There are times when I hate writing about a film project based on a Stephen King novel. This because I have such a strong admiration for the author’s body work, in which even the less than stellar books are often written much better than anyone else’s in the genre. Though he’s still amongst the best selling authors of all time, there are those who would disagree with me. But this is because King has a style of writing that is often too visually and psychologically stimulating for the average reader whose favorite books tend to be in the “See Spot Run…” category. (Just come to Texas, you’ll see what I mean.) The problem is that the very items I mentioned that make King’s books such a great read for those of us in the higher intellectual tax bracket are the very things that make translating his books to film so difficult.

His words are meticulously crafted in order to create strong images within the imagination of the reader, so when a filmmaker attempts to put that image on screen, it often falls far short of what the human mind can conjure up. But this is not the only problem King’s adaptations are wont to suffer from. Often there is simply the problem of budget. Some producer grabs the rights to a novel or short story for no other reason than to grab the title and authors name in the credits. He (or she) then re-writes the story to fit whatever budget is available or in some case see if they can write it better (good luck…).

Probably the most famous of these travesties is in the (oddly enough) well received Stanley Kubrick version of “The Shining.” This was a big budget film from a famous director, so unfortunately audiences were tricked into thinking it would be a masterpiece. Kubrick admitted to not being very fond of the book, but thought the concept was good. He then opted to re-write a lot of the story to fit his vision. What his vision if “The Shining” turned into was frightening indeed, but more so because of the horror experienced by fans of the original book, wondering what the hell happened. If you really want to see “The Shining”, I highly recommend the TV mini-series version starring Steven Weber. Though it has a few minute flaws of its own, it is far superior. But I digress.

The good thing about there being so many adaptations of King’s works is that there are quite a few diamonds to be found in the coal bin. If you have the opportunity to see “Misery”, “The Dead Zone”, “Dolores Claiborne”, “The Green Mile’ or “Stand by Me”, you will be in for a treat. These are all terrific movies that should not be missed.

But of all of the films available, the absolute best of the group has to be “The Shawshank Redemption.” Based on the novella “Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption”, the film is not at all a horror story though it is in a way. There are no ghosts, haunted cars or rabid dogs. It is simply the story of a man wrongly accused of a murder, who ends up spending the better part of his life in prison. The novella, which is available in the book “Four Past Midnight”, is a fantastic read and I insist you pick it up.

Adapting it to the screen had to be a daunting task for writer/director Frank Darabont. The original story was too short to be called a novel, yet too long to be called a short story. Darabont had to pad the screenplay a little bit in order to deliver a full-length feature film. But instead of throwing in just any little plot device, Darabont instead took the story and fleshed it out with believable ideas that suited, and even improved upon, the plot (which he also did a few years later with the superlative “The Green Mile”). The result was one of the finest films of 1994. As a matter of fact, I felt the film was robbed of the Academy Award for Best Picture, which went to “Forrest Gump.” The latter was a great film to be sure, but it paled next to the sheer emotional force of “The Shawshank Redemption.”

It was a perfect film, and one of the few that I can honestly say I find no flaws with. Families might shy away from it some because the language and subject matter can get quite harsh, but unlike some films, every word and every scene is important to the overall impact of the film. The performances, most notably from Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman were as deserving of Academy Awards as any have ever seen, though only Freeman received a nomination. As matter of fact the film actually received a staggering 7 nominations, yet won nothing.

What saddened me the most about the film when it first opened in theatres was the apathetic reaction from movie going audiences. They stayed away in droves, even after it received the Best Picture nomination. This was in part because very few people knew what it was. Since it had the name Stephen King attached to it some had the misconception that it was scary movie, which wasn’t their cup of tea. It also suffered from having such an unusual title. “What the heck is a Shawshank,” they asked themselves, never bothering to find out. (The title, by the way, refers to the name of the prison in which the protagonist of the story does his time). Even some who knew a bit about the plot figured it would be too much of a downer and skipped it.

What none of them knew was that “The Shawshank Redemption”, in spire of the decades long incarceration of the lead character is one of the most gratifyingly inspirational movies ever made. The slow, deliberate pace of it’s 2 hour and 22 minute running time succeeds in making you feel the time spent in this prison, yet the movie never seems slow. And the ending, which I will not spoil for you here, will make you feel like cheering. I will warn you though, that the film has multiple endings, much like “The Return of the King.” You think the film is ending, but there are still a few more scenes to go. But there is no denying the power of those final moments, as they are like the epilogue of a book, where the little details are all wrapped up.

Where “The Shawshank Redemption” ultimately found its success was in it release to the home video market years ago. People finally started to notice the film, and everyone I recommend it to (who watched it) wondered how they had missed it in theatres. When it was finally released on DVD, the audience grew a bit more, but much to my disappointment, there was nothing in the way of special features. Though having it on DVD for the movie alone makes owning it a worthwhile experience, a film this special, deserves special features.

Finally, years after its theatrical release, “The Shawshank Redemption” is getting the royal treatment in the form of a 2-disc ‘10th anniversary’ edition. Making it even more of a special event and finally admitting its worth to the studio, Warner Brothers also opted to re-release the film in theatres for a limited run just prior to this new DVD release. If you get the opportunity, see it in the theatre at all costs, you will not be disappointed.

As for this new DVD release, the first disc includes a feature length audio commentary by Darabont. Considering what a terrifically underrated writer/director the man is, I hung on his every word. I’m still hoping that his screenplay for the 4th Indiana Jones movie sees the light of day (though since George “I’ve Lost All My Marbles” Lucas claimed he didn’t like it, fat chance of that…).

The second disc offers up two very lengthy new documentaries about the film. The first runs about 30 minutes and is comprised mostly of interviews with the cast and crew as they reminisce about the experience of making the film. The second comes in a little over 45 minutes and was originally filmed for British television back in 2001, and is also made up mostly of interview materials. If you’re at all into “The Charlie Rose Show”, you’ll enjoy the segment that is included here where Rose discusses the film with Darabont and actors Freeman and Robbins. You’ll also find several galleries of storyboards, photos and promo materials.

Probably the most unusual extra feature is the 20 minute spoof, “The Sharktank Redemption.” It stars Morgan Freeman’s real-life son, Alfonso, and relates the plot of the film to two guys trapped in a Hollywood talent agency. It’s quite funny, but you need to have seen the movie first in order to truly appreciate the humor.

I can’t impress upon you enough what a great movie “The Shawshank Redemption” is, and this new DVD is a must own/rent/borrow. It is one of my favorite movies of all time, and if you take the time to watch it, I guarantee it will end up on your list as well.

Directed by: Frank Darabont
Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows, James Whitmore
Extras: Commentary by Writer/Director Frank Darabont, “Hope Springs Eternal: A Look Back at The Shawshank Redemption” Documentary, “Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature” Documentary, The Charlie Rose Show - Featuring Frank Darabont, Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, Comic Spoof - “The Sharktank Redemption, Stills Gallery, Storyboards, Theatrical Trailer
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 10/5/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R (Language and Prison Violence)
Website

We'll give The Shawshank Redemption an A+.