"The Green Mile" 1999

“The Green Mile”

Eduard Delacroix: [after Coffey shares his cornbread with Del] I thank you. Mr. Jingles thank you, my mom would thank you too but she's dead.

I have expressed my love of Tom Hanks. I think I have most of his films in my collection, so just be ready for me to express my love over and over again. I also have expressed my Stephen King love. This is an adaptation from Frank Darabont. I love all his tiny little genre of period prison films based on Stephen King stories. Both of them.

This movie is based on a series of books that came out over a six month period. It was an experiment in chap books that Stephen King wanted to try. It was torture waiting a month for the next installment. When a story is good I tend to gulp it down. I read it fast and then come back and reread it for the nuances. This book was awesome. And the adaptation is fantastic.

I let my husband know that we were going to this movie opening weekend. I had been waiting desperately to see this movie. We went to an evening show and stood in line waiting for the theater to open. There were two couples in front of us talking about movies. They were waiting for “The Green Mile” too. But they had chosen it because they were at the theater and it started at the right time.

WHAT?!?!?!

I am a bit of a movie freak. Hello, that is what my blog is about! I have never understood showing up at a theater and saying, hey this starts at seven. I am usually in anticipation of a movie for weeks or months ahead of time. As much as going to the theater costs, I can’t imagine seeing something that I wasn’t excited about.

My husband had to hold me back as they continued their uneducated talk about the pedigree of the film and the ticket taker was playing the expert and was clueless. He said that the same guy that directed “Clerks” directed “The Green Mile”. Huh? Kevin Smith is a favorite too, but totally different movie.

Finally we were in and the movie was fantastic.

One thing about this movie that makes my husband laugh is Mr. Jingles. First some background on me and mice. I have an extreme and irrational fear of rodents. About once a year we get a mouse in the house. Usually after the weather turns cold the mice that live outside start looking for a nice warm nest for the winter. We get what I refer to as a “scout mouse”. I have a theory that the mice go from house to house and send in a scout to check it out. If it looks good, infestation. If the scout doesn’t come back, they move on. We normally get one or two and it is caught in a trap and we are done. The men in my life have learned that if there is even a hint of a mouse in the house, they keep quiet.

As they are typically spotted in the kitchen, I refuse to enter that part of the house. In the event of multiple mice I have left the house until the death notice is posted.

The movie started and we watched as Mr. Jingles came into the picture. By the time that bastard Percy killed him I was emotionally invested and started to cry.

“You’re crying over a mouse?” He was flabbergasted.

“Not just any mouse. Mr. Jingles.”

“You hate mice.”

“Mr. Jingles is a special mouse.”

There is so much about this movie that I love. I could write a book about all the things I love about it. The whole cast is great. Love Tom Hanks. Love Bonnie Hunt. Love Michael Clarke Duncan and the rest of the cast. But the real star is a little mouse that could make me forget that I hate mice. I love you Mr. Jingles. But don’t tell the bad mice in my kitchen.