Hey guys, welcome to a column here on YDKS Movies entitled Speech of the Week! For now on, every Monday I will post a new scene from a movie that features a speech of some sort being given. After all, there are a lot of famous scenes in film where characters give an influential speech of some sort. Then again, there are also a lot of scenes where characters give a speech and it just comes off cheesy and lame. In this section, you will see both kinds. That's right, people, I'm giving you the good and bad of film speeches all wrapped up in one great big package. I hope you all enjoy.
For those of you who weren't aware, actor James Whitmore passed away a few days ago. While Whitmore held many roles over his career, I'll always know him as Brooks from The Shawshank Redemption. So this week's Speech of the Week is for James.
For me, the most heart-breaking part of The Shawshank Redemption was the section where Brooks is released from prison. After spending the better part of his life behind bars, Brooks finds himself unable to function and fit into society. In a sense, he has become "institutionalized." Eventually, he decides to end it all and kill himself. This is all played out in a very touching montage of images as Brooks narrates via a letter he wrote to his old prison friends before his suicide. The shot of Whitmore on the bus leaving prison still kills me. He just looks so terrified and little. Thomas Newman's score makes the whole sequence that much more painful and poignant.
Overall, it's an amazing scene, has some great narration (hence Speech of the Week) from Whitmore and just shows why The Shawkshank Redemption really is that good.
R.I.P. James Whitmore.
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