History Film / JustMercy

[[caption-width-right:350:Every generation has its hero. Meet ours.]]

* TheDeepSouth: This being a small town in southern Alabama, it's about as Deep South as it gets. The sheriff lampshades this at one point by complaining about the stereotypes that they're all a bunch of racist hicks, though it's not like he does anything to dispel that impression. (The judge who sentences [=McMillian=] is also named Robert E. Lee Key, which is one of those details that would seem [[AluminumChristmasTrees over the top if it weren't true]].)

* AlasPoorVillain: The execution of Herbert Richardson is played for maximum sympathy despite him fully admitting his guilt, as it's clear that he doesn't really deserve it despite that.

* BigBadDuumvirate: [[AmoralAttorney Tommy Chapman]] and [[CorruptHick Sheriff Tate]].
* CorruptHick: ''Tate''. In real life, in addition to the whole MiscarriageOfJustice, he was also accused to embezzling over $100,000 of money that was supposed to go to feeding his prisoners.

* NotSoDifferent: Stevenson points out to Myers that he and the man he's helped to frame actually have a lot in common -- more than he has in common with the white authorities who have abused them both.

''Just Mercy'' is a 2019 legal drama directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. The film is based on the true life case of Walter [=McMillian=].

* BigBadDuumvirate: [[AmoralAttourney Tommy Chapman]] and [[CorruptHick Sheriff Tate]].

The film stars Creator/MichaelBJordan as Stevenson, Creator/JamieFoxx as [=McMillian=], and Creator/BrieLarson as Stevenson's partner Eva Ansley. Creator/RafeSpall, Rob Morgan, Creator/OSheaJacksonJr, and Creator/TimBlakeNelson also appear in the film.

* It'sAllAboutMe: Chapman is angered when the 60 Minutes segment causes him to be portrayed as a racist villain even though it's entirely accurate.

* CategoryTraitor: The black characters widely believe that [=McMillian=] first attracted police hostility by having an affair with a white woman. In real life, one of his sons was also married to a white woman, compounding the problem.

** The prison guard who strip searches Stevenson is troubled by Herbert;s execution and shows signs of sympathy to Johnnie Dee as the movie goes on.

* It'sAllAboutMe: Chapman is angered when the 60 minutes segment causes him to be portrayed as a racist villain even though it's entirely accurate.

* TokenGoodTeammate: Only one member of Tate's department gets a positive portrayal and Tate fired him for refusing to lie on the stand and trying to bring attention to contradictions in the prosecutions theory.

* TokenGoodTeammate: Only one member of Tate's department gets a positive portrayal and Tate fired him for refusing to lie on the stand and trying to bring attention to contractions in the prosecutions theory.

The film stars Creator/MichaelBJordan as Stevenson, Creator/JamieFoxx as [=McMillian=], and Creator/BrieLarson as Stevenson's partner Eva Ansley. Creator/RafeSpall, Rob Morgan, O'Shea Jackson, Jr., and Creator/TimBlakeNelson also appear in the film.

* AmoralAttorney: Tommy Chapman, who knows damn well that [=McMillian's=] conviction was based on a mountain of lies and yet he chooses to uphold it anyway.

* NotSoDifferent: Stevenson points out to Myers that he and the man he's helped to frame actually have a lot in common -- more than he has in common with the white authorities who have abused them both.

* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The film uses real-life footage at the end to show where the major characters ended up.

''Just Mercy'' is a 2019 legal drama directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. The film is based on the true life case of Walter [=McMillan=].

The film follows Harvard law graduate Bryan Stevenson, who moves to Alabama to defend those who were wrongly convicted or provided insufficient legal representation. Among his clients is [=Walter McMillan=], a black man on death row for the murder of an 18-year-old white girl. After reading through [=McMillan=]'s file, it becomes exceedingly obvious to Stevenson that the case against [=McMillan=] was utterly laughable and was fueled entirely by prejudice. From there, he makes an effort to reopen the case against [=McMillan=] and provide the man with justice, but is faced with heavy resistance from the locals.

The film stars Creator/MichaelBJordan as Stevenson, Creator/JamieFoxx as [=McMillan=], and Creator/BrieLarson as Stevenson's partner Eva Ansley. Creator/RafeSpall, Rob Morgan, O'Shea Jackson, Jr., and Creator/TimBlakeNelson also appear in the film.

* AmoralAttorney: Tommy Chapman, who knows damn well that [=McMillan's=] conviction was based on a mountain of lies and yet he chooses to uphold it anyway.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: Stevenson and [=McMillan=] both go through hell to get the justice [=McMillan=] deserves, with [=McMillan=] having to endure prison with the threat of execution hanging over him, and Stevenson facing intense hostility from the local community, particularly law enforcement.
* HateSink: Quite a few examples throughout the film, as the town is teeming with bigots. Tommy Chapman (the prosecuting attorney) and Sheriff Tate are the most prominent examples throughout the film, both being vile scumbags who do everything they can to keep [=McMillan=] behind bars. Chapman at least does the right thing in the end; no such change of heart from the sheriff, though. There's also the two clearly racist cops who pull over Bryan without given anything in the way of a reason, all while searching his car and pointing a gun at his head.
* KangarooCourt: Both [=McMillan=]'s original trial and the initial appeal to have him re-tried are complete jokes. Despite the evidence against [=McMillan=] being almost comically weak, the court rules against him anyway.
* MiscarriageOfJustice: An example based on a real life case. A cursory glance at the facts of the case make it plainly obvious that the case against [=McMillan=] is incredibly weak, and yet a culture of bigotry led to him being punished for someone else's heinous crime anyway.

* HateSink: Quite a few examples throughout the film, as the town is teeming with bigots. Tommy Chapman (the prosecuting attorney) and Sheriff Tate are the most prominent examples throughout the film, both being vile scumbags who do everything they can to keep [=McMillan=] behind bars. Chapman at least does the right thing in the end; no such luck from the sheriff, though. There's also the two clearly racist cops who pull over Bryan without given anything in the way of a reason, all while searching his car and pointing a gun at his head.

The film stars Creator/MichaelBJordan as Stevenson, Creator/JamieFoxx as [=McMillan=], and Creator/BrieLarson as Stevenson's partner Eva Ansley. Creator/RafeSpall, Rob Morgan, O'Shea Jackson, Jr., and Tim Blake Nelson also appear in the film.