Dead Man Walking is based on a true story about Sister Helen Prejean (played by Susan Sarandon), a nun who agrees to offer spiritual counsel to Matthew Poncelet, a man on death row. This angers Mr. and Mrs. Percy, the parents of the teenage girl Poncelet murdered, as they can't understand how she could sympathize with someone who committed such a savage act.

In one scene, Sister Helen is sitting with Mr. and Mrs. Percy (played by R. Lee Ermey and Celia Weston) in their home. Mrs. Percy asks her why she had come over to "our side." Sister Helen, with a concerned look on her face, carefully answers, "I wanted to come and see if I could help you all and pray with you, but he asked me to be his spiritual advisor, to be with him when he dies."

Mrs. Percy asks her what she had decided. Sister Helen answers, "That I would."

Mr. Percy has a surprised look on his face. "We thought that you changed your mind. We thought that's why you were here." Sister Helen shakes her head reluctantly.

Mrs. Percy, indignant, says, "How can you come here?"

Mr. Percy says, "How can you sit with that scum?"

Sister Helen, somewhat anxious and groping for words, answers, "Mr. Percy, I've never done this before. I'm just trying to follow the example of Jesus, who said that every person is worth more than their worst act."

Mr. Percy responds in a raised, passionate tone, "This is not a person. This is an animal. No, I take that back. Animals don't rape and murder their own kind. Matthew Poncelet is God's mistake. And you want to hold the poor murderer's hand. You want to be there to comfort him when he dies. There wasn't anybody in the woods that night to comfort Hope when those two animals pushed her face down into the wet grass!"

Sister Helen, in a flustered voice, says, "I just want to help him to take responsibility for what he did."

The parents respond with further indignation. Then Mr. Percy says in a firm and serious tone, "Sister, I think you need to leave this house right now." Sister Helen, now confused and flustered, stands up and heads toward the front door. Mr. Percy stands up and tells her angrily, "Wait a minute. If you really are sorry, and you really do care about this family, you want to see justice done for our murdered child. Now, you can't have it both ways. You can't befriend that murderer and expect to be our friend too!"

Elapsed time: This scene begins at 00:51:15 and ends at 00:53:45.

Rated R for depiction of rape and murder as well as language