The film takes place in the 1930s and follows the story of Paul Edgecomb (played by Tom Hanks), the superintendent of Cold Mountain Penitentiary's E Block, also known as the Green Mile. Paul and his team, including Brutus "Brutal" Howell (played by David Morse) and Percy Wetmore (played by Doug Hutchison), oversee the daily operations of the prison, which includes managing the inmates on death row.