The Green Mile
4 Oscar Nominations·National Film Registry
Rent/Purchase
A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the cell block's head guard, Paul Edgecomb, recognizes Coffey's miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man's execution.
What critics thought
DivisiveDarabont's adaptation of Stephen King's novel earns mostly favorable marks for its emotional power and performances, but the three-hour runtime is the central battleground — admirers feel the length allows the story to breathe, while detractors argue the slow pacing tips into self-importance and melodrama. Audiences have embraced it far more warmly than critics, and a persistent cultural critique holds that the character of John Coffey relies on a troubling racial archetype.
“By inflating the simple story with a languorous pace, pregnant pauses, long reaction shots and an infinitely slow metabolism, Darabont has burdened his movie version with more self-importance than it can possibly sustain.”
Kirk Honeycutt·The Hollywood Reporter
“lumbering, self-important three-hour melodrama that defies credibility at every turn”
David Ansen·Newsweek
“From its deceptively easygoing beginning to the heart-wrenching finale, The Green Mile keeps you wonderfully high above the cynical ground.”
Desson Thomson·The Washington Post
“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”
Lisa Schwarzbaum·Entertainment Weekly
“it tells a story with beginning, middle, end, vivid characters, humor, outrage and emotional release”
Roger Ebert·RogerEbert.com
Genres
Crime, Drama, Fantasy
Cast & Crew
DirectorFrank Darabont
StarringTom Hanks, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Cromwell
ComposerThomas Newman
The Green Mile
4 Oscar Nominations·National Film Registry
A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the cell block's head guard, Paul Edgecomb, recognizes Coffey's miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man's execution.
What critics thought
DivisiveDarabont's adaptation of Stephen King's novel earns mostly favorable marks for its emotional power and performances, but the three-hour runtime is the central battleground — admirers feel the length allows the story to breathe, while detractors argue the slow pacing tips into self-importance and melodrama. Audiences have embraced it far more warmly than critics, and a persistent cultural critique holds that the character of John Coffey relies on a troubling racial archetype.
“By inflating the simple story with a languorous pace, pregnant pauses, long reaction shots and an infinitely slow metabolism, Darabont has burdened his movie version with more self-importance than it can possibly sustain.”
Kirk Honeycutt·The Hollywood Reporter
“lumbering, self-important three-hour melodrama that defies credibility at every turn”
David Ansen·Newsweek
“From its deceptively easygoing beginning to the heart-wrenching finale, The Green Mile keeps you wonderfully high above the cynical ground.”
Desson Thomson·The Washington Post
“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”
Lisa Schwarzbaum·Entertainment Weekly
“it tells a story with beginning, middle, end, vivid characters, humor, outrage and emotional release”
Roger Ebert·RogerEbert.com
Genres
Crime, Drama, Fantasy
Cast & Crew
DirectorFrank Darabont
StarringTom Hanks, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Cromwell
ComposerThomas Newman
Rent/Purchase