Green mile3/2/2023 ![]() ![]() There is the crusty Cajun convict (Michael Jeter) who adopts and trains a pet mouse, and a thoroughly sadistic psycho nicknamed “Wild Bill” (Sam Rockwell). Instead, the movie acquaints viewers with the lives and attitudes of a handful of guards and inmates. ![]() This is Darabont’s second outing as a director - his first was 1994’s The Shawshank Redemption - and this time, the story is told in flashbacks by an ancient fellow in an old-folks home (Dabbs Greer) about his days as a death row head guard at Cold Mountain Penitentiary during the Depression.Ĭuriously, the main story takes more than an hour to get under way. ![]() Undoubtedly, the film will win admirers among moviegoers and critics and may perform well in ancillary markets. By inflating the simple story with a languorous pace, pregnant pauses, long reaction shots and an infinitely slow metabolism, writer-director Frank Darabont has burdened his movie version with more self-importance than it can possibly sustain.ĭespite fine performances by Tom Hanks and an excellent ensemble cast, The Green Mile looks like a tough sell for the holidays. film feels as if it comes from a short story, a small slice of time and place in which a sentimental fable about one of “God’s miracles” can blossom. Starring Tom Hanks, David Morse, and Michael Clarke Duncan.Based on Stephen King’s 1996 serialized novel, the Warner Bros. You’d be hard pressed to find a movie that makes you feel as much as you think, but The Green Mile will make you do both in spades. Its merits as a thoughtful and emotional film are more than enough to be worth watching, but beyond that, it also encourages careful consideration about the merits of the death penalty. The Green Mile isn’t suitable for younger audiences, but for older teens and adults who can deal with the content, I highly recommend it. The most distressing instance is an execution which goes wrong, resulting in the unfortunate condemned writhing and screaming for minutes, and eventually catching fire. Being a movie about death row, a number of people are executed via electric chair, and there’s plenty of detail. The biggest concern is going to be the violence. I’ve seen movies half the length with ten times the profanity, and with aggressive sexual content to boot. It also manages to keep the content concerns to a minimum, considering the subject matter. Even on repeated viewings, the movie is remarkably consistent in pace and tone. It’s rare to see a movie where someone out-charms Tom Hanks, but Duncan steals every scene he’s in.Ĭonsidering the movie’s extreme length, clocking in at over 3 hours, it works remarkably well. Michael Clarke Duncan is perfect casting, giving Coffey both his unusual size and his unbearable kindness. Their focus on themes of redemption, justice, and mercy make them uniquely touching in that category.Īnd that’s not to say that this isn’t a sad film: the tragedy of John Coffey is absolutely heartbreaking. Both have been adapted into films directed by Frank Darabont, and both are counted among the best adaptations of King’s work. There are two Stephen King stories that focus on prison- The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption. The longer Paul knows him, the more he begins to suspect that John may be innocent… He also seems to be able to feel the pain of others and take it away. A giant black man called John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) is brought in for the rape and murder of two young white girls but seems gentle as a lamb despite his size. Paul Edgecombe (Tom Hanks) has seen it all in his time as a guard on death row at the Cold Mountain Penitentiary in Louisiana. ![]()
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