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The Shawshank Redemption

True, this is, and has been for a long time, my favorite film of all time, but this 1994 drama is a fantastic story, even more so when you compare it with its source material. One of only a few truly non-horror films to be adapted from the work of horror master Stephen King, The Shawshank Redemption is based on a novella called Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. And you thought the movie's title was a bit wordy. Of course, any fan of the film knows exactly why Miss Hayworth shows up in the novella's title (though it does kind of give a major plot point away). The movie is the story of Andy Dufresne, a man convicted of double murder and sentenced to two life sentences in Shawshank Prison. He befriends a group of other convicts, chiefly Red (Morgan Freeman), the film's narrator. As their friendship grows, Andy becomes more outspoken and butts heads with the prison warden (Bob Gunton, currently on TV's 24), even thinking of escape, one way or the other. The biggest change (or the one that may shock most people who haven't read the novella) in the film, written and directed by Frank Darabont, is that Red is no longer a wise Irishman; he's a wise black man. Of course, the movie makes a quick nod to the original heritage of the character when Freeman's character explains his nickname: "Maybe it's because I'm Irish." More than that, Darabont cuts down heavily on the narration Red provides, as surprising as it may seem. Much of the novella is from Red's voice and gets a bit heavy at times. In general, Darabont's done a great job of making the novella work as a grueling prison drama with a little bit of hope at the end of the tunnel. Not only that, but he managed to make Stephen King's name no longer synonymous with scares, even if Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption isn't his most-read work.

The Princess Bride

Though the real book called "The Princess Bride" wasn't written by some mysterious author named S. Morgenstern, there is such a book, a magical fairy tale that tries to be a bit too hip for its time period. The book was also written by the screenwriter of the 1987 film adaptation, William Goldman. Goldman is a highly experienced screenwriter (having written Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Marathon Man, and many others), but his novel writing skills weren't so sharp when he published the book in the 1970s. Most of the movie, directed by Rob Reiner, is seen, word for word, in the book. However, you'd be surprised at how much Goldman took out for the screenplay, and though you may be unfamiliar with the source material, be glad he excised these passages. The book is couched around Goldman himself talking about his writing career, having read the book as a child; to be fair, this section is meant to be slyly fictional, but if you've already seen this classic swashbuckler about a beautiful princess, the dashing pirate who loves her, and the many quirky characters they meet along their journey to true love, you're probably not interested in hearing about William Goldman's fake childhood. Something else that's taken out of the story is back story; most of the characters, even the evil Prince Humperdinck, are given extensive backgrounds. Though it's interesting to see Inigo Montoya as a child, watching his father get killed and trying to fight back, hearing an actor like Mandy Patinkin talk about it as a memory is more emotional. In short, you should read The Princess Bride, but try to be patient as Goldman screws around in between the good stuff.

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