As a parole officer assigned to Burt Lancaster's case after he's released from prison (for shooting the man he found in his ex-wife's bed), she immediately shows support to her clients when one of the parolees is beaten up by security guards on the job he is working at. They are very misogynistic to her (although one has a hysterical comeback to the other about how much stronger she is than him), yet she deserves respect because of her compassion and strength and intelligence, something you rarely see in a parole officer. I don't necessarily agree with the decision of the writer for Lancaster and Clark's characters to become involved (a definite conflict of interest), but it certainly believable that he'd be attracted to her. She's a woman that has everything!
The main plotline concerns the murder of a senator's daughter on campus, and his hiring of former cop Lancaster to get to the truth of what happened to her. Morgan Woodard ("Dallas") gives a strong performance as the senator, with veteran writer and soap actor Quinn Redeker as his assistant. The investigation also includes a strange gang of panty hose covered bandits and the angry looking woman who gives Clark the stank eye as she shoplifts a candy bar, wearing a bracelet earlier stolen from Clark. These people are definitely creepy criminals so even if they are not involved in the murder, you want to see them off the streets.
While not a perfect film, it is definitely an intriguing one with Lancaster and Clark outstanding. Even when the film goes off on different tangents not involving the main plot, it still remains enjoyable simply because of the use of minor characters, even those who are disgusting to watch. That's thanks to a great script that had me forgiving it for the Clark/Lancaster pairing. A disturbing confession from Woodard may seem out of left field and turn viewer's stomachs, but it's presented in a way that is gentle and even atoning, even if it involves one of the most repulsive sins out there. Had the script not dealt with this in the way it did, I wouldn't hesitate to call this a piece of exploitive trash, but somehow the film miraculously avoids that.
The main plotline concerns the murder of a senator's daughter on campus, and his hiring of former cop Lancaster to get to the truth of what happened to her. Morgan Woodard ("Dallas") gives a strong performance as the senator, with veteran writer and soap actor Quinn Redeker as his assistant. The investigation also includes a strange gang of panty hose covered bandits and the angry looking woman who gives Clark the stank eye as she shoplifts a candy bar, wearing a bracelet earlier stolen from Clark. These people are definitely creepy criminals so even if they are not involved in the murder, you want to see them off the streets.
While not a perfect film, it is definitely an intriguing one with Lancaster and Clark outstanding. Even when the film goes off on different tangents not involving the main plot, it still remains enjoyable simply because of the use of minor characters, even those who are disgusting to watch. That's thanks to a great script that had me forgiving it for the Clark/Lancaster pairing. A disturbing confession from Woodard may seem out of left field and turn viewer's stomachs, but it's presented in a way that is gentle and even atoning, even if it involves one of the most repulsive sins out there. Had the script not dealt with this in the way it did, I wouldn't hesitate to call this a piece of exploitive trash, but somehow the film miraculously avoids that.