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

Director:

Frank Darabont

Writers:

Stephen King (short story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption"), Frank Darabont (screenplay)
Popularity
55 ( 5)
Top Rated Movies #1 | Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 21 wins & 36 nominations. See more awards »

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Photos

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

'The Shawshank Redemption' Without Morgan Freeman?

The Shawshank Redemption has become a classic film - it's even IMDb's top-rated movie of all time - but did you know it almost had an entirely different cast behind those legendary bars?

Who almost starred?

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Storyline

Chronicles the experiences of a formerly successful banker as a prisoner in the gloomy jailhouse of Shawshank after being found guilty of a crime he did not commit. The film portrays the man's unique way of dealing with his new, torturous life; along the way he befriends a number of fellow prisoners, most notably a wise long-term inmate named Red. Written by J-S-Golden

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

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

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

RP16 | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

When Andy puts on the music, the Italian Opera that plays is about two women setting up a trap to catch a man in his infidelity, just like Andy caught his wife cheating on him. in the beginning of the movie. See more »

Goofs

When they are making the wooden sign for the Brooks library, it is clear that the sign was already completed, as someone appears to be hand carving the finishing touches. See more »

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.
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Crazy Credits

The man who cried and was beaten when Andy first arrived is listed and credited as "Fat Ass" -- the other inmates' nickname for him. See more »

Alternate Versions

This film was produced independently by Castle Rock Entertainment, but distributed by Columbia Pictures, which placed their logo at the beginning of the film. After the first video release, Castle Rock began to use Warner Bros. as their distributor. This film was then later re-issued on video and DVD by Warner Bros., which replaced the Columbia Pictures logo with their own. (The 1999 WB DVD uses no studio logo before Castle Rock [A Turner Company], and has no Columbia line-art logo at the end, just 10 seconds of blank screen as the music finishes. The 2004 WB DVD and theatrical rerelease, and 2010 Blu-ray, start with a very modern WB logo and an updated Castle Rock logo [A TimeWarner Company], and have the Columbia line-art logo in the crawl at the end followed by a quick, still, older WB logo. See also The American President.) See more »

Connections

Referenced in 3 Deewarein (2003) See more »

Soundtracks

Put The Blame On Mame
by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher
Heard on "Gilda" soundtrack
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User Reviews

 
Eternal Hope
15 June 2018 | by nowegoSee all my reviews

I've lost count of the number of times I have seen this movie, but it is more than 20. It has to be one of the best movies ever made. It made me take notice Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins like I had never noticed any actors before.

I have from a very young age been a huge fan of anything Stephen King writes and had already read the short story that this movie is based on years prior to seeing this movie.

Not everything Stephen King has written that gets turned into a movie comes out well, but this is as close to perfection as it gets and has everything you could ever want in a movie.

Something that is outstanding is the fact that it has no real action, no special effects and no gimmicks. 99% of the movie is just men in a prison uniforms talking. Yet it absolutely hooks you almost from the beginning and has you glued to the screen to the end.

For me what really makes this film one of the best is the message of eternal hope it conveys throughout. The never ever give up hope attitude of the main character so well conveyed by Tim Robbins. The ending is just spine tingling every time I see it, no matter how many times I have seen it.

Brilliant, brilliant movie and a must see for everyone.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 October 1994 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Die Verurteilten See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$727,327, 25 September 1994

Gross USA:

$28,699,976

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$28,817,291
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »

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