| Dead Man Walking | |
|---|---|
| File:Deadmanwalkingp.jpg Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Tim Robbins |
| Produced by | Tim Robbins Jon Kilik Rudd Simmon |
| Written by | Tim Robbins |
| Based on | Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean C.S.J. |
| Starring | Susan Sarandon Sean Penn Robert Prosky Lois Smith Jack Black Celia Weston |
| Music by | David Robbins |
| Cinematography | Roger A. Deakins |
| Editing by | Lisa Zeno Churgin |
| Studio | PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Working Title Films |
| Distributed by | Gramercy Pictures |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 122 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $11 million |
| Box office | $86,387,284 |
Dead Man Walking is a 1995 American drama film directed by Tim Robbins, who adapted the screenplay from the non-fiction book of the same name. It tells the story of Sister Helen Prejean (played by Susan Sarandon), who establishes a special relationship with Matthew Poncelet (played by Sean Penn), a prisoner on death row in Louisiana.
Contents |
Plot [link]
Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn) has been in prison six years, awaiting his execution by lethal injection for killing a teenage couple. Poncelet, located in the Louisiana State Penitentiary,[1] committed the crimes with a man named Carl Vitello (Michael Cullen), who received life imprisonment. As the day of his execution comes closer and closer, Poncelet asks Sister Helen to help him with a final appeal.
She decides to visit him, and he comes across as arrogant, sexist, and racist, not even pretending to feel any kind of remorse. Instead he affirms his innocence, insisting it was Vitello who killed the two teenagers. Convincing an experienced attorney to take on Poncelet's case pro bono, Sister Helen tries to obtain life imprisonment for Poncelet. Over time, after many visits, she establishes a special relationship with him. At the same time, she gets to know Poncelet’s mother (Roberta Maxwell) and the victims’ families. The families do not understand Sister Helen's efforts to help Poncelet, claiming she is "taking his side." Instead they desire "absolute justice," namely his life for the lives of their children.
Sister Helen’s application for a pardon is declined. Poncelet asks Sister Helen to be his spiritual advisor through the day of execution, and she agrees. Sister Helen tells Poncelet that his redemption is possible only if he takes responsibility for what he did. Just before he is taken from his cell, Poncelet admits to Sister Helen that he killed the boy and raped the girl. During his execution, he appeals to the boy's parents for forgiveness and tells the girl's parents he hopes his death brings them peace. Poncelet is then executed and later given a proper burial. The murdered boy's father attends the ceremony and begins to pray with Sister Helen, ending the film.
Cast [link]
- Susan Sarandon as Sister Helen Prejean
- Sean Penn as Matthew Poncelet
- Robert Prosky as Hilton Barber
- Raymond J. Barry as Earl Delacroix
- R. Lee Ermey as Clyde Percy
- Celia Weston as Mary Beth Percy
- Lois Smith as Helen's mother
- Michael Cullen as Carl Vitello
- Scott Wilson as Chaplain Farlely
- Roberta Maxwell as Lucille Poncelet
- Jack Black as Craig Poncelet
- Peter Sarsgaard as Walter Delacroix
- Missy Yager as Hope Percy
The film was a family affair for Tim Robbins. In addition to his longtime companion Susan Sarandon, his father, Gil Robbins (Bishop Norwich), mother Mary Robbins (aide to the governor), sister Adele Robbins (nurse), and sons Jack Henry Robbins (opossum kid) and Miles Robbins (boy in church) all played in the film. His brother, David Robbins, composed the score.
Reception [link]
Critical reception [link]
The film was very well received by critics and currently holds a 94% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes and an 80 out of 100 on Metacritic [1]. Hal Hinson of The Washington Post commented: "What this intelligent, balanced, devastating movie puts before us is nothing less than a contest between good and evil."[2] Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times described the acting: "For this kind of straight-ahead movie to work, the acting must be strong without even a breath of theatricality, and in Penn and Sarandon, 'Dead Man Walking' has performers capable of making that happen."[3] Roger Ebert called the film "absorbing, surprising, technically superb and worth talking about for a long time afterward."[4]
Accolades [link]
At the 68th Academy Awards, Dead Man Walking was nominated in four different categories: Susan Sarandon won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role, Sean Penn was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, Tim Robbins for Best Director and its main track, " Dead Man Walking " by Bruce Springsteen for Best Song.
At the Golden Globes, Sarandon and Penn received nominations for their acting while Robbins received one for best screenplay. At the 46th Berlin International Film Festival, Penn won the Silver Bear for Best Actor.[5]
Box office [link]
Dead Man Walking debuted on December 29, 1995, in the United States. With a budget of $11 million, the film grossed $39,387,284 in the United States and $47,000,000 internationally, for a total of $86,387,284.[6]
Other versions [link]
In 2002, Tim Robbins, who adapted the book for the film, also wrote a stage version of Dead Man Walking.
See also [link]
References [link]
- ^ "Dead Man Walking." The Washington Post. Retrieved on September 2, 2010.
- ^ Hinson, Hal (January 12, 1996). "A Tale of Giving the Devil His Due". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/deadmanwalking.htm#hinson. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
- ^ Turan, Kenneth (December 29, 1995). "Movie Review Dead Man Walking". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071217034752/https://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie960406-2,0,4564347.story. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (January 12, 1996). "Dead Man Walking". Chicago Sun-Times. https://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960112/REVIEWS/601120301. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
- ^ "Berlinale: 1996 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. https://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1996/03_preistr_ger_1996/03_Preistraeger_1996.html. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
- ^ "Box Office Data for Dead Man Walking". https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1995/0DMWL.php.
External links [link]
- Dead Man Walking at the Internet Movie Database
- Dead Man Walking at Rotten Tomatoes
- Dead Man Walking at Box Office Mojo
- Dead Man Walking at Metacritic
- Dead Man Walking at the Arts & Faith Top100 Spiritually Significant Films list
- Interview with Sister Helen Prejean
- Dead Man Walking review from Entertainment Weekly
- "Entertainment Watch: Dead Man Walking" from AmericanCatholic.org, April 1996 James Arnold's Catholic view on the film
- Sister Helen Prejean: The Real Woman Behind "Dead Man Walking" by John Bookser Feister from AmericanCatholic.org
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Dead Man Walking
Dead Man Walking may refer to:
Literature and fiction
- Dead Man Walking (film), a 1995 film based on Prejean's book
- Dead Man Walking (soundtrack), a soundtrack album from the film, featuring the title song by Bruce Springsteen
- Dead Man Walking (opera), a 2000 opera by Jake Heggie based on the book
- Dead Man Walking (play), a 2002 play by Tim Robbins based on the book
Dead Man Walking (album)
Dead Man Walking is the first studio album from John Tibbs. Fair Trade Services alongside Columbia Records released the album on February 5, 2016. Tibbs worked with Ben Shive, in the production of this album.
Critical reception
Awarding the album four and a half stars at Jesus Freak Hideout, Alex Caldwell states, "Dead Man Walking is an excellent, fully formed, rocking debut album that hits on all cylinders and convicts and encourages in equal measure." Mikayla Shriver, rating the album three and a half stars for New Release Today, writes, "With profound lyrics and a unique musical style, John Tibbs' first studio album is worth a listen-- and a second listen-- and many more. This is a promising debut, and it will definitely not be the last we hear from him!" Giving the album four stars from 365 Days of Inspiring Media, Joshua Andre says, "John Tibbs' debut full length album has certainly lived up to the expectations placed upon it by the impressive EP, even though 5 songs are the same." Madeleine Dittmer, allotting the album four stars by The Christian Beat, describes, "The songs on this album contain an energy that surges through John’s music and voice, and are sure to have you singing along...John Tibbs has created a collection of songs full of thought-provoking lyrics and skillful, catchy instrumentation".
Dead Man Walking (book)
Dead Man Walking (1993) is a work of non-fiction by Sister Helen Prejean, a Roman Catholic nun and one of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Medaille. An account based on her work as a spiritual adviser to two convicted murderers on Death Row, the book is set at the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. It examines moral issues related to the death penalty.
Background
Prejean has become a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. Her campaign began in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1982, through a correspondence she maintained with two convicted murderers. The first was Elmo Patrick Sonnier, who was sentenced to death by electric chair. She visited Sonnier in prison and agreed to be his spiritual adviser in the months leading up to his death. The second was Robert Lee Willie, for whom she also served as spiritual adviser.
The experience gave Prejean greater insight into the process involved in executions and the minds of convicted murderers. She became convinced the death penalty was morally wrong and began speaking out against capital punishment. At the same time, she founded Survive, an organization devoted to providing counseling to the families of victims of violence.
