By far, 1999's most moving film

Rating: 7/10 (12 July 2000)

1994 saw a modest Stephen King novel translated into a modest, little-seen prison drama...that is, until it was blessed with a surprising seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Since then, everyone and their grandfather has espoused "The Shawshank Redemption" as the little movie that could...and did. Five years later, its director, Frank Darabont, has adapted yet another prison-based King tale into a highly pleasing entertainment. But there the similarities end. While "Shawshank Redemption" essentially belied its typically macabre Kingian origins, but for a similar tone and languid pace "The Green Mile" includes a crucial plot element not atypical from the horror-meister's oeuvre. Told in flashback, a former death-row prison guard (solidly played by Hanks) relates the extraordinary story of John Coffey (Duncan), a simple-minded and gentle inmate who is readily accepted as a killer in the summer of 1935 because of his hulking size and damning circumstantial evidence. But Coffey (initials J.C., ahem), in addition to his overwhelmingly considerate attitude, possesses a singular talent for psychic empathy with others and an ability to heal the sick. Gradually, he convinces most of his captors, to varying degrees, that he is not a man capable of the heinous crime he is condemned to die for imminently. Compounding their crisis of conscience are the presence of a callous fellow guard and a psychotic neighboring inmate. Despite its over-length (by at least 20 minutes), the 3-hour "Green Mile" succeeds in every other respect. Often moving and technically astute, its premiere quality lies within its ensemble of actors, each of whom is simply perfect in their respective roles. Hanks may be the star of the show, and Duncan may stand out because of the uniqueness of his character, but their co-stars are consistently equal to the standard they've both set throughout. That alone is reason enough to see "The Green Mile".