狱监保罗（汤姆•汉克斯 Tom Hanks 饰）这天迎来了一位不平凡的杀人犯――约翰•考夫利（迈克•克拉克•邓肯 Michael Clarke Duncan 饰）。约翰因杀了两名幼女被判死刑来到了这座著名的冷山监狱，监狱里有一片称为“绿里”的绿地，绿地那头就是刑场。 
　　约翰不仅不像想象中的凶残，相反，他出奇的温厚、机智。约翰的到来给狱中的各人带来了天翻地覆的变化：为老囚犯特里沃的小老鼠注入了生命的强度，给特里沃最后的人生带来最后的慰籍；神奇的拯救了被病痛折磨的保罗和马琳达；将金保斯从死神手中拉了回来……保罗这些天也从约翰身上看到了人生的真谛。 
　　约翰行刑的那天终于到了。

1.I'm sorry for what I am.
我的降生就是种罪过。

2.What do you want me to do John? I'll do it. You want me to let you walk out of here and see how far you get?
约翰你想让我做什么我都会做。你想让我放你离开这里，看看你能走到多远吗？

3.Melinda Moores: Why do you have so many scars? Who hurt you so badly?
梅林达：为什么你有这么多伤疤？谁这么狠心伤害你？
John Coffey: Don't hardly remember, ma'am.
约翰：几乎想不起来了，夫人。

4.When I die and I stand before God awaiting judgment and he asks me why I let one of HIS miracles die, what am I gonna say, that it was my job?
当我死了，我站在上帝面前等候审判，他问我为什么让他的奇迹死去，我该说什么，那是我的工作？

5.You tell God the Father it was a kindness you done. I know you hurtin' and worryin', I can feel it on you, but you oughta quit on it now. Because I want it over and done. I do. 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 everyday. There's too much of it. It's like pieces of glass in my head all the time. Can you understand?
你告诉上帝是出于善意。我知道你伤心焦虑，我可以感觉到，但你现在必须停止。因为我希望结束。真的，我累了。厌倦在路上，像雨中孤独的麻雀。厌倦没有伙伴陪伴，或者告诉我何去何从，或者为什么。我厌倦了人们丑陋的彼此相待，厌倦了每天感到和听到的伤痛。太多了。它一直就像我脑袋里的玻璃碴。你能理解吗？

6.Now why would you want to do a foolish thing like that?
为什么你会想做那么愚蠢的事？