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Movie Description
In writer-director Frank Darabont's THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for the murders of his wife and her lover in the late 1940s. However, only Andy knows that he didn't commit the crimes. Sent to Shawshank Prison to do hard time, Andy--a taciturn banker in the outside world--has to learn to get by in the brutal, cutthroat confines of prison life. His quiet strength slowly earns the respect of his fellow inmates--most notably Red (Morgan Freeman)--and even much of the prison staff. But Andy's seemingly stoic acceptance of his unjust imprisonment hides a fierce determination for freedom. This beautifully crafted movie features touching and sincere performances from the entire cast, with an uplifting message about man's indomitable spirit and the redemptive value of hope. Based on the novella RITA HAYWORTH AND SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION by Stephen King, Darabont's intriguing adaptation is easily one of the finest films of the 1990s.
Synopsis
When an innocent man is sentenced to life in prison for murder, he thinks his life is over. However, despite years of brutal incarceration, his indomitable spirit makes him an inspiration to everyone he encounters.
Film Notes
Theatrical realease: September 23, 1994.
Shot in Ohio and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The script didn't originally call for a black man in Morgan Freeman's role. However, director Frank Darabont thought it would be funny not to cut a line that seemed to indicate the original intentions: When Tim Robbins's character asks Morgan Freeman why he's called Red, Freeman answers, "Maybe it's because I'm Irish," then gives Robbins a quizzical look and a wink.
The role of Tommy Williams (played by Gil Bellows) was originally intended for Brad Pitt.
Darabont's following film, THE GREEN MILE, is also based on Stephen King tale involving a prison setting.
Industry Reviews
For an Oscar-nominated film, "The Shawshank Redemption" is strangely lacking in surprises. This quintessential prison story hits all the right notes - an innocent man, a wise mentor, and a warden who turns out to be the embodiment of evil. Tim Robbins turns in an adequate performance, but Morgan Freeman, as the lifer who takes him under his wing, holds the film together the way a rope supports a hanging bridge.
Despite historical accuracy and attention to visual detail, "Shawshank" is fantasy, where the characters are larger than life, and where hope endures, even in the face of life-crushing adversity. So while it may not break new cinematic ground, "Shawshank" is a movie meal of steak and potatoes, familiar, but immensely satisfying.
Steele
For an Oscar-nominated film, "The Shawshank Redemption" is strangely lacking in surprises. This quintessential prison story hits all the right notes, striking a perfect resonance before moving on to the next inevitable plot element, rolling past the viewer like a string of boxcars and trailing the expected red caboose. In that sense, it bears the stamp of its author, Steven King, an unrivaled master at manipulating and gratifying his audience.
Morgan Freeman's Oscar-nominated performance as Red, a long-time convict respected for his ability to obtain contraband, holds the film together the way a rope supports a hanging bridge. Red's quiet dignity, his easygoing humor, his refusal to become either hopeful or discouraged, serve as examples to the other men, especially Andy (Tim Robbins), a lifer convicted, perhaps wrongly, of murdering his adulterous wife.
Robbins turns in a competent but strangely uninvolved performance, calling on the same old hurt-puppy facial expressions that he brings to each dramatic role. You can almost hear the director saying, "Look a little more detached and beaten, Tim." But despite Robbins' bland performance, "Shawshank" breathes fire, thanks to an excellent supporting cast, including Bob Gunton as the Bible-thumping warden who turns out to be the emodiment of evil. In his first feature film, writer-director Frank Darabont has a love affair with the old Ohio State Reformatory, swooping the camera overhead for stunning aerial views, and carefully choosing his hours and seasons for optimal light and color. The steel-blue dimness of the interior shots suggest the hard quality of life inside, and the passage of time is touchingly indicated by the evolving pin-ups on Andy's wall, from Rita Hayworth, to Marilyn Monroe, to Racquel Welch as the years slide by.
Despite the painstaking attention to visual detail, "Shawshank" was never meant to be realistic. This is fantasy, where all the characters are larger than life, ...
Steele
"...Undeniably powerful and moving..."
Rolling Stone - p.81 - Peter Travers
"...A slow, gentle story of camaraderie....THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION has its own brand of iconoclasm..."
New York Times - p.C3 - Janet Maslin
"...[The pairing of Freeman and Robbins] sparks moments of true grace and emotion..."
Premiere - p.145 - Josh Rottenberg
Quotations
"I'm a regular Sears and Roebuck"--Red (Morgan Freeman), the man on the inside who "knows how to get things"
"First you hate 'em. Then you get used to 'em. After long enough, you get so you depend on 'em. That's institutionalized."--Red, referring to the prison walls
"The funny thing is--on the outside, I was an honest man, straight as an arrow. I had to come to prison to be a crook."--Andy (Tim Robbins)
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