The Green Mile (1999) – Encore Viewing

“Three grown men… outsmarted by a mouse.” – Brutus “Brutal” Howell

Number of Times Seen – Too many to count (Theater, DVD, 6 May 2013 and 27 Oct 2013)

Link to original review – Here

Brief Synopsis – The arrival of a new prisoner on death row at a prison in the south during the 1930’s changes the lives of the guards and the prisoners.

My Take on it – Frank Darabond truly knows how to direct and adapt movies. It’s unfortunate that his directing/writing resume is so short because he has the talent and he just hasn’t been utilized enough IMHO.

This is a great follow up to his previous Stephen King adaptation – The Shawshank Redemption (1994).

I recently finished reading this book for the first time (even though I use to be a very big Stephen King fan) and was amazed at how faithful and complete this adaptation was from the book.  This movie completely captures the essence and tone of the book and both keep us interested throughout it’s length.  The movie is 3+ hours long and the book is close to 600 pages, but both are so captivating throughout.

The acting here is great. Tom Hanks is firm as the lead character and Michael Clarke Duncan is amazing as the gentle giant John Coffey.  This is his best work IMHO.

This story is magical and not necessarily the kind of story you would expect from King.  It’s a story with a giant heart with a bit of magic sprinkled about.

Go see it if you haven’t yet!

Bottom Line – Excellent movie. Great adaptation, Perhaps the best movie adaptation of a novel ever. Highly recommended!

Rating – Oscar Worthy (no change from original review)

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