It is set on death row but also tackles race, justice, aging and camaraderie. A mouse is a major character and, as with most of King's material, the story has a supernatural aspect. The latter two elements may seem ludicrous, but by the time they are introduced, writer-director Frank Darabont has created such a credible narrative environment that you're willing to accept anything just to see what happens next. Both give soulful performances. Duncan has an expansive face and eyes filled with pain.
Miracles do happen, the film concludes, but there is always a price.
There's not a hitch in Hanks' performance, nor in his soft Southern drawl. He is losing his boyish good looks but is adding a physical heft to his already powerful dramatic presence. Darabont's shifts in mood, tone, pace and pitch are subtle enough to go unnoticed if not for Thomas Newman's musical cues underscoring them. The camera finds humor and personality in cramped circumstances, for instance, reflecting the perspectives both of a mouse and a giant. While King's paranormal themes are often more compelling when imagined than visualized, here they are just another force of nature in a story filled with humanity and humane performances.