Academy Award for Best Picture

It is inevitable that at some point in life or another, everyone will face challenges. The way individuals respond in the face of these challenges is what truly makes or breaks them. Societies are impacted similarly, for what determines the success of a society but the actions of a group of individuals. The greatest feats of mankind have come upon in the wake of being faced with difficulty. Humans have the capability to surpass any challenge; it is only the question of how we deal with said…

Olivia Lovito 2.16.17 Extra Credit Shawshank Redemption When Andy Dufresne takes his first few steps off of the dusty prison bus and onto the unfamiliar grounds of Shawshank Prison, there are lines of men awaiting his arrival. Many of the already convicted were there for personal entertainment ; to properly welcome the “fresh meat” you could say. Although, amongst the hundreds of convicts, one group happened to stand out. An assembly of four men were standing upright and observing the new…

There are many theories of the Aglin brothers and Frank Morris escaping Alcatraz, and no one knows if they are dead or alive, but I say they are alive because of great evidence I will be presenting. Alcatraz, also known as the “the Rock” or “Uncle Sam’s Devil's Island” is a high security prison that keeps the worst criminals, guards would take the worst criminals in the U.S.A. and take them on a boat to Alcatraz. But they didn't just put them on a boat, they put them on iron train cars and put…

The film ‘Avatar’ was controversial in nature and questioned some sensitive and important issues. By doing this, James Cameron sends a warning to his western audience. The film demonstrates that terror only leads to more terror. It presents to the audience how beliefs of righteousness cause conflict between parties, warning the audience not to make the same mistakes. Furthermore, James Cameron’s production warns his audience about ignorance, showing the importance of listening and understanding.…

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Essential Questions: How does having a belief (in something or someone) help us to conquer fear and keep hope alive? -When you have something to hold on to, to live for it gives you strength to do whatever you want to do. Is rehabilitation possible? Are we obliged (as a society) to rehabilitate criminals? -Its possible, but then again some people never change. You can only help or save a person if they want to be helped/ saved. What is justice? What is truth?…

Both Andy’s character and my personal experience suggest that often, we are easily influenced by the amount of hope we feel within ourselves which can affect us positively. Initially, Andy’s character suggests that “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies”. He…

Will Hunting is a prime example of how childhood experiences can affect how a person’s personality develops into adulthood. There are many Psychoanalytic theories that can be applied to Will Hunting’s personality, such as the following: actions that are deeply rooted into his unconscious, the battle going on inside his mind between his Id and Superego, as well as many defense mechanisms that he uses to protect himself from further psychological harm. According to the textbook (Friedman 2016) the…

The Shawshank redemption; directed by Frank Darabont is a film that follows the story of a wrongly convicted double murderer Andy Dufresne. Upon entering Shawshank, a Corrupt prison run by the Warden, he meets Ellis Boyd Redding whom is also known as red. The director uses the pair to create a monumental sense of hope in the film. In contrast to the prison environment of the film, Andy is the image of hope, whereas Red and the other prisoners have evidently given up hope and have become…

Avatar is a movie about an ex-Marine who is put into a hostile alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind is in an alien body. The main character Jake Sulley finds himself torn between two worlds, in a fight for his survival and that of the indigenous people. Avatar has racism themes throughout the movie and are very hard to ignore. The white hero saving natives once again. Like the white Messiah fable. Marine, Jake Sully, is linked to an alien's body and put on the…

Journeying Towards Redemption Redemption can be the lighthouse in the ocean of darkness that leads one to safety and happiness. When one redeems him or herself, it is as if his or her conscience has been cleared and a weight has been lifted off his or her shoulders. Achieving redemption is generally not executed easily nor quickly; one must work in order to complete the journey towards redemption. SET UP: A character’s journey as he or she seeks redemption is displayed by the author’s use of…