The Green Mile Page #8

---

BITTERBUCK:

You think if a man sincerely

repents on what he done wrong, he

might get to go back to the time

that was happiest for him and live

there forever? Could that be what

heaven is like?

Paul doesn't think so--but that's not what Bitterbuck needs

to hear, so the lie comes easy:

PAUL:

I just about believe that very

thing.

Pause. Bitterbuck smiles.

BITTERBUCK:

Had me a young wife when I was

eighteen. Spent our first summer

in the mountains. Made love every

night. She'd just lie there after,

bare-breasted in the firelight,

and we'd talk sometimes till the

sun come up.

(beat)

That was my best time.

Brutal appears at the door, checks his pocketwatch, nods to

Paul. Bitterbuck takes a deep breath, getting himself ready.

PAUL:

It'll be fine. You'll do fine.

INT. EXECUTION CHAMBER - NIGHT

THE SPONGE is pulled sopping wet from the bucket of brine,

dripping a trail of water across the floor. Brutal places it

atop Bitterbuck's head. Water courses down the sides of the

condemned man's mask and neck, pooling on the floor.

The cap is lowered, the straps secured. All we hear now is

the sound of Bitterbuck's BREATHING growing louder and faster

under the mask...until, softly:

BRUTAL:

Roll on two.

WHAM! The switch is thrown. Bitterbuck surges forward against

the straps, riding the powerful current.

Some witnesses turn away. Paul and Brutal maintain grim eye

contact with each other, waiting.

Behind the partition, Percy watches through the mesh with

gleaming eyes, wishing he could see better.

Van Hay kills the current. Bitterbuck goes limp. A DOCTOR

steps forward, checks for a heartbeat, shakes his head.

BRUTAL:

Again.

The switch is thrown a second time. Bitterbuck surges forward

again, riding the current all the way...

CUT TO:

INT. E BLOCK ACCESS TUNNEL - NIGHT

Bitterbuck's dead face stares up at us from a gurney. A hand

reaches down, gives his cheek a squeeze. TILT UP to:

PERCY:

Adios, Chief. Drop us a card from

hell, let us know if it's hot

enough.

Brutal knocks Percy's hand away, shoves him aside.

BRUTAL:

He's paid what he's owed. He's

square with the house again, so

keep your goddamn hands off him.

He draws the sheet over Bitterbuck's face, wheels the gurney

down the tunnel. Percy throws a look to Paul.

PERCY:

What's up his ass?

PAUL:

You, Percy. Always you.

Paul brushes past him, but:

PERCY:

You gotta hate the new boy? That

the way it is around here?

PAUL:

(turns back)

Why not just move on? Go to Briar

Ridge.

(off his look)

Yeah, I know about it. Sounds like

a good job.

PERCY:

I might take it, too. Soon as you

put me out front.

Paul c*cks his head--excuse me?

PERCY:

You heard me. I want Brutal's spot

for the next execution.

PAUL:

(beat)

What's with you? Seeing a man die

isn't enough? You gotta be close

enough to smell his nuts cook?

PERCY:

I wanna be out front, is all. Just

one time. Then you'll be rid of me.

PAUL:

If I say no?

PERCY:

I might just stick around for

good, make me a career of this.

Paul just shakes his head in wonder and walks away.

FADE TO:

INT. COFFEY'S CELL - DAY

Coffey's lying on his bunk, weeping quiet tears. He stirs at

the sound of GIGGLING. He sits up, peers curiously through

the bars. Softly:

COFFEY:

Del?

AT THE GUARD STATION

Paul glances up from writing in the daily log. Silence now.

He goes back to writing--and the GIGGLING comes again.

PAUL:

Delacroix? That you?

No answer. Just more giggling. Paul rises, walks down the

Mile to Delacroix's cell--and stops, staring in through the

bars.

PAUL'S INNER OFFICE

Brutal and Dean are having lunch. Paul pokes his head in.

PAUL:

You are not gonna believe this.

RESUME E BLOCK:

The men follow Paul onto the Mile. By now, Del is CACKLING

WILDLY in his cell. Brutal shoots Paul a look--has he gone

insane? Paul gestures "see for yourself."

They arrive at the bars...and find the mouse sitting on Del's

shoulder. Del looks up, giggling like a kid at Christmas.

DEL:

Look! I done tame me dat mouse!

PAUL:

We see that.

DEL:

Watch dis! Watch what he do!

He stretches out his left arm. The mouse crawls over the top

of his head, scampers along his arm to the wrist, turns

around and scampers back. The guards just stand there,

staring.

DEL:

Ain't he sumpthin now? Ain't Mr.

Jingles smart?

PAUL:

Mr. Jingles?

DEL:

Dat his name. He whisper it in my

ear. Cap'n, can I have a box for

my mouse so he can sleep in here

wi' me?

PAUL:

I notice your English gets better

when you want something.

DEL:

Wanna see what else he can do?

Watch, watch, watch...

He puts the mouse on the floor, grabs a small wooden spool.

The mouse sees it, poises like a man getting ready for a race.

DEL:

We play fetch, Mr. Jingles? We

play fetch?

He tosses the spool across the floor, bounces it against the

wall. The mouse goes after it like a dog after a stick--and

proceeds to push it back to the bunk, rolling it with its

front paws all the way to Delacroix's feet.

By now, the guard's jaws are hanging open. Paul's got a funny

little chill running up his spine.

DEL:

He fetch it ever' time. Smart as

hell, ain't he? We do da trick

again, watch, watch, watch...

Again he throws the spool. Again the mouse goes after it,

starts rolling it back. Del howls with laughter, claps his

hands like a kid. Brutal murmurs to the others:

BRUTAL:

Who's training who here?

COFFEY:

That's some smart mouse, Del. Like

he's a circus mouse or something.

DEL:

A circus mouse! Dat jus' what he

is, too! A circus mouse! I get

outta here, he make me rich, see

if he don't!

He picks up the spool again, makes a drumroll sound, tosses

it. The mouse does its thing, rolling the spool back...

...as Percy enters the scene. Del catches sight of him and

scoops up his mouse, drawing fearfully back on his bunk. He

tries to hide Mr. Jingles in his hands--but the mouse

wriggles from his grasp and scampers up on top of his head,

where he regards Percy with mistrustful, beady mouse eyes.

PERCY:

Well, well. Looks like you found

yourself a new friend, Eddie.

Del tries to offer some defiance--but all he can manage is:

DEL:

Don' hurt him, 'kay? 'kay?

Percy shrugs as if to say "no skin off me", looks to Paul.

PERCY:

That the one I chased?

PAUL:

(level)

Yes, that's the one. Only Del says

his name is Mr. Jingles.

PERCY:

Is that so?

Paul trades a look with the others, everybody wondering just

what the hell's going through Percy's mind.

PAUL:

Del was just asking for a box. He

thinks the mouse will sleep in it,

I guess. That he might keep it for

a pet. What do you think?

PERCY:

I think it'll sh*t up his nose

some night and run away, but I

guess that's Del's lookout.

(beat)

We oughtta find a cigar box. Get

some cotton batting from he

dispensary to line it with. That

should do real nice.

Percy walks away, leaving them dumbstruck. Paul turns to the

others. Of all the things they've seen in the last few

minutes, Percy being nice is the most amazing of all.

PAUL:

Man said get a cigar box.

CUT TO:

INT. PRISON ADMINISTRATION BUILDING - DAY

Rate this script:4.0 / 5 votes