The Jericho Mile

source: The Jericho Mile

Moviecut—The Jericho Mile

The Jericho Mile

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. That's the way it is...

Wow. Another inspirational TV sports movie. Flat, recycled paper-thin plot about a guy (this one's an inmate serving life) who can run fast. So his supporters encourage him to run fast. But the man keeps trying to keep him down. Then he does it. He runs. Then runs faster. Then crosses the finish line. Spectators cheer. He tosses the stop-watch. It smashes against a wall (Yeah! You go! That'll show the man! I mean, he still has you caged up and always will, but that'll show'em!) Freeze frame on our sweaty, muscular hero with his handsome 70's 'stache, like a real man. The end. The cliche shot of the hero bursting across the finish line, arms thrown out, is, of course, on the poster. And the scenery's real far-out - ah, dig those bland gray Folsom walls, captured in the full glory of a 70's TV set. And it won, count'em - three Emmy's! Because it's not like they give them out to just anyone.

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.

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.

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 available Made 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.

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. It should have greatly kept up with showcasing the spirit of "flying high" into the wide open spaces. 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.

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. You can see this one at the UCLA Instructional Media Laboratory-- one of the only places in the country that has copies readily available to the public. It's a great one!