Shawshank - explain, please...

[amberdreams]

I've been meaning to watch Shawshank Redemption for years, and finally got round to it last night. Now I have to ask - what was so special about it? Seriously, I just don't understand. I've heard people talking about it as a classic, utterly brilliant film, not to be missed, etc etc. And I thought it was ok, it held my attention but didn't engage my emotions at all. Or at least not as much as I'd expected.

The violence and the injustice stung, of course - but I'd been much more moved by the Green Mile, and a hundred times more invested in Cool Hand Luke.

So I'm left wondering - why do people love it so much/rate it so highly? What did I miss?

Comments

[ramblin_rosie]

I've seen it once. That was... maybe twenty years ago. I liked the twist, but I don't remember being terribly ~into it~ (the way I got sucked into, say, The King's Speech or Secondhand Lions). Maybe I was too young; I dunno. It's almost more fun to be able to recognize references and send-ups, like a certain episode of Spy.
But what makes that movie special to me has almost nothing to do with the movie itself. My mom and I watched it with my grandfather one summer when we were there for a visit. :)

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Ah that personal connection makes a big difference.