The Green Mile

The film premiered on December 10, 1999, in the United States to positive reviews from critics, who praised Darabont’s direction and writing, emotional weight, and performances (particularly for Hanks and Duncan), although its length received criticism. Since its release, the film has gained a reputation as one of the most emotionally touching films of all time. It was a commercial success, grossing $286 million from its $60 million budget, and was nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Duncan, Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay.

In 1935, Paul supervised Corrections Officers Brutus “Brutal” Howell, Dean Stanton, Harry Terwilliger, and Percy Wetmore, reporting to Warden Hal Moores. Percy, the nephew of the state governor’s wife, demonstrates a severe sadistic streak but flaunts his family connections to avoid being held accountable. He is particularly abusive towards prisoner Eduard “Del” Delacroix, breaking his fingers and killing his pet mouse, Mr. Jingles.

Paul is introduced to John Coffey, a physically imposing but mild-mannered black man sentenced to death after being convicted of raping and murdering two young white girls. He joins Del and another condemned convict: Arlen Bitterbuck, the first to be executed. The officers are forced to deal with psychotic new inmate William “Wild Bill” Wharton, who frequently causes trouble by assaulting the officers and racially abusing John, forcing them to restrain him in the block’s padded cell on more than one occasion.

After John heals Paul’s severe bladder infection by touching him, and later resurrects Mr. Jingles, Paul gradually realizes that John possesses a supernatural ability to heal others. Paul doubts whether someone with the power to perform divine miracles is truly guilty of the crime.

In exchange for resigning from the penitentiary and accepting a job at an insane asylum, Percy is allowed to oversee Del’s execution. At the execution, Percy deliberately avoids soaking the sponge used to conduct electricity to Del’s head, leading to Del suffering a gruesome and agonizing death by burning, with John forced to feel Del’s pain as well. Paul and the other officers punish Percy by forcing him to spend a night in the padded cell. While Percy is locked away, they drug Wharton and secretly smuggle John out of the prison so that he can use his powers to heal Warden Moores’ wife Melinda of a brain tumor, saving her life. After Percy is released from the padded room, the others threaten to report him for his various acts of misconduct if his behavior continues.

John uses his powers to “release” Melinda’s affliction into Percy’s brain, causing Percy to shoot Wharton dead. Soon after, John reveals in a vision to Paul that Wharton was the true culprit of the crimes for which he was wrongfully condemned, releasing his supernatural energy into Paul in the process. Having gone into a catatonic state, Percy is committed to the same insane asylum where he had planned to work after resigning from the prison.

After realizing that John is innocent, Paul becomes distraught at the thought of executing him and offers to let him go free. Although equally distraught at the outcome, John tells Paul that the execution would be an act of mercy, as he views the world as a cruel place and is in constant pain from the suffering that people inflict upon each other. Mentioning that he has never seen a movie before, John watches Top Hat with the other officers as his last request. As John is taken to be executed, he is mercilessly scorned by the parents of the two girls who still believe him to be guilty. He asks not to have a hood placed over his head as he is afraid of the dark. Paul, Brutal, and the other officers watch in great sorrow, visibly holding back tears, as John is executed.

Back in present day, Paul tells Elaine that John’s execution was the last that he and Brutal witnessed, as they both subsequently resigned from the prison and took up jobs in the juvenile system. Paul reveals to Elaine that Mr. Jingles is still alive, having been blessed with a supernaturally long life thanks to John’s healing touch. He also reveals that he is now 108 years old; he was 44 when John was executed. While Elaine sees Paul’s long life as another of John’s miracles, Paul speculates that he may have been condemned to linger on Earth and outlive all of his loved ones as a divine punishment for John’s execution. Paul later attends Elaine’s funeral and muses on how much longer he has left to live, saying, “We each owe a death. There are no exceptions. But, oh, God… sometimes, the Green Mile seems so long.”