Since September 11th, our country has been in a state of hysteria; confusion fills the air as we are forced to deal with, for the first time in my generationís lives, the threat of war. Our nation has learned a great deal about loss, tragedy, and death--things that we, as Americans, are not very accustomed to. At the same time, we have thrived off of love, hope, and freedom; these qualities are what have kept us going through this hardship. Trying to make sense of my newfound lifestyle, I searched for a leisurely means to help explain the current mentality of our country, and found comfort in a movie. Similar to Americans, Andy Dufresne (played by Tim Robbins) in ìShawshank Redemption,î displays how one is forced to search deep within himself to find tranquility in his life.

    This movieótaken from a story written by Stephen King entitled ìRita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemptionîótells the story of a prestigious accountant falsely accused of murdering his wife; as a result, he is found guilty and admitted as a prisoner into Shawshank State Prison. At first, he is somewhat of a loneróshowing that he will not conform to injusticeóuntil he confronts Red (Morgan Freeman), the ìguy who can get things,î asking him for a small hammer used to shape rocks, which is a hobby of his. Through their associations, Andy and Red become best friends, making the daily life of being imprisoned a little less painful.

    Friendship, a central theme, proves to be a powerful necessity in life, without which we are lacking in happiness. When times are rough, we turn to a friend. When we are fighting with our families, we turn to a friend. When life canít seem to get any worse, we turn to a friend. The reoccurring need for friendship shows that love outweighs all; nothing can overpower the strength of love.

    Andy suffers from a great deal of sorrow while in prison: he is beaten and raped by fellow inmates, loses two of his best friends, and is ultimately stripped of his dignity by the evil Warden Norton (Bob Gunton). Throughout all of this (with the exception of one ìdown timeî), however, he maintains strength, patience, and most importantly, hope. It is the hope of one-day breathing the air outside the walls of Shawshank that also helped him to go on with his life. Dwindling hope is like a disease, because without it, life seems uselessówhile in reality, it is the most precious gift one is given. With this hope, Andy makes his ultimate goal freedom.

    Just as Americans have lost some of their freedomónot feeling safe in the world around themóAndy had his freedom taken. He went from being a successful ìwhite-collared worker,î to a man who had to ask permission every time he had to use the bathroom. Unjustly stripping Andy of his freedom only made him stronger, however, and he used his intelligence to fight the injustice. As Red best explained it, ìShawshank never got the best of Andy; Andy got the best of Shawshank.î

    This movie will leave the viewers inspired and touched with a new appreciation for life. The audience will want to scream out ìYEAH!î by the end of the movie, as Tim Robbins does an excellent job of playing the person all of us should strive to be. Made in 1994, I am yet to come across a movie that I enjoy more, as it offers a true reflection on human life, and helps to put my life into perspective. This is the perfect opportunity, with the tragedy that has hit our nation, to go out and rent this movie; after all, he contains the characteristics that America needs most at this time: love, hope, and freedom.