A Film That Is Itself A "Miracle"...

Rating: 10/10 (10 October 2006)

Here we are, seven years after the release of THE GREEN MILE, and it still retains all of its power and wonder. "Modern classic" is a term that gets bandied about far too loosely these days, but if there's at least one film from the last decade or so that solidly qualifies for that accolade, this is it.
Both a personal memoir and a provocative story about injustice, suffering, and the depths of both depravity and compassion that can be found in the recesses of the human heart, it is the story of Paul Edgecomb, (a nearly perfect Tom Hanks), and his stint as the head prison guard, running the section of Death Row known as "The Green Mile," in a penitentiary, circa the 1930's. Suffering from a severe infection that year, Paul is badly in need of a miracle when the most amazing one of all comes into his life, and the lives of the men who live - and die - on the 'Mile.' His name is John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), a gentle giant of an inmate charged with the brutal rape and murder of two little girls. The meek and passive demeanor of this man hardly seems a match for the horrible acts he's been charged with, but that's not even half the story. A spellbinding and escalating series of events take place involving John that not only changes Paul's life, but indicates that there are forces greater than ourselves that exist in the universe, and that miracles can only happen when we finally believe in them.
Tales like THE GREEN MILE are the reason why I became a movie lover in the first place, and if writer/director Frank Darabont deserved every award nod he received for his take on another Stephen King story, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, he should have won every single award for this one.
And not a discouraging word can be said about this cast. Not a single actor has done work this remarkable since, but then this script and story are one of those things that comes along but once in a lifetime.
Be prepared to be entertained, mesmerized and moved beyond anything you might expect from a three-hour film that makes time seem immaterial. And bring plenty of Kleenex, regardless of your gender, for one of the most unforgettable endings ever.
I am more than happy to give this film IMDb's highest rating, and my highest recommendation.