The Shawshank Redemption is the quintessential prison film will have to agree. When you think prison you think of Shawshank usually. The reason is mostly because the movie doesn't sugar coat things like most movie do, like during that rape scene. Yes that's not good to talk about but its so messed up it stays with you. Before I start saying how I think it is, or isn't a good redemption film I think Forrest Gump would have given us some more ammo for a 500 word blog. I will be going about this In a different perspective then you probable have seen before. In the movie The Shawshank Redemption Andy is wrongfully imprisoned by the state of Maine for supposedly murdering his wife and her lover. I will not be mainly focusing on Andy though because he shouldn't have been there in the first place so he cannot be redeemed if he had not wronged anyone. I will instead be focusing on Tommy the guy who was stealing televisions because he actually did something wrong to get in there.

While Tommy the TV thief is in there he acts all tough and what not because its prison its what you do. Andy at first doesn't seem to like him because of his self centered attitude. Later Andy agrees to him that he will help him finish high school after Tommy says he's stupid. Tommy has a lot of trouble with this. He Has trouble because he has been in and out of prison facility's most of his life. While Andy's helping him, Tommy thinks he's wont be able to do it and throws the test away. Andy takes his test from the trash and turns it in for him anyway. Tommy ends up passing and getting his high school diploma. After he realizes that Andy did that I think Tommy goes through a change. I think Tommy needed to know that someone cared for him. Teens and children and sometimes adults have social or mental disorders because of things like that. I'm not saying Tommy had a mental disorder. I just think he needed that to start caring about himself and to care about Andy getting out.

 It turns out Tommy was actually in a prison cell with the guy who actually killed Andy's wife and lover. He realizes this after a while and decides to inform Andy about it because its the right thing to do. Tommy tells him and Andy gets thrown in solitary Because the warden wants him to be his money slave. While Andy's in solitary the warden calls Tommy down for a chat at night outside. I new something was up and I'm sure he did too when warden called him outside. For Tommy to stand up to the warden even though he knows the warden is as crooked as a G.W. Bush took a lot of selflessness. I believe at that moment is when Tommy has his redemption moment, also a bullet in the chest.