Andy Dufresne Who Crawled Through A River of Shit And Came Out Clean On The Other Side

               Twenty years ago, shortly after my first birthday a movie was released that would later go on to become one of the best movies of all time: "The Shawshank Redemption." Now mind you this film did not win best picture but I will argue to the bitter end that it certainly deserved it. The Shank as I like to call it lost to Forrest Gump, don't get me wrong Forrest Gump is a fantastic movie and a great cast but that too can be said for The Shank. Director Frank Darabont's vision provided for captivating adaption on Steven Kings story titled Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.

               The Shawshank Redemption isn't just a movie about a prison escape, but on the true bond of friendship. Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) And Ellis Boyd Redding (Morgan Freeman) meet at Shawshank prison and right away hit it off. Dufresne was sent to prison after being convicted of killing his wife and the person she was cheating on him with. Red as he was nicknamed considered himself as the only guilty man in Shawshank as it was an ongoing joke between the other inmates on how no one who is actually in the prison is "guilty". As the movie progresses you have you usual conflicts and problems but the bond between Andy and Red continues to grow strong.

            The tipping point in the movie happens when a new inmate arrives at Shawshank prison. A younger man Tommy is sentenced to prison for breaking and entering, he's been in and out of prison for all his life he tell the guys. During one of his stints elsewhere his cell mate told him a story on two people that he killed, leading to the truth on what really happened to Andy's wife proving his complete innocence.

           After hearing the story told by Tommy Dufresne approaches the hard ass warden, Warden Norton (Bob Gunton) since Dufresne being a successful banker before being sent to prison helps the Warden with his various financial ventures immediately disregards his claims tho his innocence. For Dufresne's outburst Warden Norton has him sent to solitary confinement for quite a long stint. After his time in the hole as they call it Andy had a conversation with Red that in my opinion is one of the best parts in the movie, yielding us with one of the greatest lines in movie history..."Get busy living or get busy dying".
 
            That night after the iconic conversation and choice was made by Andy, a choice that would liberate him from the institution that took away nearly twenty years of his life. Once again he was a free man, a man on his way to Mexico to start new life, a life of freedom.

             Now going back to my claims against Forrest Gump...Forrest Gump without question did deserve the nomination for best picture, a feel good story, a story that covers significant parts in history and how a mans life is intertwined within some of Americas biggest events. It also is a very emotional film. But to me Gump forced you to be emotional with how things played out as the film ran it's course. Comparing that to Shawshank, which delivers an emotional connection you cant fight or even given the choice to fight it, emotion that overwhelms you, overwhelms you right to the very  end due to the fact you connect so strongly with the characters and root for them the entire time, and when that final scene happens all you can do is smile and think back on all the events these two men have been through together and to see them have that chance to reunite and pickup right where they left off just makes the movie worthwhile in itself.

Magnum Rating: 9.8/10 (Damn Near Perfect)