WATERTOWN, N.Y. -- For people who were there, it was terrifying, it was intense, it was captivating. It really did feel like a movie.
Two convicted killers with help from Joyce Mitchell, a prison tailor they were romantically involved with, escaped from the Dannemora prison they were sent to. Sunday night, that reality actually did become a movie, as the Lifetime network premiered its made-for-TV version of the prison break.
It didn't take long before people started talking about it on social media. Some liked it, giving it two thumbs up, and others enjoyed Penelope Ann Miller's portrayal of Mitchell.
But there were also those who didn't enjoy it at all. Many called it over-the-top cheesy and over-dramatic, saying the movie focused too much on Mitchell's relationship with Richard Matt and David Sweat, and the three-week manhunt was almost an afterthought.
Then there were those who weren't happy about the way corrections officers were portrayed, as perhaps lackadaisical. Some were upset with the fact anyone would take this horrific time in so many lives and present it in a way they thought made you feel sorry for Mitchell.
But this movie was a chance to let the country see what we lived. Was it too crazy, or were we so close to this that it's too hard to see the movie for what it is?
Did you watch it? What did you think? You can join the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Joyce Mitchell is facing seven years in prison for her role in the escape.
If you missed the movie and want to see what the talk is all about, there are replays tonight at 8 and midnight (with a documentary-style one-hour special in between), and you can also watch it on Lifetime's website.