Photos by Warner Bros. and Brad Barket/Getty Images for POLITICO. A few years later, lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) moves to Alabama to start offering legal services to death row clients. Herbert shall be put to death by electrocution. Richardson's arc is the one truly successful element of "Just Mercy," and Morgan's excellent, heartbreaking performance is being unfairly overshadowed by Foxx's this awards season. Explaining how it impacted his performance, Jamie explained: So that sent me on my artistic journey by the time I got to where Michael [B Jordan] was. But neither version of Just Mercy captures the level of animosity Chapman felt for Stevenson that Circumstantial Evidence describes, nor his description of their first meeting, from the same book: Stevenson didnt know me or anything about me, and yet he comes in here and he has this attitude of Im a Harvard-educated lawyer and Im going to come down here and tell these honkies how to do their job. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Stevenson's request to delay the execution at 7 p.m. the night Richardson was sent to death. HBO's Saturday night movie this week is Just Mercy, a based-on-a-true-story drama about a young, idealistic lawyer's fight to get an innocent Alabama man off death row in the late 1980s and . The story is now being played out on the big screen in Just Mercy, starring Jamie Foxx as McMillian and Michael B Jordan as Bryan Stevenson, the man who founded America's Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), and who fought for the truth to come out. He is shot seventeen times in the back by his captors, dying ingloriously but not unlawfully. Finally, in real life, Stevenson isnt quite as good-looking as Michael B. Jordan, but few people are. Walter's story is just one of many similar examples of injustice in America. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Tom Chapman, the prosecutor who did the most to fight McMillians release, seems to have behaved even more badly in real life than he does in Just Mercy. Richardson, a troubled Vietnam vet, built a bomb in a tragically misguided attempt to win back a former lover. The war veteran, who reportedly had unexplained crying spells among other issues during his service, was put to death on Aug. 19, 1989, according to an archived report from United Press International. Pic: Warner Bros Entertainment Inc, Rafe Spall plays district attorney Tommy Chapman, the man who wants to keep McMillian locked up. As he walks out, the rest of the death row inmates reach out and shake his hand, happy to see him walking to his freedom. Similarly, there really was a recording of Myers insisting he knew nothing about the murder, and the prosecution really didnt turn it over to the defense, and his testimony, which nearly got Walter McMillian killed, really was that absurd on its face. Baldwin was prosecuted by Theodore Pearson, the same D.A. Here are the most inspirational moments in Just Mercy. He was found guilty - based on the false testimony of a criminal, and despite accounts from several black witnesses who could vouch for his whereabouts at the time of the murder - and sentenced to death by electrocution. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard. Hislawyernever brought up his military service or resultingtrauma in court, where Richardson was tried beforean all-white jury, convictedand sentenced to death. Which could be life in prison but not the death penalty. Just Mercy tells the true story of Walter McMillian, a black man in Alabama who was falsely convicted of and sentenced to die for a murder he didn't commit. He had the fire-related phobias youd expect, and really was moved to death row when he stopped cooperating with the police. Not only does it provide some hope to the people fighting for Walter's life, but it also means those fighting to keep him behind bars have to face their friends and family with the evil they are allowing. ", Stevenson gives an example from his time in court. In the cells above, his prisoner friends begin banging their cups and dishes on the cell bars. The real case behind Michael B. Jordan's Bryan Stevenson movie, Review:Powerful performances by Michael B. Jordan, JamieFoxx elevate predictable'Just Mercy'. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his. For example, the movie features a white prison guard (Hayes Mercure) who initially forces Stevenson to strip search before meeting with a client. The following contains plot details from Michael B. Jordan's new movie "Just Mercy." Herbert Richardson, the Vietnam veteran whose execution Stevenson attends after failing to save him from the death penalty, was a real client, but the movie doesnt dwell on how he got there. This is a hospital., Theyve got me again, and youve got to help me.. Just Mercy, also starring Brie Larson and OShea Jackson, is out in cinemas tomorrow. RELATED: 10 Prison Dramas To Watch If You Like The Shawshank Redemption. Just Mercy details Bryan Stevenson's hard-fought legal battles as he tries to bring Walter McMillan back home after six long years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. And the camera was literally a couple inches from their faces. In and out. [BREATHING DEEPLY] Now close your eyes. Our DP, Brett Pollock, was really wanting to shoot all of these jail cells scenes as close to reality as possible. Jan 8, 2020, 6:00am PST. In the movie, the hearing in which Stevenson submits the overwhelming evidence that McMillian was innocent is referred to as Judge Foster, played by Lindsay Ayliffe, looking as much like Jeff Sessions as possible. I said, 'I'm sorry, your honour, I didn't introduce myself. The war veteran, who reportedly had unexplained "crying spells" among other issues during his service, was put to death on Aug. 19, 1989, according to an archived report from United Press International. Michael plays Bryan Stevenson, the real-life lawyer who worked tirelessly to prove Walter was wrongfully convicted. Then he really joined the defenses motion to have all charges dropped. -Graham S. By describing Herberts history of loss, abuse and violence, Stevenson attempts to show Herberts humanity and explain the events that affected his mental health. Marriage, which would normally be considered the beginning of a life together, takes on a very different meaning in this context. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Since his release, Foxx's father has lived with his famous Oscar-winning son. For his part, Stevenson was apparently even less of a fan of Chapmans in real life than he appears to be in either version of Just Mercy. Shooting a jail scene, I was like lets shoot this and hurry up.. Stevenson set up the EJI, a non-profit organisation based in Montgomery, Alabama, to provide legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced or abused in state jails and prisons, and works to challenge the death penalty. Tate was also responsible for the scene in which McMillians son Johnny is tackled by deputies in the courtroom. By contrasting the pain of Herberts past with the sense of hope he associated with his girlfriend, Stevenson gives context for Herberts unhealthy obsession. He maintains that this case is not just about one man being rightfully set free, but also an example that justice is something that is awarded to all people. Richardson, who'd spent 11 years on death row,contacted Stevenson a month before his scheduled execution date. And one of the really interesting things that I learned from speaking with Anthony Ray Hinton, who was on death row in Holman Prison for 30 years for a crime he did not commit, was the camaraderie and relationships that they had between jailmates that were completely based on conversations they were having without being able to see each other. That's the thing that hasn't changed. The footage of seeing real-life Hinton released from prison and reuniting with his family is a powerful moment. Based on a true story, Just Mercy(2019) follows civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) as he recounts his experiences and details the case of a condemned death row prisoner, Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), whom he fought to free, as he becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and overt and "My father, who was an educator for 25 years, they put him in jail for $25 worth of illegal substance," he says. "Mudbound" and "Stranger Things" star Morgan didn't have much background material on which to base hisRichardson performance, and no audio or video recordings. "If you haven't been to the States, you should know when you come to the States; you can be a lawyer here in the UK, you can be a doctor, you can be an educator, but in the States, you're going to be in situations where you're going to have to navigate a presumption of dangerousness and guilt. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Violence: A scene of execution is shown where a man is strapped into an electric chair. "Sometimes, less is more. Stevenson exhibits the power of empathy in Just Mercy most clearly in a case involving a Vietnam War veteran with PTSD. The next day there were articles in the press about the execution. In 1987, he travels to Monroeville, Alabama, to join a white. The scene is emotionally distressing, though filmmakers decided not to show Richardson when 1,800 electrical volts were sent through his body. It just shows how much Bryan genuinely cared about Walter, while the other lawyers did not. And just because we dont see things eye to eye doesnt mean that Im not a moral person. Herberts narrative here reinforces that.". They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. At a hearing for a new trial, Bryan brings Myers to the stand to question that testimony again. When McMillian died, the Monroe Journala newspaper whose vitriolic coverage of his trial and its aftermath is well documented in both booksran an obituary that did not mention his trial. Stevenson demystifies and personalizes the death penalty by describing Herberts time with his family in the hour before his death. Complete your free account to request a guide. This movie will drag you down to the depths. Herbert is consumed with guilt but is also a very sick man in need of help. And this was the scene where we actually bring the camera as close as possible to both Walter McMillian and Herbert Richardson. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. As he's led into the room with shaved eyebrows and prison whites, his legs buckle dramatically. Date February 18, 2020 " Just Mercy ," the film based on the memoir of the same name by Harvard Law graduate Bryan Stevenson, ends with a sobering statistic: For every nine people executed in this country, one person on death row has been exonerated. But judging from Stevensons memoir, Larsons performance is true to life. Everyone I saw at the prison seemed surrounded by a cloud of regret and remorse. Myers finally does the right thing and admits his original testimony was false. The differences between Stevenson in the film and Stevenson in his memoir are mostly matters of dramatic compression: anecdotes Stevenson tells about other cases he handled are moved to the McMillian case, which saves the movie the time and trouble of explaining five or six different unjust criminal trials. Just Mercy follows Stevensons self-portrait in his memoir very closely. You know, this is a man who educated people in the city. Shockingly, despite Myers refuting his previous testimony, the judge denies that this is grounds for a new trial and Walter is sent back to prison. This is relevant in Herbert's case because he had no intent to kill the child. For every nine people executed in the US, one person on death row has been exonerated, Stevenson says. "It's paralysing, so people do nothing and they just watch and they tolerate what's been going on. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Stevenson says watching the scene being filmedbrought back the searing memory of the "challenging" emotional time and his unsuccessful efforts to spareRichardson's life. The capacity for the Supreme Court to change its position on the death penalty conflicts with the irreversibility of the death penalty itself; the Court found that executing the mentally disabled was unconstitutional, but this decision cant retroactively impact the fate of Dunkins. Jamie Foxx has revealed the exact moment that left him fuming and pushed him to deliver one of the most emotional performances of his career in new drama Just Mercy. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Anya Taylor-Joy and Billie Piper stun at Baftas afterparty in sea of glitter, That gave me the confidence to do this the right way. Michael B Jordan, who in turn admitted he wanted to make his idol proud. Walter "Johnny D." McMillian (October 27, 1941 - September 11, 2013) was a pulpwood worker from Monroeville, Alabama, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death. In the summer 1989, despite a series of setbacks with obtaining space and securing funding. One of Stevenson's first cases is that of Walter McMillian. The lawyers failure to bring up his clients past contrasts with Stevensons detailed account of Herberts life. McMillian's case is just one example of the systemic racial bias that ran rife through America's justice system. And if not enlightened at least . The actual death is not shown but the sound of the electrical charge is audible. "Once you see it, you can't unsee it. He leaned over the correctional officers actor and said, make them tighter, hes a bigger one. It dramatizes the courageous efforts by Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan), an. In rejecting the request, District Court Judge Robert Varner said that it was 'beyond the bounds of reason to believe that a device which maimed and killed an 11-year-old child by exploding in her hands could be thought of as not presenting a serious risk of harm, according to The Times. Herbert is a veteran who experienced post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from Vietnam, which exacerbated issues stemming from childhood abuse. Mr McMillian was with his family miles away when Ronda Morrison was killed. He gathers his belongings and walks out of the cell a free man. Im really proud of the film and excited for people to see it.. Top: Walter McMillian and attorney Bryan Stevenson. He has a dialogue in this scene in which he states that this day is marks the first time that people have asked him what he needs. Some state officials expressed happiness and excitement that an execution had taken place, but I knew that none of them had actually dealt with the details of killing Herbert. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. he hears one of the women exclaim, the relief palpable. Where were they when you were 7 and you were experimenting with drugs? A powerful and thoughtprovoking true story, "Just Mercy" follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. Part memoir, part exhortation for much-needed reform to the American criminal justice system, Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy is a heartrending and inspirational call to arms written by the activist lawyer who founded the Equal Justice Initiative, an Alabama-based organization responsible for freeing or reducing the sentences of scores of wrongfully convicted individuals. Bryan Stevenson said in his book that you cannot really fully understand a problem unless you allow yourself to get very close to it. Can we get you water? The woman's 11-year-old niece, Rena Mae Callins, waskilled when she picked it up. Foxx's McMillian is written in a similarly flat manner, but he shines in his few scenes with fellow Death Row inmate Herbert Richardson . Walter returns to his jail cell one last time following the dismissal of his charges. Rob Morgan powerfully portraysthePTSD-suffering Richardson, who is ultimately ledto the electric chair in Alabama's Holman Prison, strapped in and electrocuted just as Richardson was onAug. 18, 1989. Two death row inmates seek a moment of solace and reflection in this scene from the drama "Just Mercy." The film is based on the memoir of Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer who has devoted most of. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. So now this is just completing his artistic senses.. Besides McMillian, the segment features the real Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan), the real Ralph Myers (Tim Blake Nelson), the real Tommy Chapman (Rafe Spall), and a pantheon of the films minor characters. I want people to walk away [from seeing Just Mercy] feeling like they could be a part of change.". But it didn't matter. Room with shaved eyebrows and prison whites, his prisoner friends begin banging their cups and dishes on site! 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