ACADEMY AWARD-WINNER TOM HANKS STARS IN THE INSPIRING DRAMA "THE GREEN MILE," ON "ABC'S SATURDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK," FEBRUARY 19

David Morse, Bonnie Hunt and Michael Clarke Duncan Star in the Feature, Airing in HDTV with 5.1-Channel Surround Sound and Video Description

"As Darabont directs it, it tells a story with beginning, middle, end, vivid characters, humor, outrage and emotional release." -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Tom Hanks ("Road to Perdition," "Cast Away") stars in "The Green Mile," an inspiring drama based on a Stephen King novel about prison guards and their interaction with a towering inmate awaiting his execution. The feature will air as the "ABC Saturday Movie of the Week," FEBRUARY 19 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. (Rebroadcast. OAD: 9/28/02) Also starring are David Morse ("Proof of Life"), Bonnie Hunt (ABC's "Life with Bonnie") and Michael Clarke Duncan (who received an Oscar nomination for the role).

In "The Green Mile," which received four Oscar nominations, Paul Edgecomb (Hanks) is in charge of Death Row at a Deep South prison in the 1930s. The Green Mile refers to the green floor leading to the death chamber. A towering black man, John Coffey (Duncan), arrives in the cell block, having been convicted of the murders of two little girls. Coffey is passive, cooperative and seemingly simpleminded, and he's afraid of the dark, which leads most to doubt he is capable of committing any crime.

Edgecomb is plagued by a lingering infection and worse - a vicious guard named Percy (Doug Hutchison) who is related to the governor and wants "to see one cook up close."

"The Green Mile" stars Tom Hanks as Paul Edgecomb, David Morse as Brutus Howell, Bonnie Hunt as Jan Edgecomb, Michael Clarke Duncan ("The Scorpion King") as John Coffey, James Cromwell ("The Sum of All Fears," "Babe") as Warden Hal Moores, Michael Jeter ("Welcome to Collinwood") as Eduard "Del" Delacroix, Graham Greene ("Skins") as Arlen Bitterbuck, Doug Hutchison ("The Salton Sea") as Percy Wetmore, Sam Rockwell as William "Wild Bill" Wharton, Barry Pepper as Dean Stanton, Jeffrey DeMunn as Harry Terwilliger, Patricia Clarkson as Melinda Moores, Harry Dean Stanton as Toot-Toot, Dabbs Greer as Old Paul Edgecomb and Eve Brent as Elaine Connelly.

The 1999 release was directed by three-time Oscar nominee Frank Darabont ("The Green Mile" and "The Shawshank Redemption"). Darabont wrote the screenplay based on the Stephen King novel. The film was produced by Castle Rock Entertainment, Darkwoods Productions and Warner Bros. (CLOSED-CAPTIONED)

"THE GREEN MILE" IN HDTV:
The ABC Television Network's HDTV broadcast of "The Green Mile" will air in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound and video description.

This film carries a TV-14,L,V parental guideline and the following advisory: "Due to adult subject matter and violent content, viewer discretion is strongly advised."