My Favorite Movie...

The odd title of this blog comes from my favorite movie, The Shawshank Redemption.  Recently, a friend asked me why that particular movie.  I thought for a second and said, "because it is about hope".  I have thought about it many times...for some reason...since I was asked.  Why in the world is my favorite movie about a man wrongfully accused of a crime and sent to prison?  A movie that includes horrible abuse of the prisoners by the guards, corruption, prison rape, murders and suicides.  WOW...when I put it like that, it does seem like a downer of a movie to pick.  BUT...the story is really about two people who, despite where they came from, end up as friends in a very unlikely place.  It is a story of how we react to our circumstances and choices we make in those circumstances.  Do we have hope when all seems lost or do we drop our head and think hopeless thoughts?  So, yeah, I like it because it is about hope.

I hope you have seen the movie.  If you haven't, you are really missing out.  It is based on a short story by Stephen King and starts with the murder of a rich bankers wife and her mistress.  The banker is wrongly convicted of the crime and sent to Shawshank prison.  The banker, Andy, is played by Tim Robbins.  The entire story is narrated by Red, the man that will become Andy's closest friend in Shawshank.  Red is played beautifully by Morgan Freeman.  The Shawshank Redemption did poorly at the box office and, even though it was nominated for multiple Oscars, it won no awards.  It is unfortunate that it shared an Oscar season with Forrest Gump!

Anyway, humor me and watch a few of my favorite scenes.  Also, PLEASE know before you watch that this movie is rated R and does contain harsh language.

This is a scene where Andy, who has access to certain things because the warden is using him to run his illegal business, plays Mozart to the prison. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azWVPWGUE1M

Andy telling Red where he wants to go if he gets out of prison.  This scene is where the name of my blog comes from...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp22Q866-O8

After Andy takes his leave, he sends Red a message...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWi1fgJ5Wl8

Red then comes up for parole...again.  Morgan Freeman does a wonderful job in this scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtwXlIwozog

Before Andy takes his leave of the prison, he tells Red to go to a certain field if he ever gets out.  There will be something buried there for him.  I wish I could find the scene where he tells him but I can only find the scene of Red going to the field after he gets out of prison.  Also, this person's clip ties together two scenes on hope.  The first is right after the Mozart scene above and then it jumps to Red in the field Andy tells him to go to.  It is a bit confusing but it has that hope message loud and clear...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWUfFwoe8ko&NR=1

There you go, a few scenes from my favorite movie.  There's a lot more to it...Andy building a library at the prison, doing taxes for the guards, cooking the books for the warden, his escape and many others.  I suggest you rent the movie.