Is Dead Man Walking True Story? Plot, Cast, Trailer and More
by Mathelene
Updated Sep 15, 2023
Dead Man Walking
In 1995, a movie called "Dead Man Walking" was made in America. It's a crime drama film, and it stars Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. Tim Robbins, who made the movie, also helped write the script based on a true story from a book in 1993 with the same name.
In the movie, Susan Sarandon plays Sister Helen Prejean. She becomes close to Sean Penn's character, Matthew Poncelet, who is like a combination of two real-life convicted murderers, Elmo Patrick Sonnier and Robert Lee Willie. Matthew is in prison in Louisiana, waiting to be put to death, and Sister Helen visits him to give him spiritual guidance after they exchanged letters.
The movie did really well both with critics and at the box office. It made $83 million even though it was made with a budget of only $11 million. People praised the acting of Penn and Sarandon, and Tim Robbins' directing skills. Susan Sarandon even won an Academy Award for her role, and Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, and Bruce Springsteen got nominated for their work on the film. Springsteen's song "Dead Man Walkin'" also got nominated.
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Is Dead Man Walking True Story?
Yes, "Dead Man Walking" is based on a true story. The movie, released in 1995, tells the real-life account of a man named Matthew Poncelet, played by Sean Penn, who was sentenced to death for his involvement in a gruesome crime. Susan Sarandon portrays Sister Helen Prejean, a nun who becomes a spiritual advisor to Matthew and tries to help him find redemption before his execution.
The film was directed by Tim Robbins and adapted from a non-fiction book of the same name, written by Sister Helen Prejean in 1993. It explores the moral and ethical dilemmas surrounding the death penalty and the journey of both the condemned man and the nun who walks with him on his path to execution.
"Dead Man Walking" is a powerful and thought-provoking film that raises important questions about justice, forgiveness, and human dignity, drawing from a real-life story to shed light on these complex issues.
Dead Man Walking Plot
Matthew Poncelet is in big trouble. He's been in jail for six years, waiting to be put to death for a really bad crime: he and his friend, Carl, were involved in the murder and assault of a young couple. But Matthew says he didn't do it and asks Sister Helen Prejean for help. She's a nun he's been writing to.
Sister Helen decides to visit Matthew, even though he's not a very nice person. He's rude, mean, and racist. He doesn't even say sorry for what he did. Sister Helen gets a lawyer to help Matthew for free, and they try to change his death sentence to life in prison. She spends a lot of time with him and gets to know his mom and the families of the victims. But the victims' families don't like it. They want Matthew to pay for what he did with his life.
Sister Helen's request to change Matthew's sentence is denied. Matthew asks her to be with him when he's executed, and she agrees. Before he's taken away, he finally admits to Sister Helen that he did kill the boy and hurt the girl, but his friend Carl also did bad things. He asks for forgiveness from the boy's dad and hopes the girl's parents can find peace.
Matthew is put to death, and he gets a proper burial. The boy's dad goes to the funeral, even though he's still really angry. But eventually, he starts praying with Sister Helen.
Dead Man Walking Cast
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
Augusta Bourg Prejean
Scott Wilson
Chaplain Farley
Roberta Maxwell
Lucille Poncelet
Margo Martindale
Sister Colleen
Kevin Cooney
Governor Benedict
Clancy Brown
State Trooper
Michael Cullen
Carl Vitello
Peter Sarsgaard
Walter Delacroix
Missy Yager
Hope Percy
Jack Black
Craig Poncelet
Barton Heyman
Captain Beliveau
Nesbitt Blaisdell
Warden Hartman
Steve Boles
Sergeant Neal Trapp
Shannon Proctor
Assistant to Governor Benedict
Cast
Character
Dead Man Walking Where to watch
You can currently watch the movie "Dead Man Walking" on a few different streaming services like Prime Video, Showtime, fuboTV, and Paramount+. If you don't have those services, you can still watch it by renting or buying it from places like Amazon, iTunes, or Vudu.
So, if you have a subscription to Prime Video, Showtime, fuboTV, or Paramount+, you can just click and watch it there. But if you don't have those, you can go to Amazon, iTunes, or Vudu, and they'll let you rent or buy the movie so you can watch it on your computer or TV. This gives you a few options to choose from, depending on how you like to watch movies and which services you have access to.
Dead Man Walking Trailer
Is Dead Man Walking True Story - FAQs
Yes, "Dead Man Walking" is based on a true story, adapted from the 1993 non-fiction book of the same name by Sister Helen Prejean.
You can currently stream "Dead Man Walking" on Prime Video, Showtime, fuboTV, and Paramount+. Additionally, you can rent or purchase the movie on Amazon, iTunes, and Vudu.
"Dead Man Walking" tells the story of Sister Helen Prejean's journey as she becomes the spiritual advisor to Matthew Poncelet, a man on death row, and her efforts to help him find redemption and face the consequences of his actions.
The main actors in the movie are Susan Sarandon (Sister Helen Prejean) and Sean Penn (Matthew Poncelet).
Yes, Susan Sarandon won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in "Dead Man Walking."