Oscars Project: Movie #12

(Explanation of The Oscars Project found here. And need I say it? This post contains SPOILERS.)

That's right, I've watched a dozen movies so far. (And half of another movie, but I'll get to that tomorrow--so tempted to look up who plays the love interest and I'm leaning towards Phoebe Cates but I'm just not sure. No spoiling!)

From 1995: Dead Man Walking

Summary: (Does anyone not know what this movie is about?) Based on an autobiographical book by Sister Helen Prejean (played in the movie by Susan Sarandon), this movie shows what happened when a convict (played by Sean Penn) on death row contacted Sister (who until then had been serving a poor rural community in Lousiana) for spiritual guidance as he faced his execution.

What I liked (hard to say "liked" for a movie about this subject matter):

--Well put together cast. Everyone seemed to fit into his/her role, even the minor ones.

--I think Sarandon deserved the nomination for Best Actress. . . can't say about the win because I haven't seen a couple of the other movies, but at the very least she deserved it over Emma Thompson in S&S.

--I think it was a decent screenplay. It dragged at the end, but then again, maybe that conveyed the feeling of what it's like on the last day in the life of someone about to be executed. I don't know.

--Seeing Jack Black as practically a kid (one of the brothers).



What I didn't like:

--Um, I don't know if there was anything I specifically didn't like. Looking over the nominations list, I can say that I didn't like realizing that I wasted my time renting Mighty Aphrodite (as much as I love Mira Sorvino) because this movie probably was on the shelf of the little video store by my parents' at the same time. (Also, I was reminded that I saw Il Postino on a date with my first and only college boyfriend. Whatever. Good movie, though.)

--Maybe also I didn't like that it reminded me how undecided I am about the whole issue. I mean, if the state wants to put a convict to death, I think they would have to be really, really, really sure the person did it. All of it. To that degree that it merited execution. (Just my honest opinion; not looking for a real heavy discussion here.)

I think I do find myself agreeing with Peske & West that it was the "story of one man's redemption through the power of a woman's pure light and love" (56)--but I think I'd add that it also was through the grace of God, working through Sister.

Do see it, if you haven't before.

Next up: Ordinary People





Comments

Cullen said…
Been a while since I've seen it, but I remember liking it enough. It's a lot harder for me to watch Sean Penn now than it was then, though.

Popular Posts