Check out our gallery of the 2021 Golden Globe nominees in the leading and supporting acting categories, as the characters they so brilliantly played and in real life
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?
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
Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider. See more »
Goofs
Norton and Hadley are apparently surprised by the arrival of the police at the prison. However, they wouldn't have been arrested (and the article in the newspaper wouldn't have been published) simply on an anonymous letter and some evidence. There would have been an investigation first, which would have tipped them off. 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.
See more »
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
One HBO showing included three extra scenes introduced by Morgan Freeman. One of the extra scenes showed Red, after his release, marveling over the mistaken idea that women no longer wore bras. Another earlier deleted scene shows more of the uncovering of Andy's escape route, including a guard who is sent down the shaft and who throws up when he realizes the sewer has been breached. Upon hearing this, and realizing Andy's successful escape, Red begins laughing hysterically in his cell, for which he is sent to solitary confinement and where he continues to laugh. See more »
One of the finest films made in recent years. It's a poignant story about hope. Hope gets me. That's what makes a film like this more than a movie. It tells a lesson about life. Those are the films people talk about 50 or even 100 years from you. It's also a story for freedom. Freedom from isolation, from rule, from bigotry and hate. Freeman and Robbins are majestic in their performances. Each learns from the other. Their relationship is strong and you feel that from the first moment they make contact with one another. There is also a wonderful performance from legend James Whitmore as Brooks.
He shines when it is his time to go back into the world, only to find that the world grew up so fast he never even got a chance to blink. Stephen King's story is brought to the screen with great elegance and excitement. It is an extraordinary motion that people "will" be talking about in 50 or 100 years.
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One of the finest films made in recent years. It's a poignant story about hope. Hope gets me. That's what makes a film like this more than a movie. It tells a lesson about life. Those are the films people talk about 50 or even 100 years from you. It's also a story for freedom. Freedom from isolation, from rule, from bigotry and hate. Freeman and Robbins are majestic in their performances. Each learns from the other. Their relationship is strong and you feel that from the first moment they make contact with one another. There is also a wonderful performance from legend James Whitmore as Brooks.
He shines when it is his time to go back into the world, only to find that the world grew up so fast he never even got a chance to blink. Stephen King's story is brought to the screen with great elegance and excitement. It is an extraordinary motion that people "will" be talking about in 50 or 100 years.