Green Mile Part 1

Green Mile

By

Kentaro Hirayama
Atsushi Hasegawa
Osamu Haketa
Yui Hatanake
Mariko Hayashida
Shuhei Hasegawa
Masaaki Miura
Hidehiko Matsuura
Yousuke Hirami
Ryo Fukui
Yasuhiro Fukuda
Takuma Fujita
Atsuaki Hashimoto
Marin Hasegawa
Miori Matsubara
Takuya Matsumoto

Thanks to all these students for their hard work.

EXT.  FIELD
Some men are searching for a girl.  Dogs are barking.
Someone calls out their name.

KLAUS
Katie!  Cora!

MAN
You love your sister? You make any noise,
you know what happens.

INT.  RETIREMENT HOME

Paul wakes up from a dream.  There is talking on a radio.
He is in a retirement home.  He goes outside, and greets some friends.

PAUL
Good morning, Estelle.

OLD MAN
How am l looking, Paul?

PAUL
That's better. That's better.

Paul gets some breakfast.

HECTOR
Morning, Mr. Edgecomb.  Some Danish this morning?

PAUL
No, just two pieces of dry toast,  Hector. Thanks.
Leftover's fine.

HECTOR
Dry and cold, same as always.

PAUL
Cold is better.

HECTOR
Hmm.Especially on those long walks. Am l right?
Don't let Nurse Godzilla catch you. She'll raise holy hell.
We're not supposed to let you wander off.
Where do you go every day? What do you do up in those hills?

PAUL
Just walk. I like to walk.

HECTOR
You try not to fall down, bust a hip. I don't wanna be in
no damn search party.

EXT. RETIREMENT HOME
Paul goes out. The weather is bad. Thunder rumbles.
He walks about the field and forest, having breakfast.
There is an old hut. He looks into it.

INT. TV ROOM IN THE RETIREMENT HOME
Old people are watching TV and criticizing the show.
An old man changes channels.

WOMAN 1
You want this man constantly in your life?
Explain the moral basis of that.

WOMAN 2
I've made mistakes. Tony doesn't admit that
he's not a good father. She can't ask nothing. You can't
ask nothing. l have six kids myself.

OLD MAN
Why do we always watch this stuff?

WOMAN2
It's interesting.

OLD MAN
Interesting? Bunch of inbred trailer trash?
All they ever talk about is fucking.

WOMAN 1
--ain't no way in this green earth...
...I'd have a father like that.

OTHER WOMAN1
If what you saying is true--

OTHER WOMAN2
No, I'm talking now. I'm talking now.

OTHER WOMAN1
What kind of a mother are you?

WOMAN 3
One that causes people more--

MAN 1
--is going to let you try the bodystrider--
You're dead! You can't come back!

MAN 2
It's back. The Popeil Pocket Fisherman.

WOMAN 4
Take my husband, take my kids....

ELAINE
Are you all right?

PAUL
Hmm?

ELAINE
You look tired. You're not yourself.

PAUL
No, I'm fine. I promise.

Elaine is next to Paul. She speaks to Paul.

ELAINE
You're wearing yourself out with those walks every day, I think.
Not that you asked me.

PAUL
I just didn't sleep well, is all. I had a few bad dreams. lt happens.
I'll be fine.

A woman is singing and whooping. On the TV monitor, a woman and a man talk.

WOMAN
If Madge doesn't care, I certainly don't.

MAN
Neither do I. Now, this here is worth a look.

JERRY
I'm in heaven
And my heart beats so
That I can hardly speak
And l seem to find
The happiness l seek
When we're out together
Dancing cheek to cheek
Heaven
I'm in heaven
And the cares that hung around me
Through the week
Seem to vanish
Like a gambler's lucky streak

Paul sniffles.

OLD WOMAN
Paul, what is it?

Paul starts to cry. People around them see him.
Paul is sobbing.

ELAINE
My God.

PAUL
I've got to get out of here.

Paul and Elaine go out of the room.

INT. LOUNGE
It is raining and thundering. Paul and Elaine are sitting on a chair and drinking tea.

PAUL
I guess sometimes the past just catches up with you ... whether you want it to or not. It's silly.

ELAINE
Was it the film? lt was, wasn't it?

PAUL
I haven't spoken of these things for a long time, Ellie. Over 60 years.

ELAINE
Paul, l'm your friend.

PAUL
I ever tell you that I was a prison guard during the Depression?

ELAINE
You've mentioned it.

PAUL
Did I mention that I was in charge of death row? That I supervised all the executions? Usually, death row is called "The Last Mile." We called ours "The Green Mile." The floor was the color of faded limes. We had the electric chair."Old Sparky," we called it. Oh, l've lived a lot of years, Ellie...but 1935, that takes the prize. That year, I had the worst urinary infection of my life. It was … it was also the year of John Coffey and the two dead girls.

EXT. FIELD
A lot of prisoners are singing. They are forced to work in cleared land.  The police watch them with guns. Donkeys are braying.  Men riding donkeys order them to work. A car is passing by there honking its horn.
It goes to the prison.

GUARD
All right, now, hold on!

A gate opens.

GUARD
Up on the tower! New prisoner's coming in! You men down in the yard, step off the fence! Clear that gate!

A man goes upstairs and knocks on a door. A whistle is blowing. Another man calls.

GUARD
Put me through to E Block.

INT. E BLOCK
In a holding facility called E Block, there are two men.　A phone is ringing.
A man walks to the telephone, but the other takes it.

BRUTAL
E Block. Yeah. Right.

Paul is in the toilet. He looks uncomfortable.

PAUL
Oh.

There is soft knocking on the door.

BRUTAL
Paul? Prisoner.

Paul is taking a leak.

PAUL
Christ, give me a minute.

Paul groans.  Brutal worries about Paul.

BRUTAL
You all right in there?

Paul is grunting.

PAUL
For a man pissing razorblades, yeah. Ahh....

The toilet flushes. Brutal is concerned about Paul.

BRUTAL
You should've took the day off to see the doctor.

PAUL
With a new arrival? You know better. Besides...

Paul wipes himself.

PAUL
It's not as bad as it was. I think it's clearing up.

The horn honks.Brutal is full of spirit.

BRUTAL
All right. Let's look alive, Dean.

DEAN
Yes, sir.

The horn honks. Brutal looks at the car.

BRUTAL
Damn.

Brutal notices something.

BRUTAL
They're riding on the axle. What'd they do?

Brutal is suspicious.

BRUTAL
They bust the springs?

Brutal is amazed.

BRUTAL
Ho....

Percy is walking with a big man.

PERCY
Dead man! Dead man walking!


Brutus looks at the car.

BRUTUS
-Who--?

PERCY
We got a dead man walking here!

PAUL
Jesus, please us, what is he yelling about?

BRUTUS
Paul...you might reconsider getting in the cell with this guy. He's enormous.

PAUL
Can't be bigger than you.


Brutus chuckles. Percy walks with Coffey.


PERCY
Dead man!
Dead man walking!
Dead man walking here!
Dead man!

PAUL
Percy. That's enough.

Paul looks at Coffey.

PAUL
Am l gonna have any trouble with you, big boy? Can you talk?

Coffey nods.

PERCY
Come on.

Coffey enters a jail cell.

PAUL
Percy...they're moving house down in the infirmary. Why don't you go see
if they could use some help.

PERCY
They got all the men they need.

PAUL
Why don't you just go and make sure.

PERCY
Uh-uh.

PAUL
l don't care where you go...as long as it's not here at this very moment.

PERCY
All right.

Percy goes out of the prison cell and he hits Delacroix's finger with his nightstick.

DELACROIX
Ow! God, you bust my finger.

PERCY
I wiped that grin off your face, didn't l?

PAUL
Goddamn it, Percy, get the hell off my block!

Delacroix is complaining of pain.

DELACROIX
Uh-huh. Fuck you, Percy.

PAUL
We'll get that looked at, Del. In the meantime, you stay quiet.

DELACROIX
Yeah. Yeah.

Paul talks to Coffey

PAUL
I let Harry take those chains off you...you gonna be nice?

Coffey nods.

PAUL
Your name is John Coffey.

COFFEY
Yes, sir, boss. Like the drink, only not spelt the same.

PAUL
Oh, you can spell, can you?

COFFEY
Just my name, boss.

PAUL
J-O--

COFFEY
My name is Paul Edgecomb.

PAUL
If l'm not here, you can ask for Mr. Terwilliger...Mr. Howell or Mr. Stanton.
These gentlemen right there.
Questions?

COFFEY
Do you leave the light on after bedtime? Because I get a little scared
in the dark sometime...if it's a strange place.

PAUL
It stays pretty bright around here all night long.We always keep a few lights burning
out in the corridor.

COFFEY
The corridor?

PAUL
Right out there. You can sit.

Coffey offers his hand to Paul.  Paul shakes it.

COFFEY
I couldn't help it, boss. I tried to take it back, but it was too late.

PAUL
Dean, take Delacroix to the infirmary, see if those fingers are broken.

DEAN
Yes, sir.

BRUTUS
Of course they're broken. I heard the bones crack. You hear what he was yelling
when we brought the dummy in?

PAUL
How could I miss it? The whole prison heard. Goddamn Percy.

BRUTUS
You'll have to answer for sending him off the Mile.

PAUL
I'll chew that food when I have to. Right now l wanna hear about this new inmate. Aside
from how big he is, okay?

BRUTUS
Monstrous big. Damn.

PAUL
Oh, he seems meek enough.

BRUTUS
ls he retarded, you figure?

PAUL
Mm-hmm.

BRUTUS
Looks like they sent us an imbecile to execute.

HARRY
Imbecile or not, he deserves to fry for what he done.

BRUTUS
Make your blood curdle.

Paul is reading John Coffey's case.

INT. KLAUS'S HOUSE
Klaus's wife is screaming. Her girls are missing.

KLAUS
What?! For God's sake, what?

KLAUS'S WIFE
The girls! The girls are gone!

GIRL
Papa! Papa, look! There's blood.

KLAUS
Oh, my God. Goddamn it, woman! Get on that phone now. You tell them we headed west.
You mind what l'm saying! We headed west!

POLICE
Central! Are you on the line?

KLAUS'S WIFE
Oh, God, please. Somebody took my little girls.

KLAUS
Katie! Cora!

EXT. FIELD
Coffey is crying, and holding two girls who are dead.  The men run up to him.  Klaus
attacks Coffey and the other men pull him away.

COFFEY
I tried to take it back, but it was too late.

There are a lot of mans trying to help the girls. A man points a pistol at Coffey
 and says,“Boy, you under arrest for murder.”

EXT. PRISON
Paul is reading the material about the case.  Hal sits next to him.

HAL
I interrupt?

PAUL
Well, l'm just about done.

They are sitting on the bench.

PAUL
Hey...how's that pretty gal of yours?

HAL
Melinda's not so well, Paul.Not so well at all.

PAUL
More headaches?

HAL
Got laid up with another one yesterday.Worst one yet.

Hal seems upset.

HAL
I'll be taking her over to Vicksburg next day or so for some tests.
Head x-rays and who knows what else. She is scared to death.

Truth to tell, so am l.

PAUL
If it's something they can see
on the x-ray maybe it's something they can fix.

HAL
Maybe. This just came in. DOE on Bitterbuck.

PAUL
You didn't come all the way down here
to hand me a DOE.

HAL
I had an angry call from the state capitol about 20 minutes ago.
Is it true you ordered Percy Wetmore off the block?

PAUL
It is.

HAL
Now, l'm sure you had reason, Paul, but like it or not, the wife
of the governor has only one nephewand his name is Percy Wetmore.

PAUL
Little Percy calls his aunt and squeals like a schoolroom sissy.
He also mention he assaulted a prisoner this morning out of sheer petulance?
Broke three fingers on Eduard Delacroix's left hand.

HAL
I didn't hear that part. I'm sure she didn't either.

PAUL
The man is mean and careless and stupid and that's a bad combination
in a place like this. Sooner or later, he'll get somebody hurt or worse.

HAL
Stick with it, Paul. It may not be much longer. I have it on good authority that Percy
has an application in at Briar Ridge.

PAUL
Briar Ridge? The mental hospital.

HAL
Administration job. Better pay.

PAUL
Hmm. Then why is he still here? He could get that application pushed through.
Hell, with his connections, he could have any state job he wants. You know what
l think? I think he just wants to see one cook up close.

They see Bitterbuck walking nearby.

WARDEN
Well, he'll get his chance, then. won't he?

PAUL
Maybe then he'll be satisfied and move on. ln the meantime...

WARDEN
...you'll keep the peace?

PAUL
Of course.  Of course.

WARDEN
Thank you, Paul.

PAUL
Hal...you give Melinda my love, okay?
I'm sure that x-ray will turn out
to be nothing at all.

WARDEN
You bet.

EXT.HOUSE
Big band music plays.

Jan approaches Paul.

JAN
Paul.
Hey, you.
Hey.

PAUL
The music too loud?

JAN
There's just this empty spot in the bed
where my husband usually sleeps.

PAUL
He said to tell you he's having
a little trouble with that tonight.

JAN
Worried about Melinda and Hal?
Is that what's got you up?

Jan puts her hand on Paul's shoulder.

PAUL
Yeah, that...
 ...and things.

JAN
Things.

Jan sits by Paul.

PAUL
We got a new inmate today.
Simple-minded fella.

JAN
Do I wanna know what he did?

PAUL
No.
Mmm.

PAUL
Things that happen in this world.

JAN
It's a wonder God allows it.

PAUL
Why don't you come to bed.

JAN
I think I have something
that'll help you sleep.

PAUL
You can have all you want.

JAN
I still got something wrong
with my waterworks.

PAUL
I don't wanna pass it on to you.

JAN
Have you seen Doc Bishop yet?

PAUL
No.

Jan sighs.

JAN
Paul.

PAUL
He'll just want me to take sulfa tablets...
...and l'll spend the week puking in my office.
It will run its course all by itself.
Thank you very much for your concern.


JAN
Poor old guy. Oh.

Brutal is laughing.

BRUTUS
Paul. Dean.

PAUL
Yeah?

The mouse appears.

BRUTUS
Come here. Go on. l guess the legislature loosened
up the purse strings enough...to hire on a new guard.
Look again. He's right...there.

DEAN
It ain't normal for a mouse to come up on people.
Maybe it's rabid.

BRUTUS
Oh, my Christ. Oh, the big mouse expert.
The Mouse Man. You see him foaming at the mouth,
Mouse Man?


DEAN
I don't see its mouth at all.

Brutus laughs.

Brutus tries to feed the mouse.

DEAN
Brutus, no. We'll be hip-deep in mice.


BRUTUS
l just wanna see what he'll do.
In the interest of science, like.

Brutus throws a nut to the mouse.
The mouse eats the nut and goes back to his home.

DEAN
He's in the damn restraint room.
And you just know he's chewing
the padding out of the walls...
 ...making himself a nice little nest.

PAUL
All right. Let's go get the damn mouse.


COFFEY
Boss. Saw me a mouse go by.

PAUL
Can't put anything over on you.

Paul opens the door.


PAUL
Just watch your toes. Watch your toes.

Paul, Brutus, and Dean clear out the room, but don't see the mouse.

PAUL
You let him get past you.

DEAN
No, I did not. I been here all the time.

BRUTUS
Then where the hell is he?

DEAN
Well, l don't know.

BRUTUS
Three grown men ...outsmarted by a mouse.

DEAN
Well, bright side is, all this commotion
probably scared him off for good.

PAUL
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, that's the last
we'll see of him.