Overblown Treatment of Slight Story

Rating: 3/10 (12 December 2005)

"The Green Mile" would have been a lovely little indie movie if it had been done small scale.
Did it need the full Hollywood treatment of Tom Hanks and ILM special effects? No. It would have made a nice 2 -part Mystery episode on PBS.
It also did not need to be 3+ hrs of v-e-r-y leisurely story-telling. Not having read the Stephen King book I don't know what got left out that made the auteur think this was an abbreviated version.
David Morse, who is unsung too often, was quite fine. Michael Clarke Duncan added much needed humanity to the film.
Interesting that like "Saving Private Ryan," an older actor is used for 50 years hence, not make-up laden as in the days of "Little Big Man."
No reason to see this on a big screen; you can wait for commercial-free cable or video tape, what with lots and lots of close-ups.
(originally seen 1/2/2000)