The Green Mile (1999) - Parents Guide Movie Rating

MPA: R BBFC: 18 Maturity Rating 18+

MPAA Reason: Rated R for violence, language and some sex-related material.

BBFC Reason: Contains strong horror

Sex & Nudity

mild

A couple is having sex but you don't see them but you hear moaning from the wife. Later, you see the husband on top of his wife (after implied sex). There is a death row inmate convicted of rape. A man has a book in front of him but he's not reading a book, instead he is looking at a porn booklet that shows a cartoon-drawn woman and man, having sex. A prisoner named Bill, makes sexual comments or references.

Violence & Gore

severe

In the botched execution scene violence is actually quite tame, however it is still very disturbing. In this scene there is no visible blood. Quite a few executions by electric chair. One is botched. A prisoner attempts to kill a prison guard by strangulation. He kicks other guards in the process. One guard intervenes before the inmate kills anyone. Another prisoner is executed, but due to a purposefully botched setup, the man is zapped for a long time, his body convulsing from the electricity and flames breaking out on his body and under his death hood as he screams (this goes on for what seems like several minutes). A man cradles the dead bodies of two girls; their hair is matted with blood. The father bloodlessly punches him across the face a few times in despair before he is pulled away. An antagonist is shot five times in the chest, some blood and bullet wounds appear on his shirt as he slumps down dead. A prisoner elbows one guard and chokes another with handcuffs (a bit of blood spurts from his mouth) before bashing his head on the wall, a bit of blood is on their faces. He then kicks an incoming guard in the crotch before another one hits the prisoner twice, knocking him out. A mouse is purposely smashed by a shoe, we see some blood around its head/face. We see a bit of blood on a door and a small blood trail on a floor. An antagonist hits a prisoner once on the fingers with a billy club, it's later brought up that three of them were broken as a result. A few punches and a slap or two from angry guards towards an antagonist.

Profanity

moderate

12 uses of f##k Words like f**k, a**hole, d*ck, and sh*t are used throughout the movie. During an execution rehearsal, a man uses the words sh*t and mother****er in his "last words". Multiple uses of blasphemy (Jesus/Christ/God) Before Delacroix's death, Percy calls him a f*ggot.

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking

mild

The guards are shown drinking at one point in the film. One or two brief instances of smoking. Paul and Hal have what may be beer while grilling some food. The guards grind up some sort of medication/pills that they put in Wild Bill's beverage to knock him out.

Frightening & Intense Scenes

severe

The first execution, while not as violently prolonged as the second, could still be hard to watch due to its realism. An antagonist attacks some guards early on. In two scenes, a protagonist is shown to be in pain while urinating. The kidnap, rape, and murder of two little girls play a role in the plot. The rape and murder are not shown. However, the kidnapping -- which is carried out via manipulating the girls rather than by brute force -- is shown. Some viewers may find several executions using the electric chair (especially a graphic one that goes horribly wrong, takes much longer than usual and results in the prisoner literally being fried) as unsettling, disturbing and/or suspenseful. The execution of John Coffey can be emotional and upsetting, even though most of it isn't shown onscreen. The second execution scene is disturbing seeing as it goes wrong.