strong drama with great acting

Rating: Null/10 (7 August 2000)

The Green Mile is a very good movie based on Stephen King's serialized novel. I have read most of King's books and this is one of his very best. It is adapted nicely to film by Frank Darabont, the man responsible for the film version of King's story Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. Shawshank was a great movie too, with brilliant performances by Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. I'm hoping Darabont will adapt more King stories.
The acting is the highlight of The Green Mile. Tom Hanks, one of the best actors working today, is great as Paul Edgecomb, a death row guard. David Morse, Barry Pepper and Jeffrey DeMunn all give strong performances as fellow prison guards. Doug Hutchinson (Eugene Tooms in two early X-Files episodes) as creepy guard Percy Wetmore and Sam Rockwell as sadistic killer "Wild Bill" both give standout performances. James Cromwell, Michael Jeter and Bonnie Hunt are good in smaller roles. Harry Dean Stanton is hilarious as a drunk janitor used in run-throughs for the executions.
However, the best performance is turned in by newcomer Michael Clarke Duncan as John Coffey. Coffey is one of the most inspiring characters I've ever seen in a movie and I hope to see more of Duncan in the future. He deserved an Oscar for his performance. This film ranks with American Beauty and The Insider as the very best films of 1999.