The month of September marks the 20th anniversary of one of my favourite films: The Shawshank Redemption, starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. There are many obvious reasons for applauding this film about a man called Andy who is wrongfully imprisoned for killing his wife.
1. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman both put down some brilliant acting in this movie.
2. It's based on a brilliant novella entitled "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King, who is best known for his horror stories. Hollywood did not butcher King's novella to make the movie.
3. The changes director Frank Darabont made in the movie made sense and created a way for the movie to actually enhance the experience of reading the story.
4. The friendship between Andy and Red (played by Morgan Freeman) is a memorable relationship that stands the test of time.
Still, one of my main reasons for making Shawshank Redemption one of my favourite movies is the fact that it was filmed in the area of Ohio where I grew up. I was born in Mansfield, Ohio, where Darabont filmed Shawshank Redemption. I grew up in the middle of nowhere on a dairy farm in the countryside.
I know the tree that Red sat under when he collected the box according to Andy's instruction. (I won't give away any details about the movie in case there is anyone who has not had the opportunity to see this great film yet).
That tree is actually in Lucas, Ohio, the home of the Pulitzer Prize winning author Louis Bromfield. There's nothing like having a movie made where you grew up if that place you called home hardly even makes a map.
There are many fascinating stories surrounding the movie version of Shawshank Redemption. We could all guess that Stephen Spielberg sells the movie rights to his books for mega bucks, but few people know that he practically gives away the rights to his short stories, optioning the rights to make movies out of his short stories for as little as $1.
He liked what Darabont had done with one of his short stories when he turned it into a movie, so he optioned Shawshank Redemption for only US$5,000. Twentieth anniversary Internet stories on The Shawshank Redemption say that Spielberg never cashed the cheque Darabont wrote. He returned it to Darabont with a note that he should use it for bail money in case he ever needed it.
According to these stories now circulating on the Web, The Shawshank Redemption did not do well at the box office, but the story of the wrongfully accused Andy and the friendship he makes with Red somehow struck a chord with viewers and DVD sales soared.The Shawshank Redemption became one of those movies that developed a cult following almost like The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Like I said before, Darabont took some liberties with the film, but he still managed not to ruin the story. In the novella, Red is Irish; in the movie he's Morgan Freeman, an Afro-American. In the short story, Tommy, a young inmate Red and Andy try to help in the film, survives. He's not so lucky in the film. Red is shot dead by a prison officer.Twenty years after Shawshank Redemption debuted, it's interesting to examine some of the reasons for the film's extraordinary fame.
1. It is a well-written story and well-adapted script with great acting.
2. It's message about prison conditions still resonate today.
3. It brings home the point that there are always some people in prison who are innocent.
4. It makes us appreciate our own sense of freedom.
What's most important is how The Shawshank Redemption makes us face the purpose of prison. Is it merely a holding pen or should it be more invested in restorative justice? The Shawshank Redemption is set in the late 40s, when I don't think anyone even dreamed of restorative justice, but that is what makes this movie so important. Without even trying to highlight the issue and the need for restorative justice, Shawshank Redemption highlights the point.
If you have not yet had the chance to see The Shawshank Redemption–even if you aren't interested in prison issues–you should experience the film so that you can appreciate Stephen King's short stories, which are, in my opinion, even better than his horror novels.If you have seen The Shawshank Redemption, then you should watch it again, just to celebrate a remarkable film that has stood the test of time.
Next week: A look at some remarkable films from the T&T Film Festival.