ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
“Get busy living, or get busy dying,” said John McEnroe – moments after Nick Kyrgios defeated Willy Tsonga to progress deeper and deeper into the heart of tennis glory.
But after the broadcast ended, Marcia and Gresham Watson mutually agreed they weren’t tired enough to retire to bed.
Gresham then brought the Apple TV up on the screen and Marcia began to explain why she didn’t want to watch anything he proposed.
So rather than find himself suffering at the hands of Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion or The Hunger Games, Gresham threw himself under the bus and put Shawshank Redemption on – arguably the greatest story ever told.
“But we’ve already seen it like 50 times,” said Marcia.
“Seriously, I’ve already seen it twice this year. I know it’s your favourite but Jesus Christ! Can’t we watch The Danish Girl? You’d like it!”
But her argument was falling on deaf ears.
Gresham was already under the spell of master storyteller, Stephen King (who wrote the novella the movie is adapted from).
“You strike me as a particularly icy and remorseless man, Mr. Dufresne. It chills my blood just to look at you. By the power vested in me by the state of Maine, I hereby order you to serve two life sentences, back to back. One for each of your victims. So be it.”
Seconds later, Marcia let herself be taken by the film and resigned tot he fact that she’d be spending the next two hours experiencing powerful and timeless cinema.
“We should get the book,” she said.
“I’ve already read it, it’s fantastic. Do you know that movie ‘Stand By Me’ with those kids who find the dead body? Yeah well, Shawkshank and that movie are based off like shortish longish stories in the same anthology. Crazy? Huh?” said Gresham.
“Crazy,” said Marcia.
More to come.
