Take the journey of The Green Mile

Rating: 10/10 (13 February 2000)

From the start to the end The Green Mile arouses all the emotions in your body thrusting you into E Block (Death Row) at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. This movie will consume you from beginning to end leaving you breathless as you exit the theater. Frank Darabont masterfully directs this prison tale. You may remember Frank Darabont as the first time director of another prison epic, The Shawshank Redemption. The cinematography in this movie is great, with lush colors it turns the nightmarish death row setting into a beautiful structure of death. It is a pleasure to watch this movie. The Green Mile tells the story of death row in a 1930's prison and the incidents that take place there. It focuses mainly on an inmate named John Coffey who seems to have supernatural powers. You may notice that John Coffey's initials (J.C.) are identical to another influential biblical figure. Coffey is played by Michael Clarke Duncan in a breakout role. He can be seen previously in Armageddon but you will definitely remember him for this role. For most of the movie your not sure if Coffey is innocent or guilty but you suspect that he is innocent. As you discover Coffey's story and learn about his character you follow three other inmates two of which you follow to the electric chair affectionately named "Old Sparky." These electric chair sequences are some of the most harrowing and suspenseful scenes in a long time. I personally could hear my heart pumping during them. The most powerful part of The Green Mile is the acting. Tom Hanks gives his usual brilliant performance that we have come to expect from him but the supporting cast is the best part of the movie. David Morse (Contact,The Negotiator,The Rock) gives an excellent performance as the biggest of the guards named Brutus. Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan,Enemy of the State) also gives a good performance as the smallest of the guards. However Doug Hutchinson gives the best supporting performance as Percy the mean, insensitive guard who often abuses the inmates. The ensemble cast of the guards in The Green Mile have great chemistry together. The actors who play the inmates are also a pleasure to watch. Of course Michael Clarke Duncan (John Coffey) is great but also Graham Greene, Sam Rockwell, and Michael Jeter. Graham Greene plays an Indian who we follow first to the electric chair. He does a great job. Sam Rockwell plays "Wild Bill" your usual troublemaker causing havoc throughout the prison. And the great Michael Jeter plays Eduard Delacroix. Jeter just about steals the show as Delacroix the man we grow to love right as he is sent to "Old Sparky." He is befriended by Mr. Jingles, the infamous mouse who also almost steals the show. Eduard Delacroix's execution is the hardest to watch due to the fact that it is botched and what happens next is unforgettable. Bonnie Hunt is also good as Tom Hanks' wife just trying to comfort her husband. The cast is what makes this movie really live. The dialogue is some of the best of the year. John Coffey's signature line is when he is introduced to someone. He says "Coffey, like the drink except spelled differently." The best line in the movie though is directed at Percy when he is perplexed by what he sees John Coffey do. "This boy's cheese fell off his cracker" is the line said towards Percy. The Green Mile is an extraordinary movie in many cases. It is a movie that deserves attention and deserves to be seen. It is a movie that you will be tempted to see over and over again because you want to take the journey many times. It is a movie you will not soon forget and is a movie you wait all year to see. It is a shame that we had to wait all year to see the movie and take the journey that The Green Mile has to offer. ****(cinematic ecstasy)