'The Green Mile' Remains One of Stephen King's Most Faithful Movie Adaptations

Debate over which Stephen King film is best has gone on for decades. IMDb's user ratings place The Shawshank Redemption at the top with a 9.3, while The Green Mile sits second with an 8.6 based on over 1.5 million votes. Released on Dec. 10, 1999, The Green Mile adapts King's novel about a death row correctional officer during the Great Depression who encounters supernatural events after the arrival of a very large, mysterious convict.

Frank Darabont directed the film, which stars Tom Hanks as Paul Edgecomb and Michael Clarke Duncan as John Coffey. With a 189-minute runtime the film covers most of the book's major plot points, keeps its supernatural elements, and preserves the emotional heartbreak of John Coffey's execution while portraying Edgecomb as a morally conflicted man.

It grossed over $286 million against a $60 million budget and was a box-office smash. King visited the set and sat in the electric chair, an experience he called deeply unsettling.

the green, stephen king, frank darabont, tom hanks, michael clarke, john coffey, paul edgecomb, death row, great depression, box office