Premiered at the Toronto Film Festival September 6,2019
A Destin Daniel Cretton film
Plot (spoiler alert)
Walter McMillan gets arrested, is charged for murder and is on death row, when really he is innocent. Bryan Stevenson has just graduated from Harvard law and defends Walter in court.
Blaine: What’s great about movies is they can show us stories we may not be familiar with. Like a lot of people who have made history, Bryan Stevenson wrote his story of helping Walter McMillan get off death row and walk away a free man again. Writing the book was one thing. With film, it shows more of a visual look of things. Destin Daniel Cretton was given the book by a producer and by the time Destin was finished reading it he had a lot of energy. It gave him an urge to direct it as a movie. Destin thought of Bryan Stevenson as a role model after learning who he is. That urge feeling Destin had inside him transformed into being nervous because Bryan is a strong person and Destin wanted to make sure that he did everything in the best way to honor Bryan and what he stands for. Everyone who was involved with “Just Mercy” knew how important this story was and Bryan Stevenson was proud that people in the film business would help get this story out there because of how important it is. Bryan admired the actors for devoting themselves to this project and Destin for putting his heart into the project. Destin has made movies where people are experiencing a lot in life, who never give up or find a way to do better in life. They also involve people who learn how to forgive. The characters in those movies have feelings. They are going through different kinds of emotions in those movies. All the actors in “Just Mercy” gave performances that no one will forget after they see the movie. They make you feel for these people.
After reading Bryan Stevenson’s book, Michael B. Gordon asked himself why he was never taught Bryan Stevenson’s story when he was in school. It made him feel embarrassed that he never heard of Bryan Stevenson before. Bryan sounded like a superhero to Michael because this man was saving innocent lives. Bryan is a lawyer with heart. Bryan is also lovable to a lot of people because they can see he cares. Michael B. Gordon shows how carrying of a person Bryan Stevenson is and how strong of a person he is through his performance.
Johnny D., who also goes by the name Walter, thinks it’s hopeless to be proven innocent after what he’s been through. Plus Bryan was just getting started at being a lawyer, but Bryan is smart enough to know how the justice system works. Bryan also isn’t the type of guy who gives up. Bryan did his homework on Johnny D.’s case and figured out how he could prove that Johnny is innocent. Johnny D. was realizing how serious Bryan was at his job and he decided to give him a chance. The first trial Bryan did to prove Johnny D. is innocent was going very well and Johnny D. was given a feeling he hadn’t felt in a while, joy, because this was really helping him.
Jamie Foxx knew someone in his life who was accused for a crime he didn’t commit and “Just Mercy” felt more personal to him than any other project he has done in his career. The story for “Just Mercy” sounded beautiful to Jamie and seeing it as a movie was beautiful to look at for him.
Johnny D. was accused of murder because a man named Ralph Myers gave a false statement against him. Ralph is not the type of guy who wants to be the bad guy, he was threatened to do it. After Bryan had talked with him, Ralph thought it was better to do the right thing and confess that what he said about Johnny D. was a lie. Tim Blake Nelson plays Ralph Myers in “Just Mercy” and working on this film was a real eye opener for him on how life is. There was a few other people Bryan managed to find, good people, who could help Johnny D.
Destin Daniel Cretton has a work relationship with Brie Larson after doing “Short Term 12” and “The Glass Castle” with her. Fate brought them together for a third time for “Just Mercy”. Bryan Stevenson worked closely with a woman named Eva Ansley. Eva already took a liking to Bryan before she even met him because she got info about Bryan and he sounded like the type of person who would be on the same page as her. They both put their own office together where they did business in helping innocent men get off of death row. Brie Larson was lucky that Destin found a place for her in the project by playing the part of Eva. Brie chose to be apart of this project because she would be working with Destin again. But she also loved that this movie stood for something and she felt blessed to be involved with the project. Brie Larson is a strong presence because she’s a strong actress and Eva is the type of woman who is hardcore and doesn’t take shit from anyone. Eva can handle whatever is thrown at her face, like name calling and all of that, but when people threaten her family that’s too far, but she still won’t quit. Eva knows that jerks like that don’t own this country, and she doesn’t want them to win in a fight. Eva is positive about what she represents just like Bryan Stevenson.
Brie Larsson felt something through every take they did of a scene and she wasn’t alone. A lot of the actors on set felt something strong through every take they did of each scene they shot.
Another prisoner who was on death row was Herbert Lee Richarson, a Vietnam veteran. Herbert’s story is he had trouble adapting to the life around him after returning from Nam. He had no family. From what I read, Herbert met a girl, but he wasn’t sure how to get her to like him. He made a bomb that he could save her from and look like a hero. But that didn’t go as planned. A little girl saw the bomb and it blew her up. The victim’s family was furious at Herbert and wanted nothing more but for him to be put down. Herbert was no killer, he just made a mistake. He deserved better in life after Vietnam. Herbert was sentenced to death because of what he had done and he really wasn’t looking forward to it. Death is something that a lot of people fear.
Herbert had better luck at making friends while he was in jail. Johnny D. and Anthony Ray Hinton were Herbert’s cellmates and whenever he was nervous or was feeling regret, they were there to tell him he’s a good person. Herbert also found a friend in Bryan Stevenson. I think Bryan is a people person because he bonded with his clients. Bryan, Johnny, Anthony were the closest thing to family Herbert ever had in life and it was heartbreaking for all of them when Herbert’s time came. It was more hurtful for Bryan because he had to see it right in front of his eyes. Herbert didn’t want to be alone and Bryan was there to keep him company. Herbert was scared that he was going to die, but he died knowing that there was people who loved him.
Bryan is sad that Herbert had to go, but he’s going to make sure Johnny D. doesn’t end up in the chair too. Bryan wasn’t going to rest until he could prove that Johnny D. was an innocent man.
Like I said things were looking good during the first trial, but that didn’t change the judge’s mind. A month later, Johnny D. was sentenced to stay on death row.
Bryan Stevenson could not allow this. It’s not the type of thing you get over, especially when your positive on the subject. This isn’t over until Bryan says so. He knows Johnny D. is 100% innocent and he wasn’t going to stop. Bryan was giving this everything he had. This was more than just about his career, he was doing this because he cared for his client. And it’s not just Johnny he is fighting for, he’s also doing it for Johnny’s family because they love him.
Bryan has a voice and he was speaking loud enough for the public to hear that Johnny D. was innocent. But no matter how many times you could say Johnny D. is innocent, no one cared because they were convinced he was Ronda Morrison’s killer, including her family. But really I think the real reason they were accusing him was because he is black. Bryan went to the lawyer who was representing Ronda Morrison’s family in court, Tommy Chapman. Bryan can see through Tommy and knows the truth that he too believes Johnny D. is innocent after everything he has heard from Bryan in court. Tommy Chapman didn’t want to admit that he agreed that Bryan Stevenson was right, but he couldn’t ignore it. Tommy’s conscience is telling him right from wrong and in the end Tommy made the right decision by joining Bryan’s motion.
Johnny D. winning the case was a proud and emotional moment for everyone. He was reunited with his family and he was walking out of jail a free man instead of being a dead man walking and it was all thanks to Bryan, the man who never gave up on him.
Bryan Stevenson showed everyone the type of man that he is. Johnny was very grateful that Bryan came into his life. He could see that Bryan was a very special young man who has heart and Bryan earned a place in Johnny’s heart.
Towards the beginning of “Just Mercy” when it shows Bryan Stevenson leaving his home to move to Alabama, his mother is concerned for her son. She wasn’t sure on what life was going to be like for him in Alabama. She supports her son, but she is concerned about his safety. Half of the time, Bryan was treated unfairly while living in Alabama, and it made him upset, but other times he was surrounded by very good people who were welcoming, like Eva Ansley and her family and Johnny D.’s family. Plus Bryan is one of those people who is strong in spirit. In the end, Bryan accomplished something big. He was becoming a leader and a lot of people were thinking of him as a blessing from God. Bryan’s mother must have been proud after that.
“Just Mercy” is not a Marvel movie, but I think because of Marvel other films are giving people a reason why they should sit through the entire movie. During the end credits it shows a few details on what happened after. Like what became of Ralph Myers and how the investigation of the murder of Ronda Morrison was back on after Johnny D. was proven innocent.
Bryan Stevenson could see there was a good person in everyone he represented. Another person convicted for a crime he didn’t do was Anthony Ray Hinton and he too wasn’t so sure about Bryan when he first showed up. But Bryan Stevenson was growing on the other cellmates the more they got to know him and see how serious he takes his job. The lawyers the cellmates had before weren’t as committed as Bryan Stevenson. Bryan helped Anthony out and it took more than two decades, but Bryan finally won the case and made Anthony a free man again. Bryan really devotes himself to the work he does by helping his clients. Today, Bryan Stevenson is still a fighter and he hopes “Just Mercy” will reach out to many people to support others.
My rating on “Just Mercy” is five out of five stars
