Inspired by the true story of a nun's relationship with a condemned man, this provocative examination of crime, punishment and redemption earned Susan Sarandon the 1995 Oscar for Best Actress and Sean Penn an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Sister Helen Prejean (Sarandon), a compassionate New Orleans nun, is the spiritual advisor to Mathew Poncelet (Penn), a vicious, angry and complex murderer awaiting execution. Her dedication is to help others, like Mathew, find salvation. But as she attempt to navigate Mathew's dark soul, she encounters a depth of evil that makes her question how far redemption can really go. Can she stave off the fateful day of execution long enough to save Mathew, or will she discover a truth that will rock the very foundations by which she lives?
Directed by
Tim Robbins
Written by
Helen Prejean (book) Tim Robbins (written by)
Starring
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). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
Important: the following essays and comments are authored by Soul Food Cinema readers. Whilst the Editor prays for the spiritual integrity of all content of this site, it should be noted that these represent personal opinions and carry no official endorsement. If you consider any content to be a misrepresentation of Catholic teaching, please contact SFC. May God bless you and enlighten you in your reading.
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Stellar performances in a deeply spiritual film
Mark Banks (United Kingdom)
Opinion: Recommended
Dead Man Walking is one of a few films that I watched before returning to my faith and compiling my Top-100 list of films, yet it was one film that automatically went into the list with no need of a second viewing - such was the moving effect it had on me the first time I watched it. Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn form a great on-screen connection in a film that reaffirms God's love and forgiveness, even to the most-hardened of sinners. Essential viewing for any Catholic film-fan, or come to that, any Catholic or Christian beyond; we should be making more film like this.
