Never Give Up

Rating: 10/10 (14 January 2004)

(very minor spoilers) I had to add this to my previous comment after reading a more recent review here on IMDb. The review stated that Christian fundamentalists hated the movie because it showed the true hypocrisy of the Warden, along with his oft quoted Bible and the stitched verse on his wall "Judgment cometh..." behind which he kept his ill gotten gains. But I am a Christian conservative who loved this movie for that very reason. It shows that God looks at the heart. The Warden had a wicked heart, regardless of what came out of his mouth and what he hung on his wall - and clearly his judgment did come! Andy was kind at heart, offering friendship and help to any who would accept it, and well, he got what he deserved in the end. When Red gave up trying to pretend something before the parole board, trying to tell them what they wanted to hear and instead just spoke the truth, he gets his parole. Both Andy and Red refuse to give in to the despair of prison life - instead doing what they can to bring a bit of beauty to the prison. Andy never loses his humanity, and helps Red find his again. They keep hoping till the very end, but don't just sit around waiting for justice, but actively seek it. The ending makes the movie.
My husband will not watch it - having a strong aversion to "prison flicks" but I have seen it several times, and reading some of these comments has made me want to see it again.
It is one of my all time favorite movies - I never get tired of watching it since I went out and bought the DVD. The first 30-45 minutes are full of heavy language and prison violence, but that only makes the contrast between those who have given up their humanity and those who have held onto it. Not appropriate for young children, but for those able and willing to look at the reality of life - it is beautiful!