The Green Mile (1999)

Director:

Frank Darabont

Writers (WGA):

Stephen King (novel)
Frank Darabont (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 December 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery

Tagline:

Miracles do happen.

Plot:

The story about the lives of guards on death row leading up to the execution of black man accused of child murder & rape, who has the power of faith healing.

Plot Keywords:

Death Row | Prison Guard | Prison | Execution | 1930s

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 23 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Dec. 15	8:00 PM	AMC
Wed. Dec. 16	4:00 PM	AMC

Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Paul Edgecomb
David Morse	...	Brutus "Brutal" Howell
Bonnie Hunt	...	Jan Edgecomb
Michael Clarke Duncan	...	John Coffey
James Cromwell	...	Warden Hal Moores
Michael Jeter	...	Eduard Delacroix
Graham Greene	...	Arlen Bitterbuck
Doug Hutchison	...	Percy Wetmore
Sam Rockwell	...	'Wild Bill' Wharton
Barry Pepper	...	Dean Stanton
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	Harry Terwilliger
Patricia Clarkson	...	Melinda Moores
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Toot-Toot
Dabbs Greer	...	Old Paul Edgecomb
Eve Brent	...	Elaine Connelly

Also Known As:

Stephen King's The Green Mile (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and some sex-related material.

Runtime:

189 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Malaysia:U | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) (TV rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Hong Kong:III | South Korea:15 (cable rating) | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | India:A | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KT | Brazil:14 | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-14 | France:-12 | Germany:12 (w) | Ireland:18 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:PG (edited for re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Blowing Rock, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

The name for the character John Coffey was lifted from a college professor, Rev. John Coffee. Stephen King had met him once and really liked his name and used it in "The Green Mile". Reverend Coffee taught history classes at Emerson College in Boston Massachusetts. He retired in May 2005.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Wild Bill is being brought into the prison block, the distinct mark of an ear piercing can be seen on his earlobe in closeup shots.

Quotes:

Paul Edgecomb: Seeing a man die isn't enough for you, you gotta be close enough to smell his nuts cook?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Prisoner (2007)

Soundtrack:

Cheek to Cheek

A rare gem of casting and direction.

Frank Darabont returns to the directors chair with another adaptation of Stephen Kings novel. The events take place at a death row, the guards call the green mile. The story is a layered, rather character-driven fantasy tale of the events that transpire at "the mile" after the arrival of a giant man, John Coffey (Michael Duncan), convicted of the murder of two small girls. Actually this is not one single story, but several tied together seamlessly.

A character-driven movie requires a lot from the cast, and fortunately when it comes to cast, The Green Mile delivers. As the poster of the movie tells, this movie stars Tom Hanks as Paul Edgecomb, senior prison guard of the mile, and as always he performs very well indeed. Yet the cast around him is even more spectacular, perhaps partially due to them being relatively unknown. With a face you know, one inevitably remembers previous performances, and the new role is coloured by this. Doug Hutchison as Percy Wetmore, a mean spirited prison guard was particularly impressive, yet his character could have been given more depth. The most captivating was the performance of Michael Duncan.

It is hard to find a flaw in this movie. The camerawork is superb, cast wonderful and direction flawless. The movie's considerable length, a bit over three hours, is something that had me worried. Yet the marvellous cast and the peaceful yet firm pace of the movie held my attention progressively through the three hours right to the touching culmination. Many will find this movie to be too long, but I for one was delighted of the style, combination of simplicity of events and depth of characters and conversation.

All in all the The Green Mile is a very touching drama, with the joys and sorrows of the life pictured with great skill, if not the best movie of the year. Five out of five.