Hall of Fame: The Shawshank Redemption

Alright, everybody. It's time to begin our Hall of Fame inductions. It took a few weeks to decide which movie I wanted to induct first into Working Title's Hall of Fame. After much agonizing and perusing the DVD shelf, I think I have found a very worthy choice. So welcome to our first Hall of Fame movie(!):

The Shawshank Redemption

I cannot express the appreciation I have for this film. It is not so much a movie but a spiritual journey. Director Frank Darabont has crafted an excellent film about the triumphs of the human spirit and the power of hope. How many prison movies have you watched that ended with you feeling uplifted, and hopefully with a smile on your face?
The story revolves around Andy Dufresne, a former bank accountant who has been given a life sentence for killing his wife and her lover. He is sent to Shawshank Prison to serve his term. There Andy shows that he is not your typical in-mate, someone who has given into his circumstances. The others find Andy odd. Here is a man who acts like he is not in prison at all, but who still finds a sense of freedom in all the things he does. Dufresne (Tim Robbins) becomes good friends with Red (Morgan Freeman). It is through Red that we are able to observe Andy. Most of the inmates in Shawshank are there until death, and there is very little hope to be found. Slowly Andy shows them that it is the choices you make, even in prison, that can become empowering. Andy never loses hope in his circumstances, and even when Shawshank finally seems to beat him down, he still rises up and ask the question,"Do I give up and die, do I accept what the system has locked me into, or do I choose to live my life on my terms?" The answer to this question leads to one of cinema's most satisfying conclusions.
Darabont has helmed four feature films so far. I have not seen The Majestic, but I have seen the other three and I can say that Darabont is a major force as a director. The interesting thing is the three movies I have seen have been Stephen King adaptations, two of which are prison dramas. There is a solid dynamic between the two (who are real life close friends) in their story-telling abilities. Shawshank almost exists as a perfectly crafted film. It's 2 1/2 hour run-time seems to fly by, almost unheard of for a drama, much less a prison drama.
The performances are amazing, especially Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. There is an unspoken unknown element, a chemistry that is heightened when they both are on screen. I cannot imagine it could be duplicated with any other actors. Robbins is a virtual everyman, someone all of us can relate to in some way. Red is the cynical, experienced "lifer", whose values are questioned with the arrival of Dufresne. In fact, every part of the prison, from the warden to the guards to the other in-mates are forced to act in different ways, solely from the presence of this one man in Andy. A man who can be physically locked behind bars forever, but whose spirit can never be caged.
My first experience with Shawshank was from my best friend. He recorded the film from satellite onto a beat up VHS copy. My first viewing was hardly memorable. I have since watched the movie close to 10 times. As I have grown older, my appreciation for the film has grown deeper. I now watch it annually, sometimes twice a year. As with myself, the film has taken time to catch on with everyone. When it was first released it did not make a lot of money. It was nominated for Best Picture and several other awards, but it was not until it's home release that it really took off with viewers. Now it is a definite inclusion on many all-time lists, most notably occupying the top spot on the Internet Movie Database's worldwide rankings. It is a film much deserving of all of it's accolade and much much more. If you have not seen it, do yourself a favor and find a copy. You will not be disappointed.

Grade: A+