Review of The Green Mile (1999) by Emmanuel S — 06 Jan 2014

Although The Green Mile is over three hours long, it's so good that you won't even notice the time. Yet another masterpiece based on a Stephen King novel.

Tom Hanks stars as Paul Edgecomb, the head guard of "The Green Mile," a nickname for Death Row at the Cold Mountain Correctional Facility. In 1935, a new inmate by the name of John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) is brought into Paul's custody after being convicted of a terrible crime involving two young girls. Despite being gigantic and accused of such terrible actions, Coffey is kind and well-mannered, not fitting the mold of a standard inmate. When Edgecomb and his fellow guards notice Coffey is able to perform miraculous miracles of healing, they begin to wonder who he really is, and if he is actually guilty of the crimes he's being accused of.

This is just another entry in the long list of wonderful Tom Hanks performances. He is, in my opinion, the best actor of all-time and this is a role that often goes underappreciated. He is surrounded here by a fantastic supporting cast that includes James Cromwell, Barry Pepper and Doug Hutchinson, just to name a few. The real standout here is Michael Clarke Duncan, who truly embraces the role of John Coffey with emotional impact. It's a truly iconic performance that's hard to ever forget.

Writer/director Frank Darabont did a fantastic job translating Stephen King's source material for the big screen. Not surprisingly, this is the same mind behind "The Shawshank Redemption." While not as popular as that film, The Green Mile compares with it on an emotional and impactful level. It's a beautiful film that is perfectly done, bolstered by masterful acting. 5 stars.