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:
Incredible filmmaking 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.
33 out of 53 people found the following comment useful.
Incredible filmmaking, 20 March 2000
9/10
Author: The_Core from Seattle, WA. USA

"Dead Man Walking" is a piece of incredible filmmaking. All the acting is top-notch and realistic, and the script examines the issue of the death penalty from both sides, paying equal homage to both. Above all, this is a deeply moving story of redemption, of death with dignity and loss of ego. Any film that deals this courageously and maturely with such incredibly difficult subject matter deserves a rating of 10/10. Thank you, Tim Robbins!

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Dead Man Walking (1995)
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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1996 best actrees OSCAR goes to... abril1088
the daughter exatera
Other death penalty films Owl007
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