The Green Mile (1999)

Oscar nomimated best picure adaptation of a Stephen King novel about a gentle giant of a prisoner with supernatural powers who brings a sense of spirit and humanity to his guards and fellow inmates. Oscar award winning actor Tom Hanks heads the cast in this emotionally riveting story.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 053939273328 Manufacturer No: C2733 Product Description

Just an Outstanding Film!

What a great movie! I'm not a huge Tom Hanks fan but have enjoyed some of his films. This one, though, may end up as being my favorite of his. Filled with great scenes of both hope and tragedy, of sorrow and of joy, with just a touch of redemption thrown in.

Based on a book by Stephen King, the Green Mile starts off in modern day times and then uses a "flashback" to tell the story of a group of death row guards during the depression and the strange story of a condemmed prisoner named John Coffy (played magnificiently by Michael Duncan). The story is a mix of drama, humor, and adds the spiritual/mystical as only Stephen King can do. The story also has one of the most creative twists at the end. Very surprising!

But what takes this movie one of the best I've personally watched is the supporting cast. Besides the well known David Morse & Bonnie Hunt, we get James Cromwell (L.A. Confidential, Star Trek - First Contact), Michael Jeter (Open Range), Graham Greene (Dances with Wolves (Widescreen Edition)), Sam Rockwell (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Widescreen Edition)) & Harry Dean Stanton (way too many great roles to pick just a couple).

I would recommend this to any movie buff looking for originality and creativity. Great actors, great story, great film! July 3, 2008

I'm tired. I'm tired of being alone. But mostly ... I'm tired of people being ugly to each other.

In its simplest form The Green Mile is about an eye for an eye ... but when have you known Stephen King to be simple? Stephen King ... the man who gets paid fifty thousand dollars for writing "boo" on a napkin. Stephen King. In the beginning we meet an elderly gentleman who tells of his time working on "The Green Mile" Death Row for inmates in Louisiana's Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Shortly thereafter, we meet John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) who was sentenced to death for the murder of two young girls. From his introduction (Michael Clarke Duncan) plays the role of the child-like John Coffey filled with boyish impetuosity to perfection.

During this time, Paul Edgecombe (Tom Hanks) is suffering from a urinary tract infection ... and the extraordinary that is John Coffey shows itself. This miracle of God has the mystical ability to heal. At the same time we meet Percy Wetmore (Doug Hutchison) a mean, stupid, sadistic man. In this setting, that is a dangerous combo, but he is the nephew of the governor's wife. Next we meet a violent prisoner named Wild Bill (Sam Rockwell) who is sentenced to death for killing three people in a robbery attempt. During the film, when Wild Bill grabs John Coffey's arm we learn who the real killer of the two young girls is.

In its simplest form The Green Mile is about an eye for an eye ... the problem with that is ... everyone ends up blind. With John Coffey being innocent, Paul is left with the life altering decision of what to do. Does he put to death one of God's true miracles? During a conversation with his wife, Paul decides to ask Coffey what he wants him to do. John Coffey replies: I'm tired. I'm tired of being alone. But mostly ... I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. The movie then flashes forward to Paul Edgecombe, now a hundred and eight years old telling his female companion of his curse in life. He is cursed to watch all his loved ones die. An eye for an eye........ May 30, 2008

HAVE YOU TRIED MR. COFFEY?

An exceptional movie, combining the literary genius of Stephen King,augmented by the acting of Tom Hanks and an array of talented role players, led by Mr. Coffey,(Michael Duncan). A towering figure of a man, Cofffey is a faith healer in the truest non- denominational definition of the word. Even on the green mile (death row,1935), he continues to reach out, curing Hanks, the warden's wife, and bringing a pet mouse back to life. He also has the powers to allow others to see that he is a good man,plus the capability of removing the two biggest scoundrels in the film with comparative ease. (Never underestimate the talents of those who play key secondary roles such as the hateable barracks officer (Doug Hutchison); his may be the hardest part in the movie to play well). In the end, Coffey wants badly to die; he's literally FELT hatred for his entire life, and wishes to escape it for a better place.Tears on the guards' faces indicate the power he's held over them,up until and after his electrocution.R.I.P. March 12, 2008

Much better than I thought it would be yet not as great as some would have you believe...

I honestly didn't think I would like this movie at all. I'm not a huge fan of Tom Hanks. He's impressed me a few times before but honestly I can't think of a time when he's ever `wowed' me. I am not a fan of Stephen King in that I never really have given him a try. Aside from `Misery' I have never read any of his novels. I have seen a few of the film adaptations and enjoyed them but I have also seen some of his adaptations and thought they were dreadful so really it's a mixed bag for me. I decided to give this a chance only because a friend of mine raved it, and it has received high amounts of praise from the critics and have I mentioned yet that it was nominated for Best Picture of the Year at the Academy Awards so with that in mind I decided to sit down and watch this, finally.

The film follows the effect one falsely accused man has on the prison guards in charge over him. This man is John Coffey, an extremely large black man accused of raping and murdering two young girls. Despite his immense size Coffey appears to be a very kind soul. This is noticed by one of the guards, Paul Edgecomb. Getting to know John, Paul realizes that he is, without a doubt, innocent but the evidence against him is surmountable and it appears that his execution is eminent.

While this is the main storyline for `The Green Mile' there is so much more to uncover, and there should be since the film is three hours long. I've read a while back that the character of John Coffey was modeled after Jesus Christ and this makes perfect sense when you watch this film and analyze it. John's `powers' are very similar to the ones heaped upon Jesus and John's predicament is also one similar to that of Christ. Everyone has turned on John except for a few men who put faith in his power to heal. He is wrongfully accused of a crime he did not commit and sentenced to death by the men he was trying to protect. It's something I did not expect to come from Stephen King, that's for sure, but then again I've never given him a fair chance...maybe I should.

The performances in this film also elevate the material, especially that of Michael Clarke Duncan who delivers a performance so solid and so tempered that without it the film would have failed. He is, with all due respect, the heart and soul of this film. Tom Hanks surprised me by delivering an outstandingly tender performance. It may actually be his best performance to date. Patricia Clarkson sizzles in what little screen time she has as does Bonnie Hunt and David Morse and Barry Pepper do their best to stand out amidst powerful performances by James Cromwell and more notably Doug Hutchison who plays the `evil' Percy Wetmore. Sam Rockwell is as disturbing as they come and the revelation of his character will chill you.

Like I said in my title for this review, it is far better than I assumed it would be but it still was not as grand as some have suggested. There are moments where the melodramatic feel doesn't quite mesh right and there are some scenes that tend to drag a bit. I'm not saying that the length is a problem for it enables the audience to truly sink into the mood of the film but there are some scenes that could have been trimmed. It is not one of my top five films of 1999, nor one of my top ten, but it rests well with my honorable mentions. It is not as disturbing as `Carrie' and not as meaningful as `The Shawshank Redemption' but it rest nicely in the middle and delivers solid and gratifying entertainment. November 9, 2007

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