The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

User Rating:

9.2/10   

Director:

Frank Darabont

Writers (WGA):

Stephen King (short story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption")
Frank Darabont (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 September 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.

Plot:

Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Murder | Shawshank | Friend | Banker

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Tim Robbins	...	Andy Dufresne
Morgan Freeman	...	Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding
Bob Gunton	...	Warden Norton
William Sadler	...	Heywood
Clancy Brown	...	Captain Hadley
Gil Bellows	...	Tommy
Mark Rolston	...	Bogs Diamond
James Whitmore	...	Brooks Hatlen
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	1946 D.A.
Larry Brandenburg	...	Skeet
Neil Giuntoli	...	Jigger
Brian Libby	...	Floyd
David Proval	...	Snooze
Joseph Ragno	...	Ernie
Jude Ciccolella	...	Guard Mert

Also Known As:

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and prison violence.

Runtime:

142 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 (video rating) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:16 | Iceland:14 | South Korea:12 (cable rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Israel:PG | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:R(A) | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Ashland, Ohio, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

Red says he has no idea what the ladies are singing about. Actually, they're singing about the marriage ceremony and wedded bliss.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the aerial shot where Andy's bus approaches the prison, next to the gate is a red brick building and it's sidewalk is strewn with debris. As the bus pulls in seconds later and we see the gate and same brick building from the vantage point of guards who hurried from a tower, the sidewalk is clean.

Quotes:

[first lines]
District Attorney: Mr. Dufresne, describe the confrontation you had with your wife the night that she was murdered.
Andy Dufresne: It was very bitter. She said she was glad I knew, that she hated all the sneaking around. And she said that she wanted a divorce in Reno.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in I-See-You.Com (2006)

Soundtrack:

Duettino - Sull'aria

Simply amazing. The best film of the 90's.

The Shawshank Redemption is without a doubt one of the most brilliant movies I have ever seen. Similar to The Green Mile in many respects (and better than it in almost all of them), these two movies have shown us that Stephen King is a master not only of horror but also of prose that shakes the soul and moves the heart. The plot is average, but King did great things with it in his novella that are only furthered by the direction, and the acting is so top-rate it's almost scary.

Tim Robbins plays Andy Dufrane, wrongly imprisoned for 20 years for the murder of his wife. The story focuses on Andy's relationship with "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman, in probably his best role) and his attempts to escape from Shawshank. Bob Gunton is positively evil and frightening as Warden Norton, and there are great performances and cameos all around; the most prominent one being Gil Bellows (late as Billy of Ally McBeal) as Tommy, a fellow inmate of Andy's who suffers under the iron will of Norton.

If you haven't seen this movie, GO AND RENT IT NOW. You will not be disappointed. It is positively the best movie of the '90's, and one of my Top 3 of all time. This movie is a spectacle to move the mind, soul, and heart. 10/10