Weeds

Weeds is a 1987 drama film about a San Quentin inmate who writes a play which catches the attention of a visiting reporter. The film was directed by John D. Hancock, and stars Nick Nolte, Ernie Hudson, and Rita Taggart. Lee, (Nick Nolte), is in San Quentin for armed robbery serving 'life without possibility' - that is, without possibility of parole. After two failed suicide attempts he begins to read books from the prison library. He attends a pe... more

Weeds is a 1987 drama film about a San Quentin inmate who writes a play which catches the attention of a visiting reporter. The film was directed by John D. Hancock, and stars Nick Nolte, Ernie Hudson, and Rita Taggart. Lee, (Nick Nolte), is in San Quentin for armed robbery serving 'life without possibility' - that is, without possibility of parole. After two failed suicide attempts he begins to read books from the prison library. He attends a performance of Waiting for Godot given for the prisoners and is deeply moved by the piece. He begins to write plays about imprisonment and then stages them too. He puts together a social-protest musical extravaganza about life in the penitentiary which attracts visitors and earns him the regard of a San Francisco theatre reviewer, (Rita Taggart), who eventually persuades the governor to release him. Lee organises an acting troupe made up of former cons he worked with - Burt, a shoplifter, (William Forsythe), a murderer, (Ernie Hudson), an... less