Linda Purl is Lauren Hale, a San Francisco attorney who returns to her home in Atlanta, Georgia to defend Andy Sorva (Paul de Souza) on the charge of rape and murder of Mary Ellen Reese (Amy Bryson), a teenage hitchhiker who is killed on the Troxel estate during a party.
In spite of her mother Judith (Barbara Rush) being a socialite, Lauren is shown not to belong, wearing an unflattering backless black evening gown at one party and a less formal faux-peasant outfit at another. Purl's performance is affected by her southern accent, her energy enervated, though she can still carry off the theatrics of the trial. She is given a sensuous closeup kissing her girlhood sweetheart who is also the State prosecutor, Paul Evanston (James Read), and does a hard swallow reaction to the idea of Paul being involved in the murder. When she has a realisation about Paul, Purl slows her questions to his doctor as a witness, conscious of the implication, but a later slap of the face by her is unnecessary.
The teleplay by director Sandor Stern presents class division amongst the wealthy of east Atlanta. Andy is said to have come `from the sticks'. Paul is equated with Andy, because Paul is less wealthy which explains his use of "contaminated cocaine', and his association with the richer to succeed. Judith says of Paul `He came from nothing and he has nothing', which Lauren counters with `By your standards, only'. Mary Ellen too is judged, described by Paul as `a tart who's had more hands on her than a pay phone', though one also questions the recklessness of someone who strips naked under a garden sprinkler thinking they will not be noticed. Andy's guilt is undermined by his being so unattractive, as it makes Mary Ellen's attraction to him in his flashback version of the night questionable, and by the fact that he isn't wearing the vest that has a missing button which is found in her hand.
The most interesting aspect of the treatment is the action that leads to Mary Ellen being killed - the idea that the violence against her is done to stop her biting - where the murder is clearly shown to be manslaughter. There is also a laugh line when the Hale home has an intruder. The police tell Lauren they found a key to the back door `in the guy's pocket', and Judith replies `It certainly wasn't offered to him'.
Stern's direction is as pallid as Purl. It's easy to agree with Lauren's conspiracy theory, but that doesn't provide any empathy to either side, and worst of all is that Mary Ellen is presented as disposable. No one grieves for her. Stern ends with Purl walking away from the court, and her decision to walk home is her apparent means of exorcism, though the long shot and freeze frame makes her indistinguishable from the crowd.
In spite of her mother Judith (Barbara Rush) being a socialite, Lauren is shown not to belong, wearing an unflattering backless black evening gown at one party and a less formal faux-peasant outfit at another. Purl's performance is affected by her southern accent, her energy enervated, though she can still carry off the theatrics of the trial. She is given a sensuous closeup kissing her girlhood sweetheart who is also the State prosecutor, Paul Evanston (James Read), and does a hard swallow reaction to the idea of Paul being involved in the murder. When she has a realisation about Paul, Purl slows her questions to his doctor as a witness, conscious of the implication, but a later slap of the face by her is unnecessary.
The teleplay by director Sandor Stern presents class division amongst the wealthy of east Atlanta. Andy is said to have come `from the sticks'. Paul is equated with Andy, because Paul is less wealthy which explains his use of "contaminated cocaine', and his association with the richer to succeed. Judith says of Paul `He came from nothing and he has nothing', which Lauren counters with `By your standards, only'. Mary Ellen too is judged, described by Paul as `a tart who's had more hands on her than a pay phone', though one also questions the recklessness of someone who strips naked under a garden sprinkler thinking they will not be noticed. Andy's guilt is undermined by his being so unattractive, as it makes Mary Ellen's attraction to him in his flashback version of the night questionable, and by the fact that he isn't wearing the vest that has a missing button which is found in her hand.
The most interesting aspect of the treatment is the action that leads to Mary Ellen being killed - the idea that the violence against her is done to stop her biting - where the murder is clearly shown to be manslaughter. There is also a laugh line when the Hale home has an intruder. The police tell Lauren they found a key to the back door `in the guy's pocket', and Judith replies `It certainly wasn't offered to him'.
Stern's direction is as pallid as Purl. It's easy to agree with Lauren's conspiracy theory, but that doesn't provide any empathy to either side, and worst of all is that Mary Ellen is presented as disposable. No one grieves for her. Stern ends with Purl walking away from the court, and her decision to walk home is her apparent means of exorcism, though the long shot and freeze frame makes her indistinguishable from the crowd.