Is The Green Mile Based On A True Story? The Answer Is Complicated
The Green Mile follows the imprisonment and execution of Michael Clarke Duncan's John Coffey, but when it comes to whether or not The Green Mile is based on a true story, the answer is complicated. The fantasy-infused drama introduces a group of prison guards - including Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) — who work on death row in a Louisiana penitentiary, nicknamed «The Green Mile.» Edgecomb tells his story as an older man looking back on the movie's events. In his younger days, Paul was tough, as his job required, but he was also ethical. He didn't believe in pushing the psyches of men who were already stressed about their impending demises any more than necessary.
The dreary routine of the prison was shaken up when an inmate named John Coffey arrived. Though innocent, he was a black man who had been convicted of raping and murdering two young white girls. Since The Green Mile, based on a book by Stephen King, takes place in the southern U.S. during the Great Depression, it's immediately clear the gentle giant didn't stand a chance of winning back his freedom or saving his life. The film's fantasy aspect kicks into gear when both guards and people learn that Coffey has the miraculous ability to heal other people from ailments and injuries. Unfortunately, neither his innocence nor his supernatural talent was enough to save him from an emotionally devastating death via the electric chair.
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While The Green Mile isn't a true story, the Stephen King novel does draw from real-life events. Stephen King doesn't often take on biographical works, but there's enough evidence to suggest that one particular individual inspires The Green Mile'sstory. It's hard to believe that the caring
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