Movie Minx

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins
Directed by: Frank Darabont

Plot: Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

But is it any good?

Why is it that some adaptations of Stephen King stories are shit (all except the following three) and some are brilliant and beloved (The Shining, Shawshank and Stand By Me)?

On the surface, Shawshank should be shite. It’s a bloody depressing story about Andy (Robbins) who’s sent to prison for murders (his wife and her lover) he insists he didn’t commit. He’s then forced to pick up the soap in the shower for the next X years and deal with nasty, corrupt prison guards and spend his remaining days in a concrete hell. Sounds unbearable, doesn’t it, and it is really. So why does it sit almost permanently at #2 in imdb’s top 250?

Because it’s an ultimately uplifting tale of survival through the power of friendship, which can bring joy in the darkest of times and places. That’s an inspiring message we can all appreciate. We may not be locked up for life, but everyone faces their own obstacles and most of us make it through them with the help of friendship, regardless of religion, race, IQ or salary. The unifying and comforting benefits of friendship is a theme that can be found in many of these movies I’ve reviewed.

That central theme binds the entire story, which closely follows Andy from his first day in the slammer to the twist/revelation at the end. A solid supporting cast and smooth voice-over narrative from Morgan Freeman, plus cinematography which reveals the daunting scale of the prison, make this a crowning achievement in storytelling. It’s not a family film by all means, but otherwise essential viewing for just about anyone over 12. Cinephiles argue over its high ranking, and it certainly wasn’t ground-breaking cinema like some other movies in the top 20, but it deserves its place here for its powerful, poignant depiction of such a universal theme. Its mass appeal for this reason makes it #2.

IMDb’s rating: 8.9/10
My rating: 10/10

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