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Why do people gush over The Shawshank Redemption?


sweetness

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A lot of people I know, people who's opinions I respect, consider this to be one of the best movies ever made and I can't figure it out.

The first time I saw The Shawshank Redemption I thought it was one of those "made for TV" movies, not kidding. I can't think of a film that is any more sopping wet with cliche melodrama and mediocre acting performances, it's like a semi-masculine Lifetime movie. The worst part is the story isn't even that bad, it just feels like such a cheap effort that for some reason has it's head way up it's own ass, and somehow it's apparently one of the most beloved movies of all time.

I love Steven King, I don't think Frank Darabont is a bad director, but Shawshank really feels like it falls short of what it could be. It's such a lukewarm movie to sit through yet it gets all this praise, what in the hell am I missing here?

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Greatest movie, no. But it was a good story. Kept my interest. One of the better adaptations of a book, which are often not great. They used Morgan Freeman's strength for oratory. Tim Robbins was well cast. I give it 4 of 5 stars.

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Guest Len B'stard

It's just a twist, you don't see it coming, it's about human endeavour against the odds over a huge period of time, it ties together well and like that stuff speaks to people...without trying to sound snotty or some shit, yous guys take movies kinda seriously (so do i) but like, for your average person the above mentioned is enough. What I'm trying to say Sweetness is that the things that you have mentioned that you agree are to Shawshanks credit are more than enough for most people to call it a great movie.

I think it suffers from a lot of hyperbole but see movies like this kinda need that word of mouth 'oh it's amazing, you've GOT to see it!' kinda thats the way they make their name.

Edited by sugaraylen
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but it often hits No. 1 movie of all time? that's what peaked my interest. but as usual everyone else was wrong. actually I think what it is is that it's not a nasty movie. it's not a Fight club or Pulp fiction. as i member anyway. it's like the King's Speech it survives without saying motherfucker or without violence. so thats basically the shakespeare right there.

Edited by wasted
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It's just a twist, you don't see it coming, it's about human endeavour against the odds over a huge period of time, it ties together well and like that stuff speaks to people...without trying to sound snotty or some shit, yous guys take movies kinda seriously (so do i) but like, for your average person the above mentioned is enough. What I'm trying to say Sweetness is that the things that you have mentioned that you agree are to Shawshanks credit are more than enough for most people to call it a great movie.

I think it suffers from a lot of hyperbole but see movies like this kinda need that word of mouth 'oh it's amazing, you've GOT to see it!' kinda thats the way they make their name.

Yeah, I don't disagree with any of this at all. I just think it's funny that of all the movies casual movie fans latch on to as far as "greatest of all time" goes, it's this one, but it does make sense.

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Guest Len B'stard

I do really like certain elements of it, particularly Morgan Freeman on release, where he's like...the world is walking to a different beat to him, i think it's really well done there. On first watch it's really quite impactful, i think non-casual movies fans tend to watch movies more than once and it's not one that benefits from that. It is a good film though, overall.

Put it this, anybody who sits around making actual literal assertions about 'the greatest band ever' or 'the greatest movie ever' are kinda missing the point anyway. This sounds rich coming from me and certain discourses I've had on the forum but suffice to say those are kinda like 'pushed for an answer' instances.

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The Batman fanboys on IMDB kept giving The Dark Knight 10/10 and a lot of users on IMDB thought that was bullshit because The Dark Knight was about to hit number one. So they picked a film they agree on, and that was Shawshank.

In short. it was Number One because IMDB users did not want The Dark Knight to be number one.

Edited by Georgy Zhukov
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