Racism is at the very root of the story: the original case against McMillian was brought because he was hated by whites for having had an affair with a white woman. But Stevenson is confident that, with his own local investigation of the evidence, he can bring an appeal to a higher court and have the conviction overturned.įrom the start, the movie presents the obstacles that Stevenson and Ansley face in their efforts-social obstacles, rooted in racism, some of which are masked as impersonal official actions. He does not want to reopen the case and reawaken hopes only to see them dashed again.

McMillian, who has had prior appeals denied, is resigned to his fate. What’s more, the case reveals itself to be based on a complete fabrication of evidence by a white sheriff and a white prosecutor, unchallenged by a white public defender, unquestioned by a white judge, and accepted by an all-white jury. In the course of their work, Stevenson discovers that Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), nicknamed Johnny D., was wrongly convicted of the crime for which he’s facing execution. In 1987, he travels to Monroeville, Alabama, to join a white administrative director, Eva Ansley (Brie Larson), in an organization that provides death-row inmates with legal representation. Jordan), a young black man from Delaware who graduates from Harvard Law. The movie is centered on Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Based on a true story, the movie presents the conviction, incarceration, and planned execution of an innocent black person in a way that indicts the biased justice system that is faced by black people over all in the United States. Complete the form below to download the printer-friendly version of the Just Mercy Catholic Study Guide.Īn online version of this study guide is available here.“Just Mercy” is one of the rare films that, in addressing a specific injustice, reaches below the surface of the action to reveal the systemic inequities that cause it to happen. The guide creates opportunities for viewers to explore the Catholic call to uphold the sanctity of life within the context of the U.S.

How to Watch: Just Mercy is available for streaming on digital platforms including Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, and more!Ĭatholic Mobilizing Network's Just Mercy Catholic Study Guide offers a series of thoughtful reflection questions and supplementary resources and serves as an accompaniment to this powerful film. The film illustrates the structural racism endemic to our capital punishment system, and lays bare how this system devalues and cheapens all human life. Based on the bestselling book of the same name by Bryan Stevenson, the film Just Mercy presents the stunning true story of Walter McMillian, a black man convicted and sentenced to death in Alabama in 1988 for a crime he did not commit.

Just mercy book