Hope is a dangerous thing

     Whenever I go on a date the question of what are some of your favorite movies always comes up. I hope that's normal because I'm already way to obsessed with movies. There are only three answers to this question. The first and best is the girl gives you a list including movies you've never seen (thanks to my pal Dillon for telling me about Gummo 4 stars and no where weren't dating). This is good because I think giving away great movies to people is one of the best gifts ever. Next is the worst, the girl says her favorite movie is a terrible movie and she's not joking. Example; " My favorite movie is Planet of the Apes". You of course say "That's such a classic I love the end and all you see is the statue of liberty and your like what? It gets me every time". She turns horrified "They don't do that Mark Walberg sees the Lincoln Memorial". Then you bail because you realise there is not hope in life and spent the rest of the night wondering why good things happen to bad people. The third is a list of movies that don't surprise you because duh there great and on everyone's list. Today we're talking about one of those movies.

      The Shawshank Redemption is a beautiful film and I know I say this way to often but seriously if you haven't seen it stop reading and rent this film. Its a must see. This film is number 27 on AFI's 100 years 100 cheers list and number 73 on their top 100 movies list. The story is a prison drama that is told through the eyes of the great actor Morgan Freeman. This movie is breathtaking every time I watch it and I cannot help but sobbing like a child  and the first halfway house scene. This movie is about how you can have hope in terrible places but it's also about how places become your reality.

     My favorite line is one where a prisoner got out and is working in the real world and he asks his manager from across the room for a restroom break. The manager tells him he doesn't have to ask to talk a piss. But, the prisoner is so used to asking he just can't go without permission. This movie is slow and it takes about two hours until anything huge happens. This movie doesn't feel like its more than an hour though. That's because you become part of the film. To me a great movie makes you forget everything about the outside world and brings you into the screen and that's what this movie does.

Ebert's score 4 stars

Tyler's score 4 stars