Gets better with age

Rating: 10/10 (18 November 2004)

*Possible Spoiler
I was fifteen years old at the time this film was released, and it instantly became one of my favorite films after the first time I watched it. Part of the film was shot 10 minutes from where I grew up at the Wyandot County Court House in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. A classmate of mine's father was a juror in the opening scenes of the film. The rest of the film was shot about 45 minutes from my home in Mansfield, Ohio at the historic Mansfield Reformatory. Every year, the famous prison has haunted tours and sleepovers during the Halloween season, and is open for historic tours during other parts of the year. There are many websites devoted to this site. Being a fairly rural area of the state, it is quite an honor to have lived near the filming of one of the best films of all time. As I have grown into an adult, I have grown to appreciate the artistic value of the film even more. Morgan Freeman delivers his best performance (all of his are great though). "Red" is the epitome of a man who just wants to be part of life. Although confined inside walls, he can function normally by doing things to make others happy, in turn making himself happy. He is much like any working man that lives on the outside. Andy (Tim Robbins) just amazes you with his selflessness. He sacrificed his own well-being for others many times during his stay at the Shawshank. It took him a longtime, but his desire to live eventually freed him. The film left me surprised many times. But once you have got to know Andy, nothing he does will surprise you. He's the guy you knew back in the day that had all the luck. (We've all known guys or girls like that). This film is 10 out of 10. It has moments of suspense, mystery, action, surprise, drama, sadness, and even a little comedy if you know where to look for it.