The Green Mile begins by introducing an elderly man named Paul who lives in a nursing home. Every day, Paul diligently walks to the hill near his nursing home despite his advanced age. One day, while everyone was watching TV together, Paul starts crying upon seeing clips from an old film and chooses to move to another room to compose himself. Elaine (Eve Brent), his friend at the nursing home, accompanies Paul and asks why he’s crying. Finally, Paul begins to share his past as a death row supervisor at Cold Mountain Prison. They called the prison corridor floor the Green Mile because of its green color. Paul then recounts the greatest experience of his life in the 1930s, before his retirement.
The scene shifts to 1935, where Paul was still in his prime while working at the prison. One day, the prison receives a new inmate scheduled for execution. Paul, along with his friends Brutal (David Morse), Dean (Barry Pepper), and Harry (Jeffrey DeMunn), prepare to receive this new prisoner. However, this inmate was unlike the others. He was Black, with a very muscular and tall build. Yet, when he spoke, his facial expression was that of someone terrified. The inmate’s name was John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan). John was convicted of allegedly kidnapping, murdering, and raping two little girls. He was caught by the riverside, with the two blood-soaked little girls in his lap.
One day while Paul and his friends were on duty, a mouse appeared from beneath the special cell. After removing items from the cell, they couldn’t find the mouse. The next day, a new guard named Percy (Doug Hutchison) tried to catch the mouse, chasing it into the cell and causing a commotion. Paul, witnessing Percy’s attempts, scolds him because his behavior could disturb the peace of inmates awaiting their execution day. Percy was actually a “guard” placed there by local officials, specifically being the governor’s wife’s nephew. Not surprisingly, he immediately secured a comfortable position in the prison and enjoyed acting like a hero and behaving as he pleased.
While Paul was engrossed in listening to music in the corridor, a prisoner named Del (Michael Jeter) was happily laughing to himself because he had found a new friend. This new friend turned out to be the mouse that Paul and his colleagues had been looking for the day before. The mouse was very friendly and obedient, and Del even named it Mr. Jingles. As a compassionate prison guard, Paul allowed the mouse to stay with Del until his impending execution. Paul was then summoned by his superior, Hal (James Cromwell), to come to his office. There, Hal informed him about the arrival of a new prisoner named Wharton (Sam Rockwell). Wharton was described as a deranged and ruthless murderer, with one of his victims being a pregnant woman.
Hal also shared his sorrow over his wife Melinda (Patricia Clarkson), who was suffering from terminal brain cancer. Days passed, and Paul began experiencing a urinary tract infection that severely hindered his daily activities. Wharton caused trouble as soon as he arrived, even kicking Paul in the groin, which aggravated Paul’s condition to the point where he collapsed in front of the cells. Suddenly, Coffey called out to Paul and asked him to come closer. Despite the pain, Paul approached Coffey, who then placed his hand on Paul’s groin. As the prison lights flickered, Coffey sat back down in his cell, exhaling a swarm of insects from his mouth. Exhausted, Coffey explained that he had removed “something” from Paul.
A bewildered Paul went to the restroom and was surprised to find that his urinary infection had completely healed. He could now urinate with ease, and later that night, he was able to engage in intimacy with his wife, lasting from night until morning. Realizing what had happened, Paul understood that the “something” Coffey had expelled was his illness, which had been cured. This led Paul to investigate Coffey’s case further, determined to ensure that Coffey was not guilty. Paul met Coffey’s former lawyer to inquire about the case. The lawyer explained that due to Coffey’s large stature and dark skin, people were convinced he had committed the murders. When Paul asked about Coffey’s background, the lawyer admitted he did not know.
Paul strongly believed that Coffey was not an evil person and was innocent of the murder charges against him. Having witnessed numerous criminals pass through the prison, Paul was convinced that Coffey lacked the typical traits of malice he had observed in others. Meanwhile, Wharton’s behavior in the prison became increasingly erratic. He constantly harassed the guards—spitting on Paul, urinating on Harry, and even spitting food on Brutal. At one point, he terrified Percy by grabbing his groin, causing Percy to wet himself. Del, who often endured Percy’s mistreatment, seized the opportunity to mock him for the incident.
The next day, Del was informed about his execution date. His only request was for his mouse, Mr. Jingles, to be well cared for. To comfort Del, Paul and Brutal assured him that they would take Mr. Jingles to a circus. However, while the mouse was practicing tricks and running through the cell corridor, Percy, still bitter from being ridiculed, cruelly stepped on Mr. Jingles, leaving him critically injured. Witnessing this, Del broke down in tears, mourning his beloved pet. John Coffey then asked Paul to bring the dying mouse to him. Coffey seemed to inhale something from the mouse, and moments later, he exhaled a swarm of insects. Miraculously, Mr. Jingles recovered fully, with all injuries from Percy’s stomp disappearing.
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This extraordinary event was witnessed by Brutal, Dean, and Harry, leaving them utterly bewildered. Furious over Percy’s actions, Paul and Brutal confronted him and threatened him with punishment unless he fulfilled his earlier promise to transfer out of the prison after Del’s execution. Percy reluctantly agreed but on the condition that he be allowed to lead Del’s execution. The day of Del’s execution finally arrived. However, Percy, driven by spite, deliberately failed to wet the sponge placed on Del’s head, which was meant to direct the electric current to his brain. As a result, the current burned Del alive in the electric chair, causing unimaginable pain and horrifying the witnesses. The panic and fear in the execution chamber left an indelible mark on everyone present.
Brutal was on the verge of beating Percy for his previous actions, but Paul restrained him, reminding him that Percy was about to be transferred, and any violence would only complicate matters. The next morning, Paul invited his three subordinates to a meal. During their conversation, Paul brought up the incident of Mr. Jingles being healed by Coffey. He asserted that Coffey couldn’t possibly be evil—how could someone with such miraculous healing abilities be wicked? Paul also revealed that Coffey had cured his urinary tract infection and asked their opinion on taking Coffey to heal Hal’s terminally ill wife, Melinda.
Initially, the others objected, citing that they barely knew Melinda and could face imprisonment if caught taking a prisoner out of jail. However, Paul eventually persuaded them, and they decided to carry out the plan that night. Upon arriving at Hal’s house, Coffey was visibly saddened by Melinda’s condition and quickly began the healing process. When it was over, Coffey, as usual, was completely exhausted. This time, however, he did not expel the swarm of insects from his mouth. Hal was overjoyed to find Melinda fully healed. Grateful beyond words, Hal and Melinda thanked Paul and his team repeatedly. In a gesture of gratitude toward Coffey, Melinda gave him a necklace and embraced him warmly.
The group hurriedly returned Coffey to his cell. Exhausted, Coffey immediately collapsed and rested. Percy, who had been locked in a special cell to prevent him from discovering Coffey’s absence, was then released. The moment Percy stepped out, Coffey grabbed him by the throat and expelled the swarm of insects into Percy’s mouth. Percy, now in a trance-like state, walked into Wharton’s cell and shot him multiple times, killing him. Once Wharton was dead, the insects emerged from Percy’s mouth and dissipated. Paul, shocked, questioned Coffey about his actions. Coffey simply replied that both Percy and Wharton needed to be punished for their crimes.
Coffey then held Paul’s hand, showing him a supernatural vision of Wharton’s crimes. Paul saw Wharton’s life when he worked as a house painter. Despite being given food and shelter, Wharton killed the two young daughters of his employer. These were the same girls Coffey had tried to save with his healing power, but he was too late, and he was instead accused of being the murderer. Paul wept as he learned the truth about Wharton’s heinous acts and realized the injustice Coffey had suffered. He was distraught that Wharton’s death meant there was no longer any way to prove Coffey’s innocence. Witnessing Coffey’s miracles and kindness only deepened Paul’s moral dilemma.
Paul tried to devise ways to free Coffey but found himself powerless. At one point, he even offered Coffey the chance to escape from prison. However, Paul was afraid he would face divine punishment for executing an innocent man. Coffey reassured him, telling him not to hesitate when the time came to lead his execution. Coffey confessed that he was tired of living in a world filled with human sin. When Brutal asked Coffey if there was anything he wished for as a last request, Coffey smiled and said he had never watched a movie before. Hearing this, Paul and Brutal took Coffey to a theater to fulfill his dream.
Coffey was overjoyed as he watched the film, which happened to be the same movie that had moved Paul to tears in the nursing home earlier in the story. The narrative then returned to the day of Coffey’s execution. Paul, Brutal, Dean, and Harry solemnly escorted Coffey down the Green Mile to the execution chamber. The spectators, still believing Coffey guilty of killing the two girls, looked at him with contempt. The guards, who knew the truth, remained silent and grief-stricken. Dean, in particular, struggled to hold back tears. Before the execution, Paul shook Coffey’s hand one last time as a farewell. The story then shifted back to the present, where Paul continued recounting the events to Elaine.
He revealed that after Coffey’s execution, he and Brutal could no longer bear to work in the execution section and requested transfers to other departments. Paul also disclosed that during their final handshake, Coffey had transferred a part of his life force to him. This blessing—or curse—had extended Paul’s life, making him 108 years old in the present day. Even Mr. Jingles, Coffey’s beloved mouse, was still alive and healthy, keeping Paul company. Paul reflected that his extended lifespan felt like a divine punishment for executing one of God’s miracles. His prolonged life forced him to endure the pain of losing everyone he loved, including his wife, his son, and his friends. The film concluded with Paul finally finding peace and passing away.
