The Shawshank Redemption - Movie Review
Hope is a good thing
The Shawshank Redemption is my favorite film ever made. It is the ultimate story of finding hope and fortitude in the worst of places. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman give career defining performances in a film that has cemented itself as one of, if not the greatest pieces of cinema in history.
It is the story of Andy Dufresne, a man who is imprisoned at Shawshank Prison after being convicted of killing his wife and her lover. Over the course of his incarceration, he suffers through many hardships and also makes some new friends. He quickly learns how to adapt to this harsh environment that he finds himself in and he finds a best friend in a fellow inmate, Red. He also is enlisted to help out with the business ventures of the prison warden, who takes an interest in him after discovering that he is a well educated banker. However, Andy uncovers a revelation that will force him to make a choice: “Get busy living, or get busy dying.”
The film was directed by Frank Darabont and was adapted from a Stephen King short story Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The film stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman as Andy and Red respectively. It was released in 1994, and was a critical success. Upon release, the film was a box office bomb, failing to make back it’s budget. In the years following it’s release, the movie was boosted in popularity by word of mouth marketing, and it became one of the most rented movies in the United States. TNT also acquired the cable rights to the film and they began airing it regularly, exposing the film to millions of television viewers year round. Over time, it became one of the most beloved and popular films ever made, despite nobody going and seeing it in theaters.
Next Saturday, I will post an in-depth article discussing the Christian themes of the film. I encourage all of you to watch the movie if you have not already. This film is not an easy watch at times for some people, given the nature of the story. As Red puts it, “Prison is no fairy-tale world”. The film can be mildly violent at times, the subject matter is very intense, and there is A LOT of swearing. I would recommend that you don’t watch it with the youngsters. Don’t despair though, the film also contains immense joy and hope, demonstrated by Robbins’ Andy as he attempts to remind his fellow inmates of the beauty of the world beyond the cold prison walls.
The movie is available to stream on HBO Max with a subscription, it’s available to rent on Prime Video, and you can Google it to see when it airs on tv. I’m serious, it’s on tv ALL the time!
God Bless You All,
Michael