The Shawshank Redemption

Odds are that you skipped this one when it first came out, as it landed with a thud at the box office. For one thing, very few people had read Stephen King's novella, and most of us never even bothered to figure out how to pronounce it. Suffice it to say that I, among many others, was wrong. This simple little story has now taken its place among the top 50 American movies of all time!

The basis of the movie is about a man (played by Tim Robbins) convicted of murdering his wife and sent to prison with a life sentence. You see the unpleasant (putting it mildly!) rigors of prison, and watch a friendship slowly build between him and a black lifer (played by Morgan Freeman) incongruously named "Red."

Several things delight me when watching a movie:

• I love watching really smart people deal with a tough situation
• I love seeing people who have grit and determination
• I love knowing what "really happened"
• I love watching a character evolve
• I love happy endings.

This movie has all five...but no "blowie-uppie stuff." Hurrah!

If you are lucky enough to have access to the 20th Anniversary Edition, be sure to watch the hilarious spoof, "The Sharktank Redemption" on the second disc.