The Green Mile Reviewed

by Tim Wick

I have been waiting to see this movie since I saw the trailer.

When I was talking about it to a friend this weekend, they observed that the trailer had a "Shawshank Redemptoiny" feel to it. That made a lot of sense since both films were prison films adapted from Stephen King novels and directed by Frank Darabont. The movies are also scored by the same composer (Thomas Neuman) and have virtually the same production team. Frankly, that was why I was so looking forward to it.

I love "The Shawshank Redemption". If you read my top ten list, you will see that I rank it as my second favorite movie of all times. A movie from the same group of people was certainly something I wanted to see.

But this movie is not "The Shawshank Redemption" - which is just perfect. My biggest fear was that I would see something similar to, but little more than a poor imitation of "Shawshank". The two movies are very different.

"The Green Mile" does not surprise you. Every twist and turn of the plot was something I could see coming for a long time and it was painful that way. I would know that something awful was going to happen and be wishing that I was wrong. The inevitability of everything that took place was what made the movie so appealing. And it made the movie pretty long because you have to take your time getting there.

A film that is three hours long doesn't bother me if there is a good reason for the length. "The Green Mile" is exactly as long as it needs to be. The story unfolds slowly and meticulously in front of you, giving you plenty of time to connect the dots and get you emotionally tied up in the lives of it's characters. The camera takes time to linger on characters when not a word of dialogue is being said because Darabont understands that words are not always the best way to communicate a thought or a feeling.

The film take place on The Green Mile - a death row ward in Louisiana (I think, I don't remember what state we were in). The cast is primarily the guards and inmates on that row and the film is about how one inmate - John Coffey changed all of them. I think the best thing about this film is that we are treated to prison guards who are not a bunch of thugs. They are honest men making a living who understand the weight of the responsibility that rests on their shoulders. They have no reservations about carrying out the order to kill a man, but they always treat these men with respect and compassion.

The emotional impact of the movie is a slow build. You don't feel much at first, but you start to feel more with each new turn the story takes and as you realize where the story must go, you find yourself wishing it would get there. The longer the movie makes you wait, the harder the emotional impact is when the inevitable finally happens.

The acting is brilliant and I would guess that three to four Oscar nominations land at the feet of this cast. Tom Hanks plays the role of Paul Edgecomb with his usual grace. I know some might argue that Hanks hardly deserves the two Oscars he has, but I disagree. Hanks is a fine actor who has shown time and again that he can find the emotional heart of a character. He is also one of the most generous actors I have ever seen. He gives every actor around him a chance to shine brighter than him. I would not give the Oscar to Hanks this year - I think Kevin Spacey ("American Beauty") or Bruce Willis ("The Sixth Sense") should get it - but if Hanks doesn't get a nomination, something is wrong with the Academy and they should scrap the system.

Doug Hutchison is chilling as the sadistic guard Percy Wetmore. I cannot recall a character I have actively disliked more than him. Hutchison does a fantastic job of making us understand the character so he doesn't come off as just a jerk. We understand a little bit about why Wetmore is the person he is. We don't like him any more - in fact we like him less - as a result. But he doesn't become a caricature of a man.

Michael Jeter plays Delacroix, a cajun man on death row. We never learn what Delacroix did and it is not important. He is going to die and he accepts it. As the day approaches and he develops a bond with a mouse he names Mr Jingles, we start to wish we had a little more time to spend with Delacroix, but we know we won't get it.

David Morse as Brutal, Hanks' second in command, Bonnie Hunt as his wife and Barry Pepper and Jeffrey DeMunn as the other two guards on the Mile also turn in standout performances.

But the reason to see this movie is Michael Clarke Duncan. He takes the character of John Coffey and turns him into one of the finest characters I have ever seen at the movies. Coffey seems like a simpleton until you get to know him. He is kind and caring and you know from the instant you first hear him speak that there is something horribly wrong with his being on death row. You do not believe for an instant this man is guilty of the crime he has been accused of.

If I had a quibble with the film, it would be the ending. I can't even put a finger on what bothered me about it, it just felt a little off. I expect it is very close to the way King ended the original story, but I still wanted a little more. I don't want to say too much, I'll leave you to watch and make your own decision.

This is a great film and will certainly be a front runner for a Best Picture Oscar. Don't wait for the video on this one - you have to experience this movie on the big screen.

Details on "The Green Mile" from the Internet Movie Database

Harry Knowles' review on Aint-it-Cool-News

An interview with Michael Clarke Duncan (John Coffey) on CNN.com