Sean Penn’s 1995 crime drama Dead Man Walking remains one of the most highly rated movies from the 1990s, earning a 97% Tomatometer score from Rotten Tomatoes.
The film ranks No. 15 on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of 185 Favorite 90s Movies, placing the Tim Robbins-directed drama among the decade’s standout films.
Starring Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon, Dead Man Walking tells the story of Matthew Poncelet, a death row inmate who asks Sister Helen Prejean for help as his execution date gets closer. The film explores their relationship while also looking at the families affected by the crime.
Rotten Tomatoes lists the movie with a 97% Tomatometer score from 60 reviews and an 86% Popcornmeter score based on more than 50,000 ratings.
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Released in 1995, the movie runs for 2 hours and 2 minutes and is rated R. It is classified as a crime drama.
Penn plays Matthew Poncelet, a condemned prisoner in Louisiana who has spent six years on death row after being sentenced for the murder and rape of a teenage couple.
As his execution approaches, Poncelet contacts Sister Helen Prejean, played by Sarandon, asking for help with a final appeal. He claims that he is innocent of the murders and says his accomplice was responsible.
Sister Helen agrees to help him. She finds a lawyer willing to handle the case and works to have Poncelet’s death sentence changed to life imprisonment.
Her efforts also bring her closer to the families of both Poncelet and the victims. She meets his mother and brothers while also speaking with the parents of the young couple. The visits show how the case affects people on both sides.
The story eventually changes when Poncelet asks Sister Helen to remain with him as his spiritual adviser through his execution. She tells him that redemption requires him to accept responsibility for his actions.
Penn’s performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Sarandon won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Sister Helen, while Robbins was nominated for Best Director.
The film also received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for Bruce Springsteen’s “Dead Man Walkin’.”
‘Dead Man Walking’ Became a Major Critical and Commercial Success
Dead Man Walking was directed and co-produced by Tim Robbins, who also adapted the screenplay from Sister Helen Prejean’s 1993 non-fiction book of the same name.
The movie became a critical and commercial success. It was made on an $11 million budget and earned $83 million at the box office.
The film’s cast included Robert Prosky as attorney Hilton Barber, Raymond J. Barry as Earl Delacroix, R. Lee Ermey as Clyde Percy, Celia Weston as Mary Beth Percy and Scott Wilson as Chaplain Farley.
Peter Sarsgaard also made his film debut in Dead Man Walking, playing Walter Delacroix.
The movie received recognition from several major film groups. Penn won Best Male Lead at the Independent Spirit Awards, while Dead Man Walking won Best Movie and Penn won Best Actor at the Chlotrudis Awards. Sarandon also received several acting honors for her performance.
At the Berlin International Film Festival, Robbins won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, while Penn won Best Actor. Robbins also received the Best Director award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
The film was also recognized by the Humanitas Prize Awards, where Robbins won for Feature Film.
Beyond the awards, Dead Man Walking became known for bringing the story of Sister Helen Prejean and the death penalty debate to a wide movie audience.
The real-life Helen Prejean also appears briefly in the movie during the candlelight vigil scene outside the prison.
Penn’s performance as Poncelet has also been highlighted among his notable acting roles. Collider described Dead Man Walking as the film that helped catapult Penn to the Hollywood A-list, while noting his ability to show different sides of Poncelet as the story develops.
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