The Green Mile Review
by Bob Bloom (cbloom AT iquest DOT net)December 11th, 1999
The Green Mile (1999) 3 stars out of 4. Starring Tom Hanks, David Morse, Michael Clark Duncan, James Cromwell, Jeffrey DeMunn, Sam Rockwell, Barry Pepper, Michael Jeter, Doug Hutchison and Graham Greene. Written and directed by Frank Darabont.
Paul Edgecomb is a decent man. That's no big revelation unless you consider his occupation. Edgecomb is a prison guard, but not just any guard. He is head guard in Building E at Cold Mountain Penitentiary in the deep South.
Building E is death row, "The Green Mile" where men who are to face the ultimate penalty are sent to spend their last days.
Edgecomb guards his charges with fairness and firmness. His world is orderly and routine.
That is until John Coffey is delivered to his care.
And that is the crux of "The Green Mile," a magical drama directed by Frank Darabont, who like he did with "The Shawshank Redemption," has deftly adapted the Steven King novel of the same name.
Set in 1935 when many men were still out of work, "The Green Mile" is a supernatural story about a poor simple man who has a power he can neither explain nor understand.
When the worlds of Edgecomb and Coffey collide, it brings about profound changes in both men as well as several people around them.
John Coffey is a gentle giant, convicted of the heinous murder and rape of two little sisters. Weary of his new guest, Edgecomb eventually sees Coffey's miraculous powers and realizes their implications.
"The Green Mil"e runs three hours, but it is the quickest 180 minutes you will ever spend in a movie theater. I doubt that anyone will take a moment to glance at a watch once they get involved in this eerie, but poignant story.
This is not your usual Stephen King. Though it has tones of the supernatural, it is a benevolent force as opposed to the usual cadre of demons, vampires and ghosts unleashed by the Maine scribbler.
And with only two exceptions most of the people - guards as well as prisoners - who are incarcerated and work on "The Green Mile" are decent people.
Edgecomb is a 44-year-old happily married man suffering from a very painful bladder infection. His miraculous cure is the first clue that Coffey is no ordinary inmate.
Tom Hanks may be the star of "The Green Mile," but, as in "Saving Private Ryan," this feature is an ensemble piece. The movie is no star vehicle, even though Hanks gives a very fine performance.
He is surrounded by a superb supporting cast including David Morse, Jeffrey DeMunn and Barry Pepper as his fellow guards; James Cromwell as the compassionate warden; and Michael Jeter and Graham Greene as death row inmates.
The movie's soul, though, belongs to Michael Clark Duncan as John Coffey. Duncan, most familiar to audiences as Bear in Armageddon, gives a performance that is so powerful, so touching, that it will make you weep.
His Coffey is a man-child, an innocent. He can see into the hearts of men and recognize good and evil. Yet his powers overwhelm and frighten him. They are blessing and curse. A supporting actor Oscar nomination is warranted for Duncan.
The allegory is a little heavy-handed, of course, with the inmate's initials J.C. The symbolism is sledgehammered.
Two other performances of note include Doug Hutchison as a sadistic young guard and Sam Rockwell as a psychopathic killer who stirs up trouble on "The Green Mile."
The performances are strong all around. Jeter, especially, is touching as the mousy inmate whose last days revolve around a mouse he has found and trained. His death scene is one of the most harrowing in any movie in recent years.
Hanks exudes a quiet strength as Edgecomb. He treats his prisoners with dignity and compassion, neither judging nor condemning them.
"The Green Mile" is a film that offers a surprise every now and then just to keep the audience on its toes. Yet everything that happens is within the parameters of the story and situation.
Darabont's script is crisp as he deftly catches the Southern cadence of these blue-collar people. His direction is no-frills, straight from the hip, allowing the actors and plot to advance the story. He uses very few camera tricks. Even the special effects sequences are not overplayed.
"The Green Mile" is a winner, ranking among the best King adaptations brought to the screen. It is a movie that instills faith. Despite its bleak setting, it is a movie with a big heart. Don't miss it.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or at
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