The Green Mile

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The Green Mile ★★½ 1999 (R)

Lightning didn't exactly strike twice when Darabont directed this follow-up to “The Shawshank Redemption,” another period prison drama by Stephen King. Paul Edgecomb (Hanks) is the decent head guard at Louisiana's Cold Mountain Penitentiary in 1935. He works E block, which is death row (title refers to the color of the floor). Among his prisoners is hulking black man John Coffey (Duncan), whose intimidating size belies a sweet nature. And something else—it seems Coffey has the power to heal. Overlong and watching the executions takes a strong stomach; characters are more symbols than human beings. 187m/C VHS, DVD, Bluray Disc . Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Jeter, Sam Rockwell, James Cromwell, Patricia Clarkson, Graham Greene, Barry Pepper, Doug Hutchison, Jeffrey DeMunn, Harry Dean Stanton, Dabbs Greer, Eve Brent, William Sadler, Gary Sinise; D: Frank Darabont; W: Frank Darabont; C: David Tattersall; M: Thomas Newman. Broadcast Film Critics ‘99: Adapt. Screenplay, Support. Actor (Duncan).