Dead Man Walking (1995)
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The story
Matthew Poncelet, a man sentenced to death for the murder and rape of a teenage couple, has been on death row at the Louisiana State Penitentiary for six years. As his execution date approaches, he asks Sister Helen Prejean, a woman with whom he has corresponded, to help him with a final appeal. Sister Helen decides to visit him, despite his arrogant and unrepentant demeanor. She attempts to convince an experienced attorney to take his case pro bono in an effort to have his sentence commed to life imprisonment, while simultaneously navigating the complex emotions of his family and the victims' parents.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Matthew Poncelet is sentenced to death for the murder and rape of a teenage couple and has spent six years on death row in Louisiana. His accomplice, Carl Vitello, received a life sentence. As execution nears, Poncelet asks Sister Helen Prejean to assist with a final appeal. Sister Helen visits him and finds him unrepentant and defiant. She enlists attorney Hilton Barber to seek a commutation to life imprisonment. During this time, she builds a relationship with Poncelet and meets his family, while also meeting the parents of the victims, who demand 'absolute justice.' Despite her efforts, the application for commutation is rejected. Poncelet asks Sister Helen to be his spiritual adviser until his execution. She tells him redemption is only possible if he takes responsibility. Just before his execution, Poncelet tearfully confesses to Sister Helen that he committed the crimes. In his final moments, he seeks forgiveness from the victims' parents.
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 122
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tim Robbins
- Writers
- Tim Robbins · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Susan Sarandon · Sister Helen Prejean; Sean Penn · Matthew Poncelet; Robert Prosky · Hilton Barber; Raymond J. Barry · Earl Delacroix; R. Lee Ermey · Clyde Percy; Celia Weston · Mary Beth Percy; Lois Smith · Augusta Bourg Prejean; Scott Wilson · Chaplain Farley; Jon Abrahams · Sonny Poncelet; Roberta Maxwell · Lucille Poncelet; Margo Martindale · Sister Colleen; Kevin Cooney · Governor Benedict
- Genres
- crime drama; legal drama; prison drama
- Themes
- Capital punishment; Morality; Redemption; Justice
- Tone and mood
- Serious; Thought-provoking
- Premise and plot tags
- Legal drama; Prison drama; Based on a true story
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1993 non-fiction book of the same name
- Reception
- The film was a critical and commercial success, praised for the performances of Penn and Sarandon and Robbins' direction.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 95% · scale: percentage · review count: 60; Metacritic · score: 80 · scale: 100 · review count: 26
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actress · Win; Academy Award · Best Director · Nomination; Academy Award · Best Actor · Nomination; Academy Award · Best Original Song · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film is based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean.; Two versions of the execution scene were filmed.; The real-life Helen Prejean appears in the film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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