Jailhouse Rock!

Rating: 9/10 (27 April 2019)

"The Green Mile" is another jailhouse movie adapted from a novel written by Stephen King. It's not a horror movie although there are some gruesome scenes within.
Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) is the head of a group of prison guards in charge of death row in a Louisiana State Prison. The story chronicles their day to day activities and interactions with the prisoners. One day a huge but mild mannered black prisoner John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) convicted of murdering two little girls. Smart ass guard Percy Wetmore (Doug Hutchinson) makes fun of the giant.
Edgecomb and his co-workers Brutus Howell (David Morse), Dean Stanton (Barry Pepper) and Harry Terwilliger (Jeffrey DeMunn) along with Wetmore are charged with executing prisoners on their assigned date. A "dry run" with trustee Toot-Toot (Harry Dean Stanton) standing for the convicted prisoner is carried out to ensure that everything is in order. The first execution is that of Arlen Bitterbuck (Grahame Green) which is carried out according to law.
Later, a rebellious prisoner named "Wild Bill" Wharton (Sam Rockwell) is brought in. He is truly rotten and unrepentant. A small mouse is running rampant within the block. Wetmore promises to eliminate the rodent. However, another prisoner Eduard (Del) Delacroix (Michael Jeter) takes a liking to the mouse and names him Mr. Jingles.
Edgecomb has been suffering from an painful urinary disorder, Coffey and Edgecomb have developed a mutual respect for each other. One day Coffey grabs Edgecomb and for the want of a different term, "mind melds" with him. Edgecomb to his surprise discovers that the pain is gone and that he can one again function as a man, much to the delight of his wife Jan (Bonnie Hunt).
As Del's execution date approaches, Mr. Jingles escapes and is crushed under the foot of Wetmore. Del is totally distraught but Coffey asks that the seemingly dead mouse be brought to him. He manages to revive the mouse much to the amazement of all. Later, as Del is led away to the execution chamber, Wetmore plans a particularly gruesome finish for Del. Edgecomb and the others are upset of the way Del died but are unable to remove Wetmore due to his "connections".
Warden Hal Morris (James Cromwell) is a friend of Edgecomb. Morris's wife (Patricia Clarkson) is suffering from a brain tumor. Edgecomb impressed bt Coffey's apparent powers, hatches a plan to bring Coffey to Morris' home. He manages to do so and Coffey is able to cure the ailing woman.
As Coffey's execution date nears, he has first a score to settle with Wetstone and Wharton which is accomplished in an unusual way. Later in another "mind meld" with Edgecomb, Edgecomb learns of Coffey's situation through a flash back and learns who the real murderer was.
An impeccable cast right from Tom Hanks right down to veteran character actor Dabbs Greer who play Hanks at an advanced age. Sam Rockwell stands out as the hateful "Wild Bill" Wharton as does Doug Hutchinson as the truly unlikeable Percy Wetmore. Michael Jeter, whose execution scene is truly graphic, also stands out. William Sadler also appears as the distraught father of the slain girls and Gary Sinese as Coffey's defence attorney.
A truly marvelous film.