fellow prisoners, arguing in court, the prejudices of the judge, his winning and the acclaim?

11. His phone calls to his daughter, the visit of his grown-up daughter, the hopes of parole, the reasons for his losing parole?

12. The impact of the ending, the emotional response to Jerry and his rehabilitation? Insight into the changes in a human being?