This is Andy Griffith at his most vile, playing a power abusing judge that sends two teen girls to jail where they face all kind of abusive behavior, one obviously raped, and the revenge of father Ralph Waite whose ire goes out of control. Young Shawnee Smith plays the daughter of Waite and the ever patient Diane Ladd, the calming force in the troubled family who sees the injustice at play but wants to deal with it legally rather than through violence. This leads to a lawsuit that puts Griffith's character on trial where he doesn't even seem to be guilt ridden for the horrors he caused a young girl.
You won't see an ounce of Andy Taylor in Griffith's performance here. His character is vile in every way. Smug, hypocritical, arrogant and judgmental beyond the legal power of how any judge should be, blaming the parents for the relatively minor crime that Smith and her pal got into. There's also the excellent Jordan Charney as the court's attorney, not on the family's side but certainly not on Griffith's. This is a film that will make the viewer angry over the abuse of power, an issue that never seems to be resolved especially when elected officials get away with their crimes and in Griffith's case seem to be laughing smugly at using their power to make others feel small in their presence.
You won't see an ounce of Andy Taylor in Griffith's performance here. His character is vile in every way. Smug, hypocritical, arrogant and judgmental beyond the legal power of how any judge should be, blaming the parents for the relatively minor crime that Smith and her pal got into. There's also the excellent Jordan Charney as the court's attorney, not on the family's side but certainly not on Griffith's. This is a film that will make the viewer angry over the abuse of power, an issue that never seems to be resolved especially when elected officials get away with their crimes and in Griffith's case seem to be laughing smugly at using their power to make others feel small in their presence.