Daily Dialogue — April 6, 2012

Coffey: You tell God the Father it was a kindness you done. (takes his hand) I know you hurtin’ and worryin’, I can feel it on you, but you oughtta quit on it now. Because I want it over and done. I do.

Coffey hesitates–now he’s the one trying to find the right words, trying to make Paul understand:

Coffey: I’m tired, boss. Tired of bein’ on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. Tired of not ever having me a buddy to be with, or tell me where we’s coming from or going to, or why. Mostly I’m tired of people being ugly to each other. I’m tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world ever’ day. There’s too much of it. It’s like pieces of glass in my head all the time. Can you understand?

By now, Paul is blinking back tears. Softly:

Paul: Yes, John. I think I can.

Brutal: There must be something we can do for you, John. There must be something you want.

Coffey thinks about this long and hard, finally looks up.

Coffey: I ain’t never seen me a flicker

— Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), Paul (Tom Hanks), Brutal (David Morse), The Green Mile (1999), screenplay by Frank Darabont, based on the Stephen King

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is facing death, suggested by @tiffanyleigh and @al_grinter. Today’s suggestion by blknwite.

Trivia: More than 30 works of Stephen King have been adapted for movies, but this is the only one to have broken the $100 million mark at the North American box office (as of November 2007).

Dialogue On Dialogue: Think hard about a character’s last words. Sometimes seemingly mundane simple dialogue carries the most impact.

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