The Green Mile Arrives on 4K Ultra HD

Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan in The Green Mile. Courtesy of Warner Bros.

The Green Mile, based on the Stephen King novel and nominated for four Oscars, is now available to own on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital.

Frank Darabont is one of six filmmakers to see their first two feature films get Oscar nominations for Best Picture. The Green Mile joins The Shawshank Redemption in receiving nominations. Other Oscar nominations include Best Supporting Actor (Michael Clarke Duncan), Adapted Screenplay, and Sound. Both films are available to own on 4K UHD.

Starring an ensemble cast, this is a film that is about both miracles and redemption. In one corner, we have prison guard Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks). In other corner, it’s death row inmate John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan). Coffey is the most unusual inmate to step foot inside the prison. He’s got this healing power and even though he’s been convicted of killing two young girls, you find yourself empathizing with him and not wanting him to die. After John heals Paul’s bladder infection, the prison guard begins to see him through a new perspective. This isn’t John’s only supernatural healing act as he also resuscitates Del’s (Michael Jeter) pet mouse, Mr. Jingles. Paul starts to think that John is innocent. Knowing what we know about his healing ability and how it works, you certainly cannot blame him.

The film is bookended during the film’s present day with an older version of Paul while he looks back on previous events. We learn a thing or two about him during the film’s closing, such as his age and how John changed his life. Back in the 1930s, Paul was working at the Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Specifically, he was assigned to work on death row. Because of its green floor, they called it the green mile. Paul reported to chief warden Hal Moores (James Cromwell) while supervising Corrections Officers Brutus “Brutal” Howell (David Morse), Dean Stanton (Barry Pepper), Harry Terwilliger (Jeffrey DeMunn), and Percy Wetmore (Doug Hutchinson).

Paul explains that John’s execution is what led to him and Brutal resigning and taking jobs elsewhere. Meanwhile, Paul is now 108 years old. His long life is either a blessing or a curse.

The 1935 setting also means that the film features derogatory language, too. It might make the film period-appropriate but it doesn’t make the words any less of a slur. But again, this is what went for language during the 1930s.

If The Green Mile has a major flaw, it’s the three-hour plus runtime. The film isn’t a quickly paced action film so over three hours is a lot to watch at home. It makes for a very different scenario when one is at a movie theater.

Make no mistake that The Green Mile is powerful and draws on our emotions but the film is also too long.

Bonus Features

  • Commentary by Frank Darabont
  • Additional Scenes
  • Walking the Mile: The Making of The Green Mile Documentary
  • Miracle and Mystery: Creating The Green Mile Featurette Gallery
  • Tom Hanks Makeup Tests
  • Michael Clarke Duncan Screen Test
  • The Teaser Trailer: A Case Study
  • Theatrical Trailers

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Frank Darabont
CAST: Tom Hanks, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter, Graham Greene, Doug Hutchinson, Sam Rockwell, Barry Pepper, Jeffrey DeMunn, Patricia Clarkson, Harry Dean Stanton

Castle Rock released The Green Mile in theaters on December 10, 1999.

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Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.