The Green Mile

Starring: Tom Hanks
Director: Frank Darabont
Genre: Drama
Year: 1999
Rating: 4 / 5

Frank Darabont has done a fairly good job of selecting films since his inauspicious debut ten years ago. After taking the helm on the third Nightmare on Elm Street film, Darabont directed Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption in 1994. Though the film was unjustly ignored come Oscar time, it was hailed by fans and critics as a stirring triumph of the human spirit. Since then, however, Darabont has kept himself busy with odds and ends. It seems he was merely looking for the right picture for his follow-up effort, and he found it in The Green Mile. In this Stephen King adaptation, Darabont has himself a bona fide star in Tom Hanks, an engaging newcomer in Michael Duncan, and a story that is truly magical.

At a Louisiana prison in 1935, Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) is the chief security guard on Death Row, affectionately called the Green Mile. He has had this job for years, and he has developed a fair and human way of dealing with his prisoners. His team - Brutus (David Morse), Dean (Barry Pepper), and Harry (Jeffrey DeMunn) - is a close-knit unit, one whose motto is: "What happens on the Mile stays on the Mile." They stick together through thick and thin, watching countless men march off to their deaths. In spite of their kindness and light-hearted natures, they are able to stay emotionally distant from the proceedings they witness each day. All of that changes, however, when John Coffey (Michael Duncan) arrives on the Mile.

Standing seven feet tall and at least half as wide, John Coffey is as imposing an individual as any of the prison guards has ever laid eyes on. Initially overcome with wariness and trepidation, the guards are surprised to learn that John is as gentle as a lamb. He speaks in a soft, easy manner and is afraid to sleep without a light on. Rectifying this image with the prospect that this man likely raped and killed two young girls becomes a very difficult task for Paul and his men. The difficult becomes the impossible, however, when miracles begin to happen in the presence of this gentle giant. The crew is then torn between its duty and its growing suspicion that this man may not only be innocent, but may be something they would never have believed was possible.

It is no secret I have never been much of a Stephen King fan, though I have enjoyed some of his adaptations thus far. The Shawshank Redemption is the best example of this, although The Green Mile is a truly moving film in its own right. Tom Hanks produces yet another sterling performance in what has been a decade of unparalleled success. David Morse has one of his best roles as Hanks' co-worker, a tough man with a good heart. However, the film belongs to Michael Duncan, and that is not just because of his immense size. Duncan's character comes across as a warm, caring individual, no easy task considering his massive frame. He is the moral center of the film, and he drives it from the moment he arrives on the screen.

The film begins and ends with a narrative from an elderly Paul Edgecomb, a man looking back on a life that was. While the first introduction to this character serves as a passable introduction to this film, the second is completely superfluous, and even detracts from the film. This unnecessary and unwanted prologue notwithstanding, The Green Mile is most assuredly a special movie. At three hours, it is slightly longer than it need be, but, when Duncan lights up the screen, the time seems to fly by. I do not believe that this is the best movie of 1999, but it is certainly worthy of the critical recognition is has received. Laughter will be heard and tears may be shed, but The Green Mile should be seen for the truly touching human story it tells, and for the special man it allows us to meet.

Cast:

Tom Hanks..........	Paul Edgecomb
David Morse..........	Brutus Howell
Michael Duncan..........	Hal Moores
James Cromwell..........	John Coffey
Bonnie Hunt..........	Jan Edgecomb

Certification: Rated R violence and language.
Running Time: 180 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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