Tom Hanks stars as Paul Edgecombe, head guard of death row in a Depression-era Southern prison. Edgecombe and the guards he works with have the responsibility of guarding and executing the most depraved men in the prision. But their new charge, John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), is different. Convicted of the rape and murder of two young girls, Coffey nonetheless possesses a childlike demeanor and miraculous healing powers. As the time of Coffey's execution nears, Edgecombe and the other guards begin to realize the scope of Coffey's powers. They also begin to doubt that Coffey is guilty of the crime he was convicted for.