Not as good as "Shawshank"

Rating: Null/10 (20 December 1999)

This film was very predictable very quickly and I have to say that I stopped reading the prolific author years ago. Hanks performance is laudable but the rest of the film is quite ordinary. The Oscar buzz for the "giant" co-star is a perfect example of media hype. Any of of a dozen actors could have played the racially stereotyped "martyr" with equal sensitivity. The drama and tension in the film feels very contrived. Every character falls either on the side of absolute good or hell-destined evil. Darabont could have made a much better film out of "A Lesson Before Dying." Too bad somebody beat him to it.