Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'

Brooks is here.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Directed by Frank Darabont
Produced by Niki Marvin
Screenplay by Frank Drabont
Starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman

Notes:

• The whole thing reminded me of both Forest Gump and Holes. Hey, all three movies had curly hair'd leads too!
  
• What if master narrator Morgan Freeman didn't narrate the movie? That would suck. If he didn't, the only acceptable alternative would be Sir Ian McKellen, and in that case, Tim Robbins should just be replaced with Sean Astin. So pretty much if Morgan Freeman wasn't here, I'd end up watching Lord of the Rings.
• There's a part where Moran Freeman says he's Irish. How awesome would an Irish Freeman be?? Everything would be the same except his hair would be red, and at a distance, his skin mixed with his hair would blend into maroon! His name would be Maroon O'Freeman.
  
• This movie made me want to go to jail to hang out with that fun gang of guys in the film.
  
• Then there were some rape scenes. Then I did not want to go to jail.
• I wonder if people in prison watch this. I'm guessing it would make the guards feel uncomfortable...

What I learned from Shawshank:

• Jail toilets are surprisingly clean!
• To get money, write letters to the government until you annoy them into succumbing to your will.
  
• Prison isn't fun when you get raped, or when the warden is corrupted, or when you get beat up, or when you spend 2 months in "the hole", or when you can't listen to music, or when you aren't free.
• Prison is fun with an Irish Morgan Freeman.

Random quotes:

• "They send you here for life and that's exactly what they take."
• "The funny thing is, on the outside, I was an honest man, straight as an arrow. I had to come to prison to be a crook."

Conclusion:

NOW I know why it got so much praise! This was a wonderful movie with superb actors and a great script. I was also surprised at how happy it was, since, yknow, the whole thing takes place in a prison and all.