Film · TMDB
7.3A death row inmate turns for spiritual guidance to a local nun in the days leading up to his scheduled execution for the murders of a young couple.
Released: 1995-12-29122 minDir: Tim RobbinsDramaBudget: $11.0MBox office: $39.4M
Cast
- Susan Sarandon as Sister Helen Prejean
- Sean Penn as Matthew Poncelet
- Robert Prosky as Hilton Barber
- Raymond J. Barry as Earl Delacroix
- R. Lee Ermey as Clyde Percy
- Celia Weston as Mary Beth Percy
Themes
- prison
~9 min read
Article
Dead Man Walking is a 1995 American crime drama film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn, and co-produced and directed by Tim Robbins, who adapted the screenplay from the 1993 non-fiction book of the same name. It marked Peter Sarsgaard’s film debut.
In the film, Sister Helen Prejean (Sarandon) establishes a special relationship with Matthew Poncelet (Penn), a character based on convicted murderers Elmo Patrick Sonnier and Robert Lee Willie. He is a condemned prisoner on death row in Louisiana, and she visits him as his spiritual adviser after corresponding with him.