I would have never thought that a movie could change my view on something. I never thought in 2 hours the way I feel about something would change so drastically. I have never seen a problem with the death penalty until I saw this film. This film has made me against it, instead of for it. How powerful does a film have to be to change the way a person thinks. Pretty powerful and Dead Man Walking, I think, is more than powerful enough to change the way some people view the death penalty.

This movie is based on the true story about Sister Helen Prejean(Susan Sarandon), a nun in Louisiana, who receives a letter from a man on death row for murdering 2 teenagers, Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn). He asks for her help in trying to get his execution stopped. Throughout the movie Sister Helen tries to get Matthew to repent his sins and confess what he has done. The movie is not only about her trying to help him stay alive by stopping the execution, it is also about her trying to save his soul and be at peace with himself. The movie is also about the inner struggle Helen has with herself about helping this man. The family of the kids he murdered shuns her and asks her how could she stand by his side. She strives to understand why he did what he did and why he won’t confess his sins. The most powerful scene in the movie is when he is finally confessing his sins to Helen and the tattoo covered, hardened criminal is afraid of death and is crying for forgiveness.

Susan Sarandon deserved the Oscar she won for her role in this film. She plays Sister Helen Prejean with such heart and devotion. Susan make her character have such strength and she really makes her come to life. I don’t think anyone else could have taken the role and did as good a job.
Sean Penn’s performance was also amazing. You hate the character he plays, but in a certain way you feel the sadness and sorrow he is going through and by the end you really don’t hate him anymore. You hate what he did, you hate the way he lived his life, you hate the choice he made, but you don’t hate him. It really takes a good actor to make an audience not hate a murderer. Sean Penn really made us see that there was a person behind Matthew Poncelet, not just the monster everyone wanted to believe he was.

Overall this is a wonderful film. I really do love this movie. I am so glad Sister Helen Prejean did what she did and chose to write about it in her book. I am so glad she had enough courage to stand by this mans side when no one else would. She had enough courage to forgive this man for the mistakes he made in his life, to forgive him for the path he chose. If you take nothing else away from this movie but a newfound sense of forgiveness for people, then everything Helen did was worth it.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older