Spiritual Movie Review - Shawshank Redemption

Spiritual Movie Review - Shawshank Redemption
Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying
by Bob Kish of wealthvibes.com


This classic from 1994 is based on a Stephen King short story. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor, and Screenplay. It stars Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne, a man falsely convicted of the murder of his wife and her lover and sent to Shawshank prison to serve two life sentences beginning in 1947. There he confronts the harsh realities of prison life. At the same time he bonds with several of the inmates most notably Red (Morgan Freeman).

The mood alternates from despair and hopelessness as the years pass by for Andy Dufresne. You begin to realize that he just may spend the rest of his years behind bars. As this realization begins to sink in for both the viewer and Andy he develops a number of lifelong friendships.

In what form does redemption eventually come to Andy? You'll need to see Shawshank Redemption to discover and appreciate it's power.

What is spiritual about this movie? It is a testament to the individuals ability to perservere in the face of overwhelming physical, emotional and mental persecution. Andy Dufresne not only maintained a system of coping with the hardships of prison but adapted to the system and made it work for him. He also maintained and used a network of close friendships to help make it through. Do you have a system to adapt to change? How about a system of friends to fall back on for support?

Memorable Quotes

Warden Samuel Norton: I believe in two things: discipline and the Bible. Here you'll receive both. Put your trust in the Lord; your a** belongs to me. Welcome to Shawshank.

Red: These walls are kind of funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, gets so you depend on them. That's institutionalized. They send you here for life, that's exactly what they take. The part that counts, anyways.

Andy Dufresne: Get busy living, or get busy dying.