Baking & the Big Screen: Cornbread & The Green Mile
Thanks to a potluck at my office, I was once again handed a perfect opportunity for this blog: making cornbread from scratch. Now, since I’m not a monster, I did also make a package of Jiffy, (because, how can you not?) but a cheesy spicy cornbread seemed pretty solid, and I figured I’d cover my bases between the two. Unfortunately, my excitement over finding a movie with cornbread not only in it, but in the title, turned out to be short lived. Turns out, I should have looked into Cornbread, Earl and Me, because then I would have learned it has absolutely nothing to do with baking and it was a nickname. Then, I was gifted an answer by the internet: The Green Mile. I’d seen the movie before, but only remembered the most basic facts about it, so just like last month with The Princess and the Frog, I decided to revisit a film I’d technically already seen.
The Green Mile
Starring Tom Hanks, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Cromwell, Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell, Patricia Clarkson, Harry Dean Stanton
Director: Frank Darabont
Released in 1999
Available on HBO Max
I’m sure it is no shock to anyone reading this that The Green Mile is a damn good movie. It is very long, but I’m not sure there is more than a minute or two you could cut if you wanted to. It felt shorter to me than some 90 minute films do, which is saying something, since it’s double that length. I also constantly forget that this is based on a Stephen King novel, since there are some supernatural elements but definitely none of the normal horror I associate with King’s work. Michael Clarke Duncan gave a performance that should have won an Oscar, full stop, and I believe this is one of Tom Hanks’ best performances as well. The dynamic between every character is believable and the relationships are all unique and lived in. Despite the fantasy element, it’s an incredibly grounded tale, even with Sam Rockwell going crazy as a truly insane inmate on this death row (the green mile, as it is called) that we are given a glimpse of in this store.
It seems almost silly to discuss the plot points of this movie, since it feels like one that everyone knows about, even if they’ve never seen a second of it. A mysterious giant of an inmate proves it isn’t always how it seems in the world, and brings what could be magic to this death row ward in an isolated Southern prison. He affects many, if not all, of the people on the row that he encounters. There’s a strong sense of justice and what is truly good and evil within this story. It definitely made me tear up at times, even when I knew where things were leading. It also made me emotionally attached to a very adorable, tiny mouse named Mr. Jingles. Honestly, there aren’t many more things I could say that wouldn’t just be me waxing poetic even more.
The baking connection is actually perfectly played out in this movie. At one point, Hanks’ character brings Duncan’s a freshly baked piece of cornbread, which the kind soul then offers to share. And that’s a perfect example of some solid Southern food, and I’m happy to say I think mine fit the bill. If I made it again, I’d add more cheese and jalapeños because the homemade stuff was a bit bland, but we ate it with some soups and dips and it was a perfect complement, so maybe it didn’t need to steal the show. The ol’ reliable Jiffy box brought back memories of making pancakes with that mix and was as delightful as I remembered. I had something savory and something sweet, and the combination of them both worked perfectly when all was said and done.