IMDb > Dead Man Walking (1995)
Dead Man Walking
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Dead Man Walking (1995) More at IMDbPro »

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Dead Man Walking (1995) -- Sister Helen Prejean, a compassionate nun, is the spiritual advisor to Matthew, a vicious murderer awaiting execution. But as she attempts to navigate Matthew's soul, she encounters a depth of evil that makes her question how far redemption can really go.
Dead Man Walking (1995) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   30,078 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Helen Prejean (book)
Tim Robbins (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Dead Man Walking on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 January 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Plot:
A nun, while comforting a convicted killer on death row, empathizes with both the killer and his victim's families. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 19 wins & 11 nominations more
User Comments:
Powerful more (164 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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 ... Helen's mother
Scott Wilson ... Chaplain Farlely
Roberta Maxwell ... Lucille Poncelet
Margo Martindale ... Sister Colleen
Barton Heyman ... Capt. Beliveau

Steve Boles ... Sgt. Neal Trapp

Nesbitt Blaisdell ... Warden Hartman
Ray Aranha ... Luis Montoya
Larry Pine ... Guy Gilardi
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for a depiction of a rape and murder.
Runtime:
122 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In reality, Elmo Patrick Sonnier and Robert Lee Willie, both inmates on whom Sean Penn's character Matthew Poncelet is based on, were executed by the electric chair in Louisiana in 1984; by 1993, Louisiana switched that penalty to lethal injection as the most humane way to execute. Both Tim Robbins and Helen Prejean opted to use lethal injection in the film instead of the electric chair because, according to Prejean's interview, "We don't want to give people the moral (of the most humane death) out whereby people could say 'Oh well, we used to do electrocution but that's too barbaric so now we are humane and inject them'." more
Goofs:
Factual errors: The chemicals used in lethal injections in Louisiana are administered manually, not by a machine as in the movie. more
Quotes:
Sister Helen Prejean: I want the last face you see in this world to be the face of love, so you look at me when they do this thing. I'll be the face of love for you. more
Movie Connections:
References The Usual Suspects (1995) more
Soundtrack:
Shadow more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
12 out of 20 people found the following comment useful.
Powerful, 3 October 1999
9/10
Author: AKS-6 from Sweden

"Dead Man Walking" is one of the most powerful movies I have ever seen. I find it hard to believe that anyone, after having seen the movie, could feel indifferent about the film or its message. Tim Robbins does not try to impose his ideas and beliefs on the viewers, but manages to make a film that are in most ways sympathetic to both views on the death penalty -- whether it is right to murder a murderer or not. I have always known where I stand in this question, even as a child, and this movie -- despite the fact that it does not really take any sides -- made me even surer in my conviction that it can never be right to murder *anyone*.

Sean Penn is absolutely brilliant in his portrayal of Matthew Poncelet, his nomination for an Academy Award was very well-deserved. Even if Nicolas Cage does a great job in "Leaving Las Vegas", I would have been happier if Penn had won the award. Susan Sarandon is also brilliant and she deserved the Academy Award she won. And Tim Robbins certainly deserves the vote I have given this film: 9/10!

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The only five films to make me cry BarleyGrains
D. PENALTY IS ABOUT REVENGE NOT JUSTICE - OWN UP petitprince-3
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