The Shawshank Redemption
Acceptable with guidance. Age: 18+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
Andy is sent to a hard prison for a crime he says he did not do. He makes a true friend named Red and never gives up hope. This movie is for adults only because it shows very cruel and scary things. For grown-ups, this is one of the great films about hope and friendship under injustice. The cost is real: sexual assault in prison is strongly implied, guards beat men badly, two men take their own lives, and the language is rough. The man who quotes the Bible most is the villain, so viewers should be ready to tell hypocrisy from faith.
For parents
R-rated. Common Sense Media says 15 and up. Lumen says adults, and a mature older teen only with a parent in the room. Know before you watch: a gang of inmates attacks Andy repeatedly and the assaults are strongly implied, a guard beats men savagely, an old man hangs himself after parole, and the warden shoots himself. Three things to talk through. First, the warden hands out Bibles and breaks every commandment. He is a hypocrite, and his sin does not make the Scriptures false. Second, suicide. The Church teaches that it is gravely contrary to love of self, neighbor and God, that anguish and fear can lessen a person's responsibility, and that we should not despair of the salvation of those who die this way (CCC 2280 to 2283). The lonely old prisoner deserves pity and prayer. Third, hope. The film's hope is natural, a refusal to let prison own the heart. Ask: where does hope come from when nothing gets better? What kept Andy from becoming cruel? What does Red learn from him?