Ranks right up there with To Kill a Mockingbird

Rating: Null/10 (17 March 2000)

At the risk of gushing... I just have to comment that this film takes my breath away every time I watch it. I can never seem to pass by the channel when it's on TV. I cry every time I see it. It's a good cry though, a "feeling something" cry. Sometimes in the rush of daily life you can forget what it's like to simply FEEL your emotions. As other people have said here - each time you watch this film, more layers of story are revealed to you. The whole experience of it -- the music, the atmospheric, this-feels-like-a-real-place setting, the poetic quality of Morgan Freeman's narration (and what a voice he has!), the characters who seem like real people instead of stereotypes, and the theme of the survival of hope even in the most oppressive of circumstances -- is very spiritual. I experience the gamut of emotions during this film but wind up feeling inspired and uplifted. I feel as though I've taken the journey beside Andy and Red. This movie does indeed stay with you; you find yourself pondering its elements and marvelling at its beautiful simplicity. It's a movie that requires you to pay close attention and I certainly agree that more than one viewing is necessary to appreciate everything it wants to offer to the viewer. What a treasure this movie is. May it be preserved well!!!! I hope... I hope...