Weeds (film)
Encyclopedia
Weeds is a 1987 American drama film about a prison inmate who writes a play that catches the attention of a visiting reporter. The film was directed by John D. Hancock
, and stars Nick Nolte
, Ernie Hudson
, and Rita Taggart.
) is in San Quentin for armed robbery serving "life without possibility" -- that is, with no chance of parole.
After two failed suicide attempt
s, Lee begins to read books from the prison library. He attends a performance of Waiting for Godot
given for the prisoners and is deeply moved. He begins to write plays about imprisonment and then stages them, too.
One is a social-protest musical extravaganza about life in the penitentiary, which attracts visitors and earns Lee the regard of a San Francisco theatre reviewer (Rita Taggart) who persuades the governor to release him.
Lee organises an acting troupe made up of former cons -- a shoplifter (William Forsythe
), a murderer (Ernie Hudson
), an embezzler (Lane Smith
), a smart pimp (John Toles-Bey), a flasher (Mark Rolston
), and others.
Lee's work doesn't make the same impact outside the prison as it did inside. Touring in a camper, with no money, the men are torn by impulses to revert to their former criminal behaviour.
Hancock, who used to be the director of the San Francisco Actors Workshop, did some work with the convict Rick Cluchey and his San Quentin Drama Group (whose late 1960s show The Cage toured the U.S. and Europe). The film grew out of Hancock's contact with Clucheys company and out of his and Dorothy Tristan's research into other prison theatre groups.
John D. Hancock
John D. Hancock is an American stage and film director, producer and writer. He is the son of Ralph and Ella Mae Rosenthal Hancock. His father was a musician with the NBC Symphony Orchestra in Chicago, Illinois and his mother a school teacher. Hancock spent his youth between their home in...
, and stars Nick Nolte
Nick Nolte
Nicholas King "Nick" Nolte is an American actor whose career has spanned over five decades, peaking in the 1990s when his commercial success made him one of the most popular celebrities of that decade.-Early life:...
, Ernie Hudson
Ernie Hudson
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Hudson is an American actor known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow, and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz.-Early life:...
, and Rita Taggart.
Plot
Lee Umstetter (Nick NolteNick Nolte
Nicholas King "Nick" Nolte is an American actor whose career has spanned over five decades, peaking in the 1990s when his commercial success made him one of the most popular celebrities of that decade.-Early life:...
) is in San Quentin for armed robbery serving "life without possibility" -- that is, with no chance of parole.
After two failed suicide attempt
Failed suicide attempt
Failed suicide attempts comprise a large portion of suicide attempts. Some are regarded as not true attempts at all, but rather parasuicide. The usual attempt may be a wish to affect another person by the behaviour. Consequently, it occurs in a social context and may represent a request for help....
s, Lee begins to read books from the prison library. He attends a performance of Waiting for Godot
Waiting for Godot
Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's...
given for the prisoners and is deeply moved. He begins to write plays about imprisonment and then stages them, too.
One is a social-protest musical extravaganza about life in the penitentiary, which attracts visitors and earns Lee the regard of a San Francisco theatre reviewer (Rita Taggart) who persuades the governor to release him.
Lee organises an acting troupe made up of former cons -- a shoplifter (William Forsythe
William Forsythe (actor)
William Forsythe is an American actor, known for playing "tough guy" roles. He is also a writer, and has several short stories that are set to be published.-Early life:...
), a murderer (Ernie Hudson
Ernie Hudson
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Hudson is an American actor known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow, and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz.-Early life:...
), an embezzler (Lane Smith
Lane Smith
Walter Lane Smith III was an American actor. Some of his well known roles included portraying collaborator entrepreneur Nathan Bates in the NBC television series V, Mayor Bates in the film Red Dawn, newspaper editor Perry White in the ABC series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,...
), a smart pimp (John Toles-Bey), a flasher (Mark Rolston
Mark Rolston
-Career:Rolston played PFC M. Drake in Aliens , Hans in Lethal Weapon 2 , Stef in RoboCop 2 , Bogs Diamond in The Shawshank Redemption , J. Scar in Eraser , Chief Dennis Wilson in Daylight , Wayne Bryce in Hard Rain and Special Agent in Charge Warren Russ in Rush Hour...
), and others.
Lee's work doesn't make the same impact outside the prison as it did inside. Touring in a camper, with no money, the men are torn by impulses to revert to their former criminal behaviour.
Production
"The film is about their efforts to become professional men of the theatre. It's about the ways in which working together changes them and the ways in which it doesn't."Hancock, who used to be the director of the San Francisco Actors Workshop, did some work with the convict Rick Cluchey and his San Quentin Drama Group (whose late 1960s show The Cage toured the U.S. and Europe). The film grew out of Hancock's contact with Clucheys company and out of his and Dorothy Tristan's research into other prison theatre groups.