![]() But instead of an attack, Paul witnesses a miracle, as the prisoner somehow cures him of a recurrent bladder infection, expelling the 'sickness' as a cloud of black flies that quickly dissipates. However, all doubt concerning the man's innocence is erased when John suddenly reaches through the bars to grab Paul. How can a man afraid of the dark have it in him to commit such depraved murders, Paul asks himself, which spurs him on to investigate the veracity of his prisoner's guilt. The focus of Paul's attention falls on John Coffey, who despite his immense stature and muscled frame, is a man whose simple-minded and gentle mannerisms betray no violence or malice. Jingles, an endearing mouse that quickly becomes the unofficial mascot for the Green Mile. 'Wild Bill' Wharton (Sam Rockwell) is bad news all around, an incorrigible troublemaker on death row for killing three people during a botched robbery. Then there is the arrival of John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan of " Armageddon"), an imposing giant of a man sentenced to the electric chair after being found with the bloodied bodies of two young girls in his arms. First, there is the new guard Percy Wetmore (Doug Hutchison who played Tooms on " The X-Files"), a well-connected and sadistic man who relishes the opportunity to watch an execution. ![]() Unbeknownst to its guard and prisoner denizens, the unassuming Green Mile is about to become a nexus for good and evil. Together, they are in charge of E-block (which is also referred to as 'the Green Mile' for its lime-colored linoleum floors), which houses the prison's death row inmates, including Eduard Delacroix (Michael Jeter of " Jakob the Liar") and Native American Arlen Bitterbuck (Graham Greene, seen recently in " The Grey Owl"). The young Paul Edgecomb (played by Hanks) is a righteous man who treats the inmates with the utmost respect and dignity, and instills his sense of right-and-wrong into the men that work under him, including his best friend and confidant Brutus 'Brutal' Howell (David Morse of " The Negotiator"), rookie Dean Stanton (Barry Pepper, who costarred with Hanks in " Saving Private Ryan"), and veteran Harry Terwilleger (Jeffrey DeMunn of " The X-Files: Fight the Future"). True to the source material, the entire story is told by an aging resident of a nursing home, recalling his days as the head guard at Coal Mountain Louisiana State Penitentiary during the Depression. And though the film's intensity occasionally lapses from its meandering narrative and unnecessary bookends, "The Green Mile" remains riveting nonetheless, touching on themes of redemption and justice, while illustrating how, for evil to sustain itself, that it only requires good men to do nothing. Based on the serialized Stephen King novel of the same name, " The Green Mile" marks the return of Frank Darabont to the director's chair, who directed the cinematic adaptation of " The Shawshank Redemption" five years ago, another Stephen King prison drama. ![]() With the star power of Tom Hanks (heard recently in " Toy Story 2"), an all-star cast of supporting players, an epic running-time of over three hours, and a powerfully-told story that lays bare the triumphs and tragedies of the human condition, " The Green Mile" is a film that positively deserves an Oscar nomination. The Green Mile Movie Review Movie Review by Anthony Leong © Copyright 1999 The Green Mile Movie Review by Anthony Leong
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