The Green Mile (1999)

	Directed by: Frank Darabont	COUNTRY USA GENRE Drama NORWEGIAN TITLE Den grønne mil RUNNING TIME 189 minutes
	Produced by: Frank Darabont David Valdes
	Written by: Frank Darabont
	Based on the novel by: Stephen King

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Paul Edgecomb	Tom Hanks	½
Brutus "Brutal" Howell	David Morse	½
Jan Edgecomb	Bonnie Hunt
John Coffey	Michael Clarke Duncan	½
Warden Hal Moores	James Cromwell
Eduard Delacroix	Michael Jeter	½
Arlen Bitterbuck	Graham Greene	½
Percy Wetmore	Doug Hutchison	½
William "Wild Bill" Wharton	Sam Rockwell
Toot-Toot	Harry Dean Stanton

Review

The second of three pairings between filmmaker Frank Darabont and author Stephen King, following the surprise hit The Shawshank Redemption five years earlier. Again, King and Darabont examine life in American prisons during the mid-20th century, and again the key themes are male camaraderie, morality, and mortality. At three hours, The Green Mile affords itself the luxury of presenting its characters and building up its story slowly and patiently. It's a risky move by Darabont that requires considerable skill – both in creating an atmosphere in which his actors can thrive, and in finding a pacing that ensures a constant sense of progression. He succeeds wonderfully on both counts. The Green Mile is about as close as you can come to flawless novelistic cinema: the film draws you in, glides effortlessly from subplot to subplot, and invites you into the minds of its richly drawn characters much like a good novel does. It's a page-turner filled with poignant drama, multifaceted personalities, and an elegantly rendered dose of magic realism. A simultaneously uplifting and sombre tale, elevated by a brilliant ensemble cast, many of whom deliver career-best performances.