# Movies about redemption
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 12, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549 "2013-04-12T23:27:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/1 "2013-04-12T23:27:33Z")
My two favorite movies are [Ink](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ink_(film)) and a christmas carol (various versions of the latter).
Both films have a lot of emphasis on the concept of redemption, a person who engages in a destructive lifestyle or worldview who eventually turn to a mindset that is more humane and constructive rather than the path they were one. They are stories of redemption.
Are there other movies or books along that kind of theme I could look into to see if I like if I like movies about redemption?
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/2 "2013-04-13T00:11:30Z")
Well, T **he Shawshank Redemption** for one.
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### Author:  [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/3 "2013-04-13T00:31:53Z")
That was a good movie in general, but I don’t think it had a lot to do with redemption because the main character was innocent.
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### Author:  [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2013, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/4 "2013-04-13T01:24:25Z")
Hoosiers
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### Author:  [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2013, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/5 "2013-04-13T02:07:13Z")
**Lord Jim**
**A Clockwork Orange** (if they’d included the last chapter from the UK-published book)
**The Searchers**
**In Cold Blood** (not Dick and Perry, just the pop bottles)
**Papillon** (again, the book makes it clearer: if he’d stayed in France he’d just been a thug, but in prison he achieved self-sacrifice and loyalty)
\*\*The Birdman of Alcatraz \*\*, taking the freest liberties with historical fact.
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2013, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/6 "2013-04-13T02:29:31Z")
_Schindler’s List_
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### Author:  [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2013, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/7 "2013-04-13T02:33:48Z")
Return of the Jedi
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### Author:  [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2013, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/8 "2013-04-13T02:34:04Z")
_The Fisher King._
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### Author:  [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2013, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/9 "2013-04-13T02:36:29Z")
**Somewhere**
**Crazy Heart**
**The Comedy**
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### Author:  [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/10 "2013-04-13T03:57:42Z")
**Pulp Fiction** - the final scene in the film is Jules realizing that his destructive lifestyle is no longer edifying and decides to walk the earth “Kung-fu” style
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### Author:  [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2013, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/11 "2013-04-13T11:44:06Z")
One of my favorites is Groundhog Day
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### Author:  [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2013, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/12 "2013-04-13T13:37:43Z")
A Christmas Carol
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### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2013, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/13 "2013-04-13T13:51:32Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#):
>
> Well, T **he Shawshank Redemption** for one.
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#):
>
> That was a good movie in general, but I don’t think it had a lot to do with redemption because the main character was innocent.
I would argue that it wasn’t necessarily about the redemption of any of the prisoners, but rather of the prison itself.
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### Author:  [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2013, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/14 "2013-04-14T03:07:45Z")
> [@Frazzled](#):
>
> One of my favorites is Groundhog Day
My favorite movie, period. And…
**A Christmas Carol** also **Regarding Henry**
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### Author:  [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2013, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/15 "2013-04-14T03:33:46Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#):
>
> That was a good movie in general, but I don’t think it had a lot to do with redemption because the main character was innocent.
I always thought it was Red’s redemption. He regained his hope and humanity. Without hope he was an institutionalized being. With hope he was a whole person again. Andy taught him to reclaim his hope.
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### Author:  [@Renifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renifer)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/16 "2013-04-14T22:13:12Z")
Cruel Intentions
Spiderman (he turns to crimefighting after he unwittingly abets in his uncle’s murder and kills the murderer)
Brokedown Palace
Pretty much every character on Buffy has had a redemption episode. “Amends” and “Storyteller” particularly stand out in that regard.
Fringe episode “The White Tulip”
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### Author:  [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/17 "2013-04-14T22:19:41Z")
_Men of Honor_, for DeNiro’s character.
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2013, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/18 "2013-04-15T07:26:34Z")
Unforgiven
Seven Samurai (and its homages)
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### Author:  [@emcee2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emcee2k)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2013, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/19 "2013-04-15T07:49:41Z")
Bad Lieutenant
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### Author:  [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2013, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-redemption/655549/20 "2013-04-15T08:33:06Z")
American History X
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