From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Still, Richardsons multiple appeals were denied, prompting him to seek out the assistance of attorney Bryan Stevenson one month before he was to face the electric chair, according to the Huffington Post. 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. Even being completely exonerated didnt end the torment the state of Alabama caused him. Pic: EJI/ Warner Bros, Stevenson spoke about the film in the House of Lords ahead of its UK release, Death row inmate Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan) is in some of the most heartbreaking scenes in the film. In 1987, he travels to Monroeville, Alabama, to join a white. I went over to Herberts wife as she held him tightly, sobbing softly. "The fear was so present.". The actual death is not shown but the sound of the electrical charge is audible. Here's a spoiler: At the end of "Just Mercy," Michael B. Jordan's new film about justice, civil rights and capital punishment, you will be moved.And angry. . Another central case that Bryan takes on is that of Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan), a war veteran suffering from PTSD who is on death row for planting a bomb at his neighbor's house and killing them. Though heartbreaking at times,it is also filled with stirring moments. Rena Mae Callins, was the niece of a woman whod been in a relationship with Richardson, 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. 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. In the memoir, this happens while meeting with a different client at a different prison, and the guards change of heart comes after hearing Stevenson testify about the horrible abuse his client suffered in the foster care system, because the guard was also a former foster kid. One of Stevenson's first cases is that of Walter McMillian. So we didnt have to do too many editing tricks for this scene. I dont want you to think about nothing else. Refine any search. The scene in the movie in which Ansley chews out a landlord for refusing to rent them office space because of their work doesnt come from Stevensons book, but he does note that the University of Alabama School of Law had promised them office space, then backed out of the deal. Teachers and parents! Seeing the outrageous and horrific injustices of this case broadcasted out for the world to see is a powerful moment. The movie is filled with inspirational moments. RELATED: Just Mercy: 10 Jamie Foxx Characters Ranked From Heroic To Most Villainous. Struggling with distance learning? Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! However, Richardsonclaimed that the girls death was an accident, andthe bomb was not intended to kill anyone only to scare her family. Herbert shall be put to death by electrocution. "So I would just stare at the two pictures, stare into his eyes, and just imagine his spirit and mind-set coming to life inside of me," says Morgan. Yet the prospect of death now . 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. "They put him in jail for seven years. "I think we all have a certain perspective of what the criminal justice system is and the judicial system, based on the media, the news, what people tell you, but to actually see it through Bryan's eyes - what could happen to you from a traffic stop all the way to death row to the electric chair, the things that had to happen to get from point A to there - was truly incredible. 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 Stevenson holds public education responsible for instilling compassion and he suggests that education can mean the difference between life or death. And I mean, youll see how close we are. But for him to do this movie, I tell him my kids will continue to be a supporter of his.. You wont be able to achieve the kind of justice that has to be achieved.. Just Mercy is structured like a standard legal thrillersecrets uncovered, wrongs righted, justice done, and so onwith one exception, which is that no one is punished in the end. I represent 13 and 14-year-old children who've been sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. 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. But after meeting Jordan, Foxx and director Destin Daniel Cretton, he was satisfied they cared. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. I said, 'I'm sorry, your honour, I didn't introduce myself. Violence: A scene of execution is shown where a man is strapped into an electric chair. All of that stuff, its really interesting to see it play out on the screen because when youre in it, youre just living through it., Bryan continued: Im glad its part of the story because people need to know that you cant do justice if youre not willing to do uncomfortable things and position yourself in difficult places. The real case behind Michael B. Jordan's Bryan Stevenson movie, Review:Powerful performances by Michael B. Jordan, JamieFoxx elevate predictable'Just Mercy'. he hears one of the women exclaim, the relief palpable. browser that Part 4, "Old Rugged Cross", portrays the narrative of Vietnam War Veteran Herbert Duncan, whose case lights up the battles Veterans frequently have in getting the restorative and emotional wellness bolster they require, while Chapter 6 ("Surely Doomed") delineates how across the board lawful foul play is for adolescents, a . I was so honoured, not only is he super talented but hes also really committed to these issues and that was very affirming, he explained. 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. "That's another issue we're dealing with that's not in this film, but we've got 13 states in America with no minimum age for trying a child as an adult. The corruption displayed in the film regarding Walter's conviction is staggering and infuriating. Richardson told his attorney that, "All day long, people have been saying, 'What can I do to help you? So it's forever changed me in a way that I'm motivated and more driven to be a part of the solution, to be part of the change. Here are the most inspirational moments in Just Mercy. Jordan, who rose to fame in films such as Creed and Black Panther, says he has been "forever changed" by being a part of Just Mercy. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. The prosecutions unfounded claim that Herbert was a Black Muslim served to capitalize on the fears and racial biases of the all-white jury. The Just Mercy true story reveals that the real Bryan Stevenson took the case in 1988, the year of McMillian's murder conviction. Listen to trailer music, OST, original score, and the full list of popular songs in the film. "We still have to recognise that if you have a system that treats you better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent, that is not a system that can be defended. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Herbert Richardson appears in. The Oscar-winning actor . Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Stevenson says he was initially reluctant to see his story translated to the big screen, worried it might receive the Hollywood treatment to make it more entertaining. He is shot seventeen times in the back by his captors, dying ingloriously but not unlawfully. The moment sparks something in Bryan and he realizes who he needs to fight for. To capture the performances of this scene, we actually shot with two cameras running simultaneously, with Jamie Foxx in one cell and Rob Morgan in the other which was very helpful for a scene like this, because it was quite loose. The film is about inertia as much as anything: When Stevenson looks into McMillians case, it is immediately apparent he had nothing to do with the crime, but it still takes years to clear his name, simply because the gears of justice have started grinding. And if not enlightened at least . Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. After their relationship turned toxic, the nurse left him and . Foxx, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Ray Charles in Ray in 2005, says for him, Just Mercy was personal; he tells the story of how his own father was jailed. At a hearing for a new trial, Bryan brings Myers to the stand to question that testimony again. Herbert, a Vietnam veteran who lost some of his marbles in the war, isn't trying to escape the crime he committed; quite the contrary, he's drowning in guilt. "When you have to keep navigating all of that stuff, [when] you have to keep worrying about calming down other people because they are afraid of your blackness, it gets exhausting. "But before I could say anything, Myers blurted out, 'I lied. I sat down at the defence counsel's table and when the judge walked out and he saw me sitting there, he got angry. The moment is a nice mirror of Herbert's goodbye, but this time they are cheering a man leaving in the right way. Whats not in dispute is that he arranged McMillians arrest rather differently than it appears in the film. Much of this talk was about Johnny D. There was no mention of marijuana, no talk about an affair with Karen Kelly or weekends spent at nightclubs. "Its not fair that we send people off to war to fight for this country, yetwhen they come back traumatized and they make mistakes, we act as if their sacrifice is irrelevant. "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. Stevenson says watching the scene being filmedbrought back the searing memory of the "challenging" emotional time and his unsuccessful efforts to spareRichardson's life. Teachers and parents! We can be inspired by Stevenson, who often worked for years to free a client, spending hundreds of hours on one case. Just Mercy is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for thematic content including some racial epithets. More than 30 years later, the movie Just Mercy portrays the struggles of death row lawyer Bryan Stevenson's (played by Michael B. Jordan) journey in proving McMillian, also known as Johnny D, (played by Jamie Foxx) innocent. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Instant PDF downloads. My name is Bryan Stevenson, I am the lawyer.' I've represented 14-year-olds sentenced to death by execution.". The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, and Hulu in March, People Cant Stop Fighting Over the Politics of the, Woody Allen defending himself against molestation charges, hed pocketed more than $110,000 in funds the state paid him to feed inmates, the vicious and brutal killing of a young lady in the first full flower of adulthood, decided to let the State of Alabama execute a man named Brian Baldwin. This leads him to bring Walter's story to the new program 60 Minutes. Earley also sniffs at Stevenson sanding off his clients rougher edges at a prayer breakfast at Montgomerys AME church shortly after McMillian was freed: [Stevenson] spoke passionately, without notes, about how politics, racial bias, and money all corrupt the justice system. Brie Larson plays Eva Ansley, who in real life co-founded the Equal Justice Initiative with Stevenson and currently serves as its operations director. Mr McMillian was with his family miles away when Ronda Morrison was killed. Though he is obviously pained to be back behind bars, he admits that hearing Myers admit he lied was the first time Walter felt like himself in a long time. Meanwhile, an incident in which the police pulled their weapons on Stevenson for sitting in his car outside of his apartment in Atlanta is relocated to a traffic stop in Alabamaalthough the bomb threats and general creepiness from the locals are mentioned in both books. And the fact that Michael B Jordan does a movie like this, hes at the top of his game, he could have done any movie that he wants to. After the unnamed woman ended her relationship with Richardson, he allegedly left a pipe bomb on her porch that detonated when her niece picked it up, according to the outlet. Over the course of the movie, the guard has a quiet change of heart while observing Stevenson at work and life on death row, which is dramatized by improved treatment of Stevenson and McMillian both. 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. Stop reading now if you don't want to know. I've lost a lot of sleep and have been in a lot of pain over this. But it didn't matter. Two white good old boys deciding how justice would be dispensed in Monroe County., But the biggest thing missing from Just Mercys portrait of Chapman is his relationship to the press. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx in Just Mercy. So in this scene in particular, there really is just the light source thats coming in from outside the jail cell, which gives this kind of amber hue. But behind the optimistic veneer, the film actually has a dangerous - or at least problematic - message. The way the content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in, Systemic Power, Oppression, and Dehumanization. Can we get you water? You can see by the look on his face that this is a moment he never thought would actually come. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Im really proud of the film and excited for people to see it.. There is mention of the strangling and shooting death of a young woman. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. By describing Herbert's history of loss, abuse and violence, Stevenson attempts to show Herbert's humanity and explain the events that affected his mental health. He also insisted that the parallel story of Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan), a guilty man whose conviction remains in place and whose execution is seen in excruciating detail, be part of the movie. In a 35-year career he's saved 125 prisoners from death row, including condemned men whose cases and traumas are depicted with sensitivity in "Just Mercy." He speaks passionately and. Also featured: death row at Holman Prison, meticulously recreated in the movie, plus a news report about McMillians exoneration. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 167 people who might have been killed have been exonerated since 1973. 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. Please? Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. The familys forgiveness contrasts with the courts lack of mercy. Just Mercy tackles the issues of racism head-on and barely leaves a minute for viewers to catch their breath so its no surprise that Jamie admits it was hard to stomach getting into the mindset of Walters impossible situation. Perhaps the most moving scene comes when Herbert Richardson, Stevenson's first client, is sent to the death chamber, his final Supreme Court appeal denied. Myers finally does the right thing and admits his original testimony was false. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Warner Bros. The years of being told he was a murderer weighed on him and at that moment he was reminded he is not at fault. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his. We are all better than the worst thing we have ever done. Just Mercy was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton in 2019, and stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake . Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. Unfortunately, the womans 10-year-old niece picked up the bomb and was killed instantly in the ensuing blast. system on the night of his execution, though. You know, this is a man who educated people in the city. Jan 8, 2020, 6:00am PST. At a screening of the film set up in London by the UK's Urban Lawyers charity, which works to improve diversity in the legal profession, he is speaking alongside Foxx and Jordan. "My father, who was an educator for 25 years, they put him in jail for $25 worth of illegal substance," he says. Just Mercytells the story of EJI, from the early days with a small staff facing the nation's highest death sentencing and execution rates, through a successful campaign to challenge the cruel practice of sentencing children to die in prison, to revolutionary projects designed to confront Americans with our history of racial injustice. "I think there's still a lot of work to do. Just Mercy also introduces other clients represented by Stevenson, including Herbert Richardson. He was the first Vietnam war veteran to be put to death, and the sixth inmate in the state of Alabama to be executed following the Supreme Courts 1976 decision to reinstate capital punishment, per UPIs report. For a thumbnail sketch of the facts, heres the 60 Minutes report about McMillians case that is featured in the movie. Recalling the experience of working with Michael, the Ray actor said: It was a lot of emotions, its so important. The epilogue explains that Anthony Ray Hinton (played by O'Shea Jackson Jr. in the film) was another case Bryan took on and another conviction he had overturned. Jake Giles Netter/Warner Bros. Herbert Richardson, a Vietnam veteran who was sentenced to death by the state of Alabama for the 1977 pipe bomb . In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. 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