Goes the extra mile, and then some...

Rating: Null/10 (16 December 2000)

I really liked this. Some parts are Very hard to si through, especially the Second Execution scene. Donno if we need Three of these in the one flick, but there ya go, it IS set on Death row, the director has a point to get across, and it is Hollywood after all.
It reminded me a little of Phenomenon, if you took the Travolta character's abilities and put'em into use by the big black guy from Armageddon, you'd have it. There was a lotta heart in Duncan's performance, I was struck by how strong a presence he has, and how moving the healing scene outside the prison is as well.
Hanks, Morse, and DeMunn are all pros, I always like seeing Morse esp. in whatever he's in. Very reliable. It's interesting to see how much work Stretch Armstrong is post-Babe, here he gives a fine turn as the warden.
I thought that Sam Rockwell as the psycho chewed the scenery a bit much, but enjoyed seeing babyFace there Percy. I was shocked that he is almost 40 in the film, and played one of the psycho killers in 'A Time to Kill'. Quite a stretch.
Bonnie Hunt and the sickly Warden's wife both turn in fine performances, and both are also aged alot more by makeup than they really are, esp Hunt, who is two years older than me.
There are a couple things wrong-it is too long, I think that the middle execution scene was Not really necessary; and I thought that the finale with the old guy(Dabs Greer, who played the preacher on Little House all those years)narrating his life's turn was a little stretched out.
But overall, moving, insightful, unique, well-made, hard to sit through a couple places.
Kudos also to Mike Jeter and the Mouse too. Both were good.

*** outta ****