Shawshank Redemption and leaving Jehovah's Witnesses (page 2)

Highlander

Andy ended up prison due to circumstances beyond his control. This is similiar to jw's that are born into the cult. It's not a place we would choose to be yet we must do the best that we can until we find our own sewage pipe to escape from.

designs

"The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions" Ralph Waldo Emerson

Chalam

For sure, this is one of the best films of all time!

IMDb Top 250

Rank	Rating	Title	Votes
1.	9.1	The Shawshank Redemption (1994)	491,611
2.	9.1	The Godfather (1972)	393,696
3.	9.0	The Godfather: Part II (1974)	233,292
4.	8.9	Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo. (1966)	149,901
5.	8.9	Pulp Fiction (1994)	398,665
6.	8.9	Schindler's List (1993)	263,770
7.	8.8	12 Angry Men (1957)	110,712
8.	8.8	One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)	203,751
9.	8.8	Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back(1980)	266,676
10.	8.8	The Dark Knight (2008)	438,816
11.	8.8	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King(2003)	348,592
12.	8.8	Star Wars (1977)	310,660
13.	8.7	Casablanca (1942)	161,935
14.	8.7	Shichinin no samurai (1954)	92,689
15.	8.7	Goodfellas (1990)	218,902
16.	8.7	Fight Club (1999)	363,688
17.	8.7	Cidade de Deus (2002)	157,628
18.	8.7	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring(2001)	372,915
19.	8.7	Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)	234,290
20.	8.7	Rear Window (1954)	113,867
21.	8.7	The Usual Suspects (1995)	256,629
22.	8.7	Psycho (1960)	137,136
23.	8.7	C'era una volta il West (1968)	70,034
24.	8.6	The Silence of the Lambs (1991)	234,189
25.	8.6	The Matrix (1999)	364,486
26.	8.6	Se7en (1995)	265,059
27.	8.6	Memento (2000)	258,272
28.	8.6	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)	314,009
29.	8.6	It's a Wonderful Life (1946)	98,040
30.	8.6	Sunset Blvd. (1950)	52,104
31.	8.6	Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)	150,967
32.	8.6	North by Northwest (1959)	89,612
33.	8.6	Citizen Kane (1941)	133,978
34.	8.6	Léon (1994)	189,995
35.	8.6	Apocalypse Now (1979)	166,938
36.	8.6	Forrest Gump (1994)	285,600
37.	8.5	American Beauty (1999)	281,536
38.	8.5	American History X (1998)	213,863
39.	8.5	Taxi Driver (1976)	148,547
40.	8.5	Vertigo (1958)	87,873
41.	8.5	Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)	226,825
42.	8.5	Lawrence of Arabia (1962)	76,707
43.	8.5	Alien (1979)	173,113
44.	8.5	Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)	172,542
45.	8.5	Saving Private Ryan (1998)	260,244
46.	8.5	WALL·E (2008)	169,879
47.	8.5	A Clockwork Orange (1971)	185,816
48.	8.5	The Shining (1980)	169,621
49.	8.4	Paths of Glory (1957)	42,757
50.	8.4	The Departed (2006)	250,361
51.	8.4	The Pianist (2002)	127,328
52.	8.4	To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)	79,533
53.	8.4	Aliens (1986)	163,966
54.	8.4	Das Leben der Anderen (2006)	70,512
55.	8.4	Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)	95,414
56.	8.4	M (1931)	38,131
57.	8.4	Double Indemnity (1944)	35,365
58.	8.4	Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)	210,127
59.	8.4	Chinatown (1974)	75,705
60.	8.4	Requiem for a Dream (2000)	176,824
61.	8.4	The Third Man (1949)	49,142
62.	8.4	L.A. Confidential (1997)	159,685
63.	8.4	Reservoir Dogs (1992)	204,214
64.	8.4	Das Boot (1981)	67,916
65.	8.4	The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)	31,795
66.	8.4	Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)	150,084
67.	8.4	City Lights (1931)	25,916
68.	8.4	El laberinto del fauno (2006)	145,287
69.	8.4	The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)	56,658
70.	8.3	Raging Bull (1980)	86,356
71.	8.3	Inglourious Basterds (2009)	158,466
72.	8.3	The Prestige (2006)	192,134
73.	8.3	Back to the Future (1985)	191,984
74.	8.3	2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)	154,537
75.	8.3	La vita è bella (1997)	103,256
76.	8.3	Singin' in the Rain (1952)	53,280
77.	8.3	Up (2009)	95,750
78.	8.3	Modern Times (1936)	33,920
79.	8.3	Some Like It Hot (1959)	64,594
80.	8.3	Der Untergang (2004)	78,594
81.	8.3	Amadeus (1984)	93,143
82.	8.3	Full Metal Jacket (1987)	145,185
83.	8.3	Nuovo cinema Paradiso (1988)	43,293
84.	8.3	Braveheart (1995)	231,268
85.	8.3	The Maltese Falcon (1941)	49,684
86.	8.3	Rashômon (1950)	37,376
87.	8.3	All About Eve (1950)	33,788
88.	8.3	Once Upon a Time in America (1984)	69,053
89.	8.3	Gran Torino (2008)	117,466
90.	8.3	Avatar (2009)	233,704
91.	8.3	Metropolis (1927)	37,673
92.	8.3	The Green Mile (1999)	189,054
93.	8.3	The Elephant Man (1980)	55,600
94.	8.3	The Great Dictator (1940)	35,242
95.	8.3	Sin City (2005)	245,394
96.	8.3	Slumdog Millionaire (2008)	165,445
97.	8.3	Rebecca (1940)	34,088
98.	8.3	The Apartment (1960)	34,829
99.	8.3	Gladiator (2000)	267,065
100.	8.3	The Sting (1973)	63,273
101.	8.3	The Great Escape (1963)	59,458
102.	8.3	Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)	165,411
103.	8.3	Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)	203,323
104.	8.3	Unforgiven (1992)	93,852
105.	8.3	Ladri di biciclette (1948)	26,117
106.	8.3	Jaws (1975)	132,228
107.	8.3	Batman Begins (2005)	258,034
108.	8.2	Die Hard (1988)	173,818
109.	8.2	Blade Runner (1982)	179,285
110.	8.2	On the Waterfront (1954)	39,535
111.	8.2	Hotel Rwanda (2004)	87,801
112.	8.2	Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)	32,067
113.	8.2	Oldboy (2003)	91,868
114.	8.2	No Country for Old Men (2007)	188,849
115.	8.2	Touch of Evil (1958)	31,427
116.	8.2	Det sjunde inseglet (1957)	35,130
117.	8.2	Fargo (1996)	159,594
118.	8.2	Mononoke-hime (1997)	62,658
119.	8.2	District 9 (2009)	136,325
120.	8.2	The Wizard of Oz (1939)	98,987
121.	8.2	Per qualche dollaro in più (1965)	40,945
122.	8.2	Heat (1995)	138,717
123.	8.2	Strangers on a Train (1951)	32,751
124.	8.2	Cool Hand Luke (1967)	43,499
125.	8.2	Donnie Darko (2001)	201,903
126.	8.2	High Noon (1952)	32,840
127.	8.2	The Sixth Sense (1999)	229,365
128.	8.2	Notorious (1946)	30,181
129.	8.2	There Will Be Blood (2007)	124,708
130.	8.2	The Deer Hunter (1978)	84,738
131.	8.2	The Manchurian Candidate (1962)	33,608
132.	8.2	Annie Hall (1977)	62,806
133.	8.2	Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)	221,716
134.	8.2	Snatch. (2000)	165,412
135.	8.2	Kick-Ass (2010)	44,543
136.	8.2	The Wrestler (2008)	86,390
137.	8.2	Platoon (1986)	104,281
138.	8.2	The Big Lebowski (1998)	170,037
139.	8.2	The General (1926)	19,025
140.	8.1	Into the Wild (2007)	92,241
141.	8.1	Ben-Hur (1959)	56,231
142.	8.1	Yôjinbô (1961)	27,992
143.	8.1	Ran (1985)	33,259
144.	8.1	The Big Sleep (1946)	27,893
145.	8.1	Million Dollar Baby (2004)	134,078
146.	8.1	The Lion King (1994)	128,427
147.	8.1	It Happened One Night (1934)	24,029
148.	8.1	Life of Brian (1979)	90,261
149.	8.1	Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)	55,226
150.	8.1	Witness for the Prosecution (1957)	17,138
151.	8.1	The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)	138,277
152.	8.1	Smultronstället (1957)	20,297
153.	8.1	Finding Nemo (2003)	156,542
154.	8.1	Trainspotting (1996)	144,624
155.	8.1	Toy Story (1995)	138,663
156.	8.1	Stand by Me (1986)	86,298
157.	8.1	The Graduate (1967)	74,934
158.	8.1	The Terminator (1984)	171,876
159.	8.1	Gone with the Wind (1939)	75,811
160.	8.1	Groundhog Day (1993)	129,106
161.	8.1	Scarface (1983)	145,159
162.	8.1	Star Trek (2009)	124,603
163.	8.1	Amores perros (2000)	58,516
164.	8.1	The Thing (1982)	74,698
165.	8.1	Ratatouille (2007)	124,696
166.	8.1	Dog Day Afternoon (1975)	56,802
167.	8.1	Gandhi (1982)	48,555
168.	8.1	V for Vendetta (2005)	213,492
169.	8.1	Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)	120,101
170.	8.1	Le salaire de la peur (1953)	13,493
171.	8.1	Twelve Monkeys (1995)	163,028
172.	8.1	8½ (1963)	28,272
173.	8.1	The Grapes of Wrath (1940)	22,427
174.	8.1	The Gold Rush (1925)	19,912
175.	8.1	Casino (1995)	103,737
176.	8.1	Les diaboliques (1955)	13,781
177.	8.1	The Night of the Hunter (1955)	24,581
178.	8.1	How to Train Your Dragon (2010)	19,474
179.	8.1	Hotaru no haka (1988)	32,646
180.	8.0	The Incredibles (2004)	151,455
181.	8.0	The Princess Bride (1987)	120,292
182.	8.0	Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)	13,410
183.	8.0	The Killing (1956)	23,659
184.	8.0	The Wild Bunch (1969)	29,849
185.	8.0	El secreto de sus ojos (2009)	10,629
186.	8.0	Children of Men (2006)	150,229
187.	8.0	Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)	12,491
188.	8.0	The Exorcist (1973)	98,445
189.	8.0	In Bruges (2008)	90,923
190.	8.0	The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)	16,641
191.	8.0	Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)	10,771
192.	8.0	The Kid (1921)	13,135
193.	8.0	Le notti di Cabiria (1957)	10,439
194.	8.0	The Hustler (1961)	24,413
195.	8.0	Dial M for Murder (1954)	28,319
196.	8.0	Good Will Hunting (1997)	143,241
197.	8.0	Rosemary's Baby (1968)	48,160
198.	8.0	Ed Wood (1994)	71,290
199.	8.0	Harvey (1950)	22,383
200.	8.0	Big Fish (2003)	135,019
201.	8.0	King Kong (1933)	37,217
202.	8.0	A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)	32,368
203.	8.0	Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)	53,694
204.	8.0	Låt den rätte komma in (2008)	50,435
205.	8.0	Le scaphandre et le papillon (2007)	28,973
206.	8.0	Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)	174,537
207.	8.0	Magnolia (1999)	117,769
208.	8.0	Rocky (1976)	91,227
209.	8.0	Shadow of a Doubt (1943)	20,439
210.	8.0	Sleuth (1972)	16,561
211.	8.0	Mystic River (2003)	113,683
212.	8.0	Stalag 17 (1953)	19,965
213.	8.0	The African Queen (1951)	32,741
214.	8.0	Crash (2004/I)	164,415
215.	8.0	Network (1976)	31,987
216.	8.0	Brief Encounter (1945)	12,822
217.	8.0	Rope (1948)	29,912
218.	8.0	Bonnie and Clyde (1967)	39,586
219.	8.0	Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)	223,033
220.	8.0	Duck Soup (1933)	25,451
221.	8.0	Manhattan (1979)	37,006
222.	8.0	Shutter Island (2010)	67,047
223.	8.0	La strada (1954)	16,971
224.	8.0	The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)	128,432
225.	8.0	La battaglia di Algeri (1966)	13,102
226.	8.0	Planet of the Apes (1968)	55,153
227.	8.0	Patton (1970)	38,075
228.	8.0	Wo hu cang long (2000)	105,318
229.	8.0	The Conversation (1974)	31,510
230.	8.0	Changeling (2008)	59,957
231.	8.0	Little Miss Sunshine (2006)	144,093
232.	8.0	The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)	75,014
233.	8.0	Les quatre cents coups (1959)	22,678
234.	7.9	Barry Lyndon (1975)	38,160
235.	7.9	Mulholland Dr. (2001)	97,436
236.	7.9	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)	18,690
237.	7.9	The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)	22,483
238.	7.9	Anatomy of a Murder (1959)	15,865
239.	7.9	All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)	20,462
240.	7.9	The Truman Show (1998)	147,342
241.	7.9	Spartacus (1960)	48,640
242.	7.9	Shaun of the Dead (2004)	125,844
243.	7.9	Monsters, Inc. (2001)	107,556
244.	7.9	Tonari no Totoro (1988)	28,262
245.	7.9	Glory (1989)	55,165
246.	7.9	Toy Story 2 (1999)	107,965
247.	7.9	Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)	28,801
248.	7.9	The Lady Vanishes (1938)	17,323
249.	7.9	The Philadelphia Story (1940)	26,915
250.	7.9	Rain Man (1988)	99,334

The film is a Christian parable.

The prison represents the law and the prison guards the pharisees, the warden being the chief pharisee.

Warden Samuel Norton: I believe in two things: discipline and the Bible. Here you'll receive both. Put your trust in the Lord; your ass belongs to me. Welcome to Shawshank.

Andy Dufresne plays Jesus, the man convicted of a crime he didn't do.

Heywood: Red? You saying Andy's innocent? I mean *for real* innocent?
Red: Yeah, it looks that way.
Heywood: Sweet Jesus. How long's he been in here?
Red: Since '47, what is that... 19 years.

His friends plays the disciples.

Andy Dufresne: [in a letter to Red] Dear Red. If you're reading this, you've gotten out. And if you've come this far, maybe you're willing to come a little further. You remember the name of the town, don't you?
Red: Zihuatanejo.
Andy Dufresne: I could use a good man to help me get my project on wheels. I'll keep an eye out for you and the chessboard ready. Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. I will be hoping that this letter finds you, and finds you well. Your friend. Andy.

Life on the outside is the walk of the Christian life.

Red: [narrating] There's a harsh truth to face. No way I'm gonna make it on the outside. All I do anymore is think of ways to break my parole, so maybe they'd send me back. Terrible thing, to live in fear. Brooks Hatlen knew it. Knew it all too well. All I want is to be back where things make sense. Where I won't have to be afraid all the time. Only one thing stops me. A promise I made to Andy.

Mexico is the new heaven and the new earth.

Andy Dufresne: You know what the Mexicans say about the Pacific?
Red: No.
Andy Dufresne: They say it has no memory. That's where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory.

The film is loaded with so much symbolism! For example, the hammer breaks the rock to pieces, and is hidden in the bible, but the pharisees never find it Jeremiah 23:29, John 5:39-40.

Anyone not convinced just needs to see the crucifixion scene.

Blessings,

Stephen

cognizant dissident

Great movie! Great thread!

MMXIV

Even inside there were those rare good moments... like when Andy got his crew three suds each...

Red [Narrating]: We sat and drank with the sun on our shoulders, and felt like free men. We could'a been tarring the roof of one of our own houses. We were the Lords of all Creation.

MMXIV

mentallyfree31

One of my favorite movies.

sacolton

Elder: Anyone come to you yet?

AllTimeJeff: Excuse me?

Elder: Anyone get to you yet? We all need friends and I could be a friend to you.

AllTimeJeff: (walks away)

Elder: Hard to get. I like that.

Mary

There's many scenes in that movie that mirror life as a JW. One of the most notible is the scene between Andy and the Warden when evidence surfaces that Andy did not murder his wife. Andy, foolishly thinking that the Warden would help out if all the facts came out, begged him to do something. The Warden knew that Andy was telling the truth, yet rather than give up his power over Andy's life, rather than admit that a terrible injustice had been done, the Warden instead ensures the the truth remains buried, that the corruption that goes on behind closed doors is passed off as 'the Will of God', thus hanging Andy out to dry.

Reminds me of what happened to Ray Franz when he presented evidence to the rest of the GB members that 607 BCE was an incorrect date, that Jesus never meant them to rule (and thus ruin) people's lives, and a whole host of other examples of corruption that went on behind closed doors.

designs

Reminds me of leaving a Creep Show errr Sunday Service at the local Calvary Chapel Church......and the last SAD I attended where David Splane spoke.

swa

ATJ and Sphere you are so dead on; I've only posted a couple times but I think my first one included this same analogy as it fits so well. Unfortunately not everyone can be Andy, most stay on the "inside" dreaming of escape but afraid of what the attempt will cost. If you fail life gets even worse, you're still in but now your marked and the guards (elders) keep an even closer eye on you and you may have to spend some time in solitary confinement (restrictions,reproved). But I think the biggest fear is you'll be shot dead while running (DF'd); the guards in the tower are marksmen and they don't miss too often when it comes to escapees.

I personally have faded and haven't been to more than 20 meetings in the last 3-4 years, but my family is on the inside sitting tight waiting for the big "parole" date when they can walk freely into the new world. I only wish this prison was made of bars and stone, it would be a lot easier to go for it and attempt a real breakout.

Shawshank Redemption and leaving Jehovah's Witnesses

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