Found dead in her bed in 1986, Christine Morton's death left Williamson County, Texas in shambles and caused her husband Micheal Morton to be found guilty of murder and facing a life sentence in prison. In November of 2011, with the case now twenty fife years old, we learned of the startling new evidence of another man's DNA linked to Christine's murder. "An Unreal Dream: The Michael Morton Story" is the documentary story from CNN Films about an innocent man convicted of murder and the family he lost because of it.
Even though we don't want to admit it, we seen have this story before. We all know of people who have gone to jail because of a crime they did not commit. This murder mystery is nothing new and could have been just another 48 Hours Mystery episode.
That said, five things still make this one different.
1) Michael Morton is an honest, down-to earth southern guy who was really in a bad spot. He was a very likable guy which adds a good perspective to the story.
2) There is a hidden secondary plot that focuses on prison life including sleeping conditions, food, the plantations and the scary images of rape.
3) As we should, we learn more and more about the in's and out's of the criminal justice system and again this is just one of many examples where the verdict of the criminal justice system isn't always right.
4) From attorney John Raley and the many others, there are many great interviews in this film which add to the depth of the story.
5) The ending provides some interesting closure going every which way we want it to go and in the end provides the justice that is needed.
In sum, An Unreal Dream: The Michael Morton Story is a documentary that needed to be told and make it's point. This documentary will likely be forgotten down the road but it is still a very fine work from CNN films and famed director Al Reinert.
4/5
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