The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Trailer

Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.
So basically: In the late 1940's, banker Andy Dufresne is sent to Shawshank prison for the murder of his wife and her lover, although he claims he is innocent. There, he meets Red, the man who can get just about anything. They form a lasting friendship and find redemption in each other.

hmmmm, I'm at a loss as to what to say. It's the final movie on the list. The top movie!! Ahh, nothing seems good enough. But, I guess here we go: This was the first time I heard about this movie - when I first read the list. Which I thought was refreshing. I don't think it deserves the top spot, as there are a lot of movies on the list I think are better and more enjoyable. This is a fantastic movie, but I was expecting to be in awe after watching it. To feel something, like I learned something from it, which I didn't.

A good movie that deserves to be on the list, but not first.

Ziggi seal of approval!



The guest reviewer adds her opinion...
I’m assuming the most salient quality of this movie in terms of its 250 inclusion was the inspirational value its depictions of redemption and tenacity and friendship.  I can see this in it, but personally – I wasn’t all that inspired. I most certainly winced and grabbed at my friend’s hand during some of the more dramatically sad scenes, and some of the friendship scenes were pretty heartwarming, but I didn’t find that the movie as a whole carried much emotional resonance. Even the themes and images that I thought were extremely well portrayed weren’t especially poignant for me - a couple of days after watching it, I can’t honestly say that I’m thinking about it at all.
 
I’m not particularly attuned to nuances of cinematography or pacing or whatever else, but I think a truly great movie should be accessible to the average viewer.

So... The Pretentious Reviewer's Seal of Disapproval!