‘The Weight’ review: Do convicts have dignity?

The film The Weight explores the ethical challenges faced by a convict through the story of Samuel Murphy, a widowed mechanic and father. According to a review by Andrew Zuk for The Catholic Times, the Great Depression-era thriller follows Murphy after he attacks three men to protect his young daughter, only to discover one was an undercover police officer.

The story depicts Murphy at a labor camp where Warden J.J. Clancy, played by Russell Crowe, assigns prisoners difficult tasks with the promise of time off their sentences. Clancy uses Murphy's situation to his advantage, knowing that Murphy must finish his sentence to prevent his daughter from entering the foster care system. The film uses these circumstances to examine the dignity of convicts.