Dead Man Walking (R) 7.5

Dead Man Walking (1995) A nun, while comforting a convicted killer on death row, empathizes with both the killer and his victim's families. (7.6)

Director: Tim Robbins
Writers: Helen Prejean (book), Tim Robbins
Stars: Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Robert Prosky

This is a movie that questions the place of the capital punishment in our society. Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn perform admirably and true to the task at hand. The brutality of the crime, the aftermath for the victims families and the road to redemption (or not) is clearly depicted. What is not discussed, perhaps, is the usefulness or the lack thereof of putting someone to death from a non-emotional point of view. A superbly written non-fiction by a long-term advocate for the abolition of the death penalty, this is a meaningful starting point for the discussion. As a movie, this excels at pointing out both sides of the argument without being preachy. What it is preachy about is the religion but I'm willing to overlook that given the writer's background and the relevance to the storyline. My Rating: 7.5