It's based on a Stephen King book and is directed by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Majestic, season 1 of The Walking Dead). Tom Hanks stars with David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clarke Duncan (who died in 2012 of a heart attack at age 54, brilliant in this break-out role), James Cromwell (who had a Star Trek role as Zephram Cochrane), Michael Jeter (The Fisher King, Waterworld), Sam Rockwell (Moon), Jeffrey DeMunn (who is Dale in The Walking Dead), Harry Dean Stanton (active in film, including in Escape from New York, and on TV since 1956), Dabbs Greer, Gary Sinise, William Sadler (who has a Star Trek DS9 connection), and Paula Malcomson (who has a Star Trek: Enterprise connection).
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Empire Online gives it 4 out of 5 stars and says,
The Green Mile is about as accomplished a piece of storytelling as you'll come by. Morse, Clarke Duncan, Bonnie Hunt as Edgecomb's wife and, especially, Hutchison weave their own acting magic. Hanks everyman routine may have become so ingrained it virtually doesn't register, but you can't imagine the movie without him. And Darabont, the real star, is a director in a classic-tradition. Give him a story and he delivers a real movie.DVD Talk says, "Our buttons are being pushed, but The Green Mile is such a well-done film that we shouldn't mind" and says the film "holds up well and should continue to do so." EW gives it a B grade and says, "In its own old-fashioned way, Darabont's style of picture making is well matched to King-size yarn spinning. The director isn't afraid to let big emotions and grand gestures linger". Roger Ebert gives it 3 1/2 out of 4 stars and closes with this: "As Darabont directs it, it tells a story with beginning, middle, end, vivid characters, humor, outrage and emotional release. Dickensian." Rotten Tomatoes has a critics score of 80% and an audience score of 94%.
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I'm not sure why I've never seen this movie, because it's been on TV numerous times. I guess it's because I thought it was a prison film, and had NO idea it was based on a Stephen King novel. The next time it's on TV, I'll be sure to set my VCR. Thanks for reviewing it. By the way, I really liked Michael Clark Duncan, because I enjoyed "The Finder."
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of The Finder, but googling it I see it was a 1-season spin-off of Bones, which I've never seen. It sounds interesting. I'm surprised it wasn't renewed.
DeleteI still haven't watched this one. Not sure why.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch it for quite a while, back when I avoided horror films and thought that's what this was. It's a very thought-provoking movie.
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