Amazing film, not over rated!

Rating: 9/10 (25 March 2003)

The Green Mile is possibly the best film I've ever seen. It's definitely one of my favourites. After reading some of the cynical and ignorant comments made by others I felt I had to defend the film.
The acting is brilliant all round. Some of the performances are under rated but that's what's needed in a film like this. Michael Clark Duncan is especially good in a surprise performance. The direction is competent and engaging. The dialogue is believable and the characters certainly aren't 1-dimensional despite what others think. This is an all round amazing film. I never give films 10/10 but this film almost made it. It was moving, funny, frightening, shocking, thought provoking, involving... the list goes on.
*spoilers*
Now that I've praised the film, I'm going to defend it. How anyone can say this is a sentimental, shallow, ostensibly moral film is beyond me. Only a cynic could say such a thing. Is there something wrong with good nature! Is it unbelievable that there are still some nice people in the world. Not all prison guards are nasty and brutal. Not every prisoner on death row is "evil". Not every white person in Louisiana was a racist in the '30's. These are narrow minded ideas. John Coffey is not used to represent a black man whose only role is to help white people despite having supernatural powers so he can help himself. The fact that he is symbolic of Jesus shows that he is a meant to be a great character despite his simplicity and misfortunes. The guards hold him in high regard. How can anyone consider this to be a racist film.
Some comments are a little unfair, but understandable. The film is long and is slow to begin with but the story and characters have to be introduced and developed. The beginning and end are good as the beginning shows how memorable the events in the film are to Edgecomb(e.g the dream and the reaction to the film) and the end shows us how things don't always work out for the best (e.g Coffey's execution and Edgecomb's speech) and a blessing might turn out to be a curse (or vice-versa) so things aren't always what they seem (e.g Edgecomb's speech). There are too many films with happy endings. Although I've already argued that some people are cynical (see above) I would have to say that I'm fed up with every single film having a happy ending - no matter what. As sad it sounds, bad things do happen to good people and the reason for the sad ending is to show why capital punishment should be stopped and to demonstrate that Edgecomb is being punished for letting Coffey die.
I have to say, the only problem I have with the film is the religious undertones. Being anti-religion I would've preferred them to have been left out, but the film isn't promoting religion (the guards are religious but this is '30's Louisiana, of course they're Christians, and it's never confirmed that Coffey is a "miracle of god"). Everything religious is a reflection on the characters beliefs and not necessarily that of King's or Darabont's (or anyone else's) and is not in your face.
I think I've said all I needed to.
Overall: 9/10 almost 10/10