It's strange that "Forrest Gump" and the insubstantially-grossing "Shawshank" will forever be linked for its David vs. Goliath Oscar season battle, as writer/director Frank Darabont would soon follow things up with his own "Gump"-like tale, this 1999 adaptation of Stephen King's "The Green Mile."
Part uplifting drama, part weepy fairy tale, the Academy award-nominated film starred no less than Hanks himself as a prison guard whose job includes babysitting criminals before their journey to "Old Sparky" at the end of the titular green mile (so named for the color of the floor en route to the electric chair).
One of the prisoners on the mile is an oversized man called John Coffey — like the drink, just not spelled the same — who curiously possesses a kindly disposition and a magical ability to heal the wounded (his initials are J.C., in case you didn't quite catch the symbolism). Hanks' character ultimately befriends this mysterious gentle giant and it's only a matter of time before Coffey's powers are put to the test to help a sick older woman.
"The Green Mile" unfolds like a great novel, introducing various elements — a mouse, an evil guard, and an evil prisoner, for example — throughout its lengthy three hour runtime, all of which ultimately come together in a climactic, powerful third act. While Darabont doused his picture with a little too much sap, the performances from the cast (particularly Michael Clarke Duncan) were impactful enough to make this late '90's film a hit. Much like "Gump," modern audiences tend to look back and down their noses at it (the so-called "Magical Minority" cliche and all), but if you give it a fresh view, it sure is hard to hate.
