Straight Time is a 1978 crime drama film directed by Ulu Grosbard and starring Dustin Hoffman as Max Dembo, a jewel thief, who after spending six years in prison for burglary, is released on parole. Max tries to adjust to life outside prison, but difficulties arise when he is unable to find a steady job because of his criminal record.
Despite his efforts to go straight, Max is drawn back into a life of crime when his former partner-in-crime, Willy Darin (Gary Busey), persuades him to rob a Beverly Hills jewelry store. The robbery goes wrong, and Max narrowly escapes being caught by the police. He hides out with his girlfriend, Jenny Mercer (Teresa Russell), until he decides to turn himself in and serve his time. Max believes that by doing so, he can make a new start and live an honest life.
However, Max's plans are thrown into disarray when his parole officer, Earl Frank (M. Emmet Walsh), who has a personal vendetta against Max, sends him back to jail. Earl harasses Max at every turn, making it impossible for him to keep a job or stay on the straight and narrow. Max's frustration and anger grow, and he decides to take matters into his own hands.
The film is a sobering and realistic portrayal of a man trying to rebuild his life, but being thwarted at every turn by a system that seems determined to keep him down. It is notable for Dustin Hoffman's nuanced performance as Max, a man torn between his desire to turn his life around and the pressure to return to his criminal past. Straight Time is a powerful and poignant film that explores themes of redemption, loss, and the human cost of the prison industrial complex.