The Shawshank Redemption (1994) — PICK
Spy Kids (2001) — PICK
Got Amazon Prime? Among this month’s new arrivals is The Shawshank Redemption, one of the most popular films of all time and a film that has widely been seen as a spiritual or even Christian allegory. Directed by Frank Darabont from a Stephen King short story, Shawshank stars Tim Robbins as an apparently innocent prisoner named Andy enduring prison life under a cruel, sanctimonious warden. The film is narrated by a well-connected prisoner named Red, played by Morgan Freeman, who comes to see Andy as an almost mystical figure, in prison but not of it.
Got Netflix? Among new arrivals is the delightful family action romp Spy Kids, a goofily creative movie that anticipated The Incredibles with its “007 for kids” vibe.
Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino star as onetime superspies, now married with kids who don’t know about their parents’ former lives. Amid the wacky adventures that follow, Spy Kids emphasizes that keeping a family together is as much an adventure as the life of a superspy.
Caveat Spectator: The Shawshank Redemption: Graphic prison violence; a suicide; a brief bedroom scene and crude sexual references; brief nonsexual nudity; much foul language and cursing. Mature viewing. Spy Kids: Comic violence and mild scenes of menace and suspense. Older kids and up.