Based on Stephen King’s 1996 novel,The Green Mileis a story of a misunderstood Black man in the Deep South of Louisiana who awaits another man’s destiny. When John Coffey was found in the middle of a field with two young deceased white girls in his arms, he was automatically found guilty of the unforgivable charges. His harrowing cries for the girls could be heard from hundreds of feet away, but what really happened?
What happened to the two girls was one of the greater unfortunate events in the small Louisiana town during the Great Depression. What may be more unfortunate is an innocent man being put on death row, and a guilty man being free. When Coffey was transferred to his prison cell, he had all the guards shaking in their boots, all, but one — Paul “Boss” Edgecomb. The connection between Coffey and Boss was initiated immediately.
Boss grew curious about Coffey’s persona and the misconception of it. He knew that Coffey was different, but how different was a miraculous discovery. Coffey was aman with supernatural gifts. When Boss had a painful physical weakness that needed fixing, Coffey took Boss’s life in his hands, the same way he tried to help the two deceased girls. He healed Boss of his injury just as he attempted to heal the girls of theirs. Finally, someone understood Coffey’s intentions and way of his heart.
Though Coffey wouldn’t reclaim his innocence in the eyes of the government and people of Louisiana, he proved his abilities to heal with his bare hands — pointing to the wrongful verdict he was still to face. Boss told Coffey he could be set free without a change in conviction after disclosing the guilty party, but Coffey denied his life-saving offer, as Coffey felt the world wasn’t a safe place for a man of his sincere kind. Since Coffey knew his life would be cut short, he gave Boss his supernatural powers, which also transferred to the mouse he saved, giving them both a longer life.
10Micheal Clarke Duncan Remembered His Saddest Time for the Role
Michael Clarke Duncan had to embody an extremely emotional character portrayal for his role as John Coffey. He succeeded so well, he was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor award at the Academy Awards. In order to give such conviction, Clarke would recall the time that his father left him as a child. This memory evoked the sadness Clarke needed for his role — unfortunate, yet clever.
9Fifteen Mice Were Used During Production
Eduard Delacroix, played by Micheal Jeter,befriended a mousewhile on death row. The mouse was later cared for by Boss after he retired from being a guard. However, there wasn’t just one mouse used for the role. Fifteen mice were trained to do tricks before filming and every single one of them was used inThe Green Mile.
8Tom Hanks Stayed in Character on Set
When Stephen King would visit the set,Tom Hanks, who played the lead guard Paul “Boss” Edgecomb, would never go out of character. When King insisted Hanks sit in the electric chair, Hanks denied doing so and replied that he needed to stay in charge of his block.
Related:Every Tom Hanks Crime Thriller, Ranked
7Rodney Barnes Snuck on Set to Land His Role
Though Micheal Clarke Duncan was larger than normal, the crew was successful in casting a stand-in for Duncan as Coffey. This man was Rodney Barnes. In order for Barnes to gain his role, he snuck on set, hiding in the paddy wagon used to haul the inmates to the prison. This took director Frank Darabont by surprise, but he was so impressed by Barnes’ effort that he hired him anyway. What’s more, Barnes slyly made his way onto the set for one reason and one reason only — to meet his favorite author, Stephen King.
6The Green Mile Is Dabbs Greer’s Last Film
Actor Dabbs Greer was cast as the older version of Tom Hanks’ role. He, unfortunately, had health concerns before filming started. However, director Frank Darabont was so interested in Greer for the role that he proposed the movie be filmed around Greer’s health. Greer approved and took onThe Green Mileas his last role.
5Production Made Duncan’s Bed Smaller
The late Micheal Clarke Duncan was an incredibly large person. To make him appear even bigger the production made his jail cell bed shorter to give him even more height and width — not that he needed it, as he towered over everyone on set naturally.
4Production Changed the Film’s Timeline
When Coffey was set for the electric chair, he had one dying wish. Though Boss did give him the opportunity to be a free man, Coffey had something else on his mind. He wanted to watch a movie with the guards before his passing. In order to feature the movieTop Hat,the specific film they wanted for Coffey’s scene, the time frame ofThe Green Milehad to be moved from 1932 to 1935 due to its 1935 release.The film’s soundtrack featuresthe songHeavenby Mark Sandrich, resulting in a very emotional scene for Coffey and the guards.
Related:Best Michael Clarke Duncan Performances, Ranked
3Stephen King Dislikes the Electric Chair
Stephen King often visited the set ofThe Green Mile.On one occasion, King asked to be strapped into the electric chair, also called “old sparky.” It is recorded that King was not fond of this experience and likely did not strap up twice.
2It Was Stephen King’s First Film to Surpass $100 Million
Being the renowned author that Stephen King is, he’s hadmore than 30 film adaptationsrise to earn nearly $100 million.The Green Milewas King’s first film to make more than $100 million at the box office, doubling that profit by grossing $286.8 million in total.
1John Coffey’s Ending Scene Foreshadows His Demise
Perhaps the most emotional scene inThe Green Mileis when Boss and Coffey had their closing time together before Coffey’s execution. Coffey explained to Boss how he would rather go to heaven than stay another day on Earth. Moments after this conversation, Coffey’s wish to watch a movie before passing was given to him. When he was sitting watchingTop Hat, there was a glowing halo atop Coffey’s head made from the film projector, making the scene to be that much more moving.
The Green Milewas one of the most moving films of 1999 and was nominated for four Oscars. Though it would not take an Academy Award home, it did win a plethora of other awards, like six Saturn Awards, two People’s Choice Awards, and many more. While the actors did a phenomenal character depictionof Stephen King’s ideology, there was also seemingly no mistake made in filming, and the script was delivered with pure talent.
