I've been down with a bad cold and been doing nothing much besides watching TV. Last night I watched "Dead Man Walking" with Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn.

This really is a great film. Although it's about a death row inmate, it's not about the death penalty. It's about a woman and a man, and her efforts to help him take responsibility for his actions in order to find redemption.

The story is wonderfully acted. I've forgotten how really great they both are in this. And the juxtaposition of the execution with the re-enactment of the rape and murder allows the viewer to make up their own mind about the death penalty. It's difficult to watch, but you also find yourself unable to look away.