Oz : God's Chillin'

Oz : God's Chillin' (1997)

Genres - Drama, Thriller  |   Sub-Genres - Prime-Time Drama [TV], Prison Film  |   Run Time - 60 min.  |   Countries - United States  |  
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Synopsis by Josh Ralske

The murders of Dino Ortolani (Jon Seda) and Johnny Post (Tim McAdams) have increased tensions inside the prison and out. Warden Glynn (Ernie Hudson) calls in mob capo Schibetta (Tony Musante), gangbanger Keane (Leon), and Black Muslim leader Said (Eamonn Walker) and tells them he'll lock the prison down if there's more violence. Keane later finds a package in his cell, but it's not a peace offering; it's a piece of Post. Beecher (Lee Tergensen) is still being sexually abused by Schillinger (J.K. Simmons), who also humiliates Beecher by making him lick his boots. Beecher tells a sympathetic Sister Pete (Rita Moreno) he's been praying to God to get out of Oz. He tells her he made "one mistake, and...God took everything." Sixteen-year-old killer Kenny Wangler (J.D. Williams) arrives in Em City and wants to join Keane's crew. Said, trying to guide the teen, angrily confronts Keane when he finds them doing drugs. Surprisingly, Keane breaks down, and asks the Muslim leader for his help. But as Hill (Harold Perrineau) explains in the narration, "Sometimes when you see God, you lose sight of other men." Keane stops doing drugs, and turns his back on violence. He tells O'Reily (Dean Winters) that they have to repent for their part in the murder of Ortolani, and O'Reily, fearing for his own safety, immediately goes to Schibetta and rats Keane out, offering to arrange for Keane's death "as a sign of good faith." O'Reily gets a guard to help him set Keane up, and Keane instinctively kills one of his attackers in self-defense. Meanwhile, Father Mukada (B.D. Wong) convinces Miguel Alvarez (Kirk Acevedo) to participate in the birth of his son, but when the boy is born with a potentially fatal birth defect, Alvarez mutilates himself in an effort to appease God.

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Keywords

prison, inmate, criminal, murder, life-of-crime, maximum-security, unrest, death-row