Prison of Secrets

Director: Fred Gerber Year film was made: 1997 Genre: Drama Stars: Stephanie Zimbalist, Finola Hughes

Typical made for TV movie. It's a fun to watch, with "b" rated acting. I have to agree with the other viewer comment, that the main character gets what she deserved. You can't expect to steal money and get away with it - justice was served. Although I thought a 10 year sentence was excessive for a first offense, especially when she had to return the money. Also, most employers wouldn't have pursed charges for fear of negative publicity - although with a private company I guess it's more likely to pursue the charges. Where I work if you help your company save money then it's reflected in your bonus, I suspect that's the way it is most other work environments.

Here's the summary from Lifetime TV:

This is the nightmarish true story of a middle-class wife and mother who is found guilty of a white-collar crime and finds herself serving a prison sentence. While incarcerated, she witnesses the assaults of female prisoners by male guards and uncovers a prison prostitution ring. Outraged, she clandestinely informs her husband, a popular local-radio talk-show host, risking her life and her family's safety to successfully expose this injustice. Ultimately, 22 guards were fired or replaced by women.

i thought that this was one of the better made for TV offerings in the past. this is something that i would expect to find on Oxygen or Lifetime Network,, Stephanie Zimbalist did a great job,, i haven't seen her in anything,, since Remington Steele, i'm embarrassed to say,, the movie was very well done i thought,, i did think though they could have better explained the whole real estate deal thing,, and show her boss in the movie,, executing one of his "deals". Once she got to prison here is where the movie just takes hold of you, and really does not let you go at all,, all of the stuff those women are forced to endure, the drugs, the rape,, to pay for their crimes to society,, and our main character stands up for what she believes in to save the day for the whole female prison population,, note,, Dan Lauria, plays a very nasty bad guy in this one,, overall a very well made TV movie,, that should NOT be missed by anyone who loves movies.

Based on a true story, Prison Of Secrets, exposes a shocking truth within the penal system, where this one woman (Zimbalist, who okay made a mistake) a new fish, bravely went up against some of the corrupt prison wardens, who were sneaking young women out at night, some really young one, for prostitution, or having their own way with them. One of the corrupt wardens happens to be Dan Lauria (Kevin Arnold's father in The Wonder Years). Gary Frank, an actor I like from an old show called Family plays Zimbalist's husband, who sides with her, him too being warned off It's great to scum like this dealt with, and I must say there was some dramatically powerful/unnerving moments by these warden pigs. I like too Zimbalist's outcome, for coming forward, where she spent the remaining sentence under house arrest. POL is worth a view, even if you aren't a t.v movie fan, where there are better t.v. movies on the shelf, but for one of this ilk, it's pretty bloody good.

Although the movie could've been written better it does have great promise. The story line is definitely believeable, but it wasn't written as a very serious matter, IMO. It seemed that the characters could've been better written. The title does fit the movie well, but that's about it. I would recommend this movie to any Stephanie Zimbalist, (former Laura Holt of Remington Steele), or anyone that likes rap related movies. Other than that, I wouldn't recommend it, unless you enjoy passable tv movies. If I weren't such a big Stephanie Zimbalist fan this would've been one movie I would've passed up. Stephanie, IMO, gives a great performance and that performance is what makes this movie passable, otherwise it wouldn't be fit for viewing.

I had the tube flipped on when this one came on a local station on Saturday afternoon. Should have known that it would be a flop to be running in a graveyard time spot like that. Since I was tired out from Friday night, I sat back and took it.

I'm sorry to see a promising actress like Stephanie Zimbalist doing crap like this. Women's prison movies are often the bottom of a career, as shown by Linda Blair (Chained Heat) and more recently by Catherine Oxenberg (Time Served).

Most flicks in this genre generate sympathy for the main character, but not so here. In this one I felt no sympathy for Zimbalist's vain character who believed that no jury would say that she did wrong by her misuse of her company's money. If she was stupid enough to believe that a turn down the virtual slap on the wrist deal she was offered, then IMHO she deserved to get sent up the river and have Big Bertha breathing down her back. I expected to see some scenes where the typical down and dirty women cons told her to stop her high and mighty act as "rich bitch" or "white collar criminal." Ashley Judd got that "rich bitch" lecture in the first prison scene of Double Jeopardy.

This movie degenerated into a suitable for TV version of the typical "babes behind bars" fare, with shoulder level shower scenes, before and after sex scenes, and the poorly delivered riot scene. The ending, though typical of this genre, did not deliver due to the lack of sympathy for the main character, even after she had taken her lumps and exposed all the corruption.

I do hope Stephanie Zimbalist can put her career back on track after this dud.