This movie is one of the closest book adaptations I've ever seen. It's the second Stephen King story after 'Shawshank Redemption'. And it's the 37th movie starring Tom Hanks on this list.
The story is told as a very long flashback. It starts with a very old man named Paul Edgecombe (Hanks) in a retirement home thinking about his past. It turns out that he was the head guard on the Louisiana death row. His flashback involves a set of prisoners during the height of the Great Depression. The most notable is a giant man named John Coffey ("Like the drink, but spelled different"). Coffey is played by Michael Clark Duncan who is giant sized. He's been convicted of kidnapping and killing two twin girls.
But he has a very curious talent for a murderer. The power to heal. He first shows this by healing a urinary infection of Edgecombe's. He also brings a pet mouse back from the brink of death. Edgecombe becomes convinced of his innocence and eventually uses his healing talent to help someone else.
The movie has plenty of fine acting. Virtually all of the guards and inmates are very good. They each bring texture to a fine story. The execution scenes are very well done. But the movie falls short of greatness. The story doesn't have much punch. And the end has kind of a drawn out death wish scene that feels like it doesn't match the rest.
A good movie, but not great.
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