[41], The final cut of the theatrically released film runs for 142 minutes,[1] and was dedicated to Allen Greene, Darabont's former agent, who died during filming from AIDS. … A man of morals and ideals. [2][50] The novella's original title attracted several people to audition for the nonexistent role of Rita Hayworth, including a man in drag clothing. Norton has Hadley murder Tommy under the guise of an escape attempt. [124] In 2014, The Shawshank Redemption was named Hollywood's fourth-favorite film, based on a survey of 2,120 Hollywood-based entertainment industry members; entertainment lawyers skewed the most towards the film. This classic film is based off the short story, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, by Stephen King. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing The Shawshank Redemption (1995) near you. [76] It did not win in any category. He offered Darabont between $2.4 million[42] and $3 million to allow him to direct it himself. [9] Darabont said he cast Robbins after seeing his performance in the 1990 psychological horror Jacob's Ladder. He is befriended by Ellis "Red" Redding, an inmate and prison contraband smuggler serving a life sentence. A year later, Tommy reveals to Red and Andy that his cellmate at another prison had claimed responsibility for the murders for which Andy was convicted. [144] It regularly appears on Empire's top 100 films, was named the greatest film to not win the Academy Award for Best Picture in a 2013 poll by Sky UK (it lost to Forrest Gump),[145] and ranked as Britain's favorite film in a 2015 YouGov poll. The others think that Andy broke and that Andy got 6 feet of rope means he was going to suicide. Welcome to SS. [41], Darabont looked initially at some of his favorite actors, such as Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall, for the role of Andy Dufresne, but they were unavailable;[40] Clint Eastwood and Paul Newman were also considered. [9] Bob Gunton was filming Demolition Man (1993) when he went to audition for the role of Warden Norton. Andy attempts to discontinue the laundering, but relents after Norton threatens to destroy the library, remove Andy's protection from the guards, and move him to worse conditions. Life seems to have taken a turn for the worse, but fortunately Andy befriends some of the other inmates, in particular a character known only as Red. Fandango FANALERT® Sign up for a FANALERT® to find out when tickets are available in your area. Eventually, Andrew achieves his ends on his own terms. Andy is wrongfully accused of murder and sent to prison at Shawshank. [46] In 1996, the rights to The Shawshank Redemption were passed to Warner Bros., following the merger of its parent company Time Warner with the Turner Broadcasting System. [76] Newman's score was so successful that excerpts from it were used in movie trailers for years afterwards. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne c. [9] King never cashed the $5,000 check from Darabont; he later framed it and returned it to Darabont accompanied by a note which read: "In case you ever need bail money. [2], Cast initially as young convict Tommy, Brad Pitt dropped out following his success in Thelma & Louise[9] (the role went to a debuting Gil Bellows);[2] James Gandolfini passed on portraying prison rapist Bogs. The Shawshank Redemption is considered as one of the best films ever made. At the next day's roll call, the guards find Andy's cell empty. The interior of the boarding room used by Brooks and Red was in the administration building; exterior shots of the boarding house were taken elsewhere. "[2] Darabont was already aware of Freeman from his minor role in another prison drama, Brubaker (1980), while Robbins had been excited to work alongside the actor, having grown up watching him in The Electric Company children's television show. Brooks is paroled in 1954 after serving 50 years, but he cannot adjust to the outside world and eventually hangs himself. [42], On a $25 million budget,[51] principal photography took place over three months[9] between June and August 1993. 06.00 Verdict: Two life sentences for Andy. Assigned to work in the prison laundry, Andy is frequently sexually assaulted by "the Sisters" and their leader, Bogs. [47] William Sadler, who portrays Heywood, said that Darabont had approached him in 1989 on the set of the Tales from the Crypt television series, where he was a writer, about starring in the adaptation he was intending to make. Red worries about Andy's well-being, especially when he learns Andy asked a fellow inmate for 6 ft (1.8 m) of rope. [59] The beach at 'Zihuatanejo' is the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge,[60] a protected area for leatherback sea turtles. [93], Maslin called the film an impressive directorial debut that tells a gentle tale with a surprising amount of loving care,[92] with Klady saying the only failings came when Darabont focused for too long on supporting characters, or embellished a secondary story. [44] Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, and Kevin Costner were offered, and passed on the role[9]—Hanks due to his starring role in Forrest Gump,[40] and Costner because he had the lead in Waterworld. A meek banker named Andy Dufresne is wrongfully convicted of murdering both his wife and her lover in 1947. Cast from the film attended some of the events, including Gunton, Scott Mann, Renee Blaine, and James Kisicki. [95] It received two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture for Freeman, and Best Screenplay for Darabont. [45] Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, and Charlie Sheen were also considered for the role at different stages. [74] The scene originally featured a longer reunion in which Andy and Red recited dialogue from their first meeting, but Darabont said it had a "golly-gee-ain't-we-cute" quality and excised it. [84] The Hollywood Reporter said that both the directing and writing were crisp, while criticizing the film's long running time. The court sees him as a cold blooded murderer. His spirit and determination lead us into a world full of imagination, one filled with courage and desire. [9] Darabont opted to create a single warden character to serve as the primary antagonist. [103][105] The tree was completely felled by strong winds on or around July 22, 2016,[103] and its vestiges were cut down in April 2017. Darabont said that he regretted being unable to capture the scene. It was filmed in one of the actual prison's more confined cells. [77] It was also voted as New Zealand's favorite film in a 2015 poll. To be set free you must have something to believe in, to hope for, and you must not ever lose the hope or you’ve lost your purpose in moving on in life. Red procures a rock hammer for Andy, allowing him to create small stone chess pieces. The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the 1982 Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. Andy Dufresne, the young, successful vice president of a major bank, finds his life taking a serious detour after his wife and her lover are murdered and the crime gets pinned on him. In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". [53][54] The facility had been shuttered three years earlier in 1990,[55] due to inhumane living conditions. [51], Despite its disappointing box-office returns, in what was then considered a risky move, Warner Home Video shipped 320,000 rental video copies throughout the United States in 1995. [136], In November 2014, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences celebrated the film's 20th anniversary with a special one-night screening at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California. [22][41], After being nominated for several Oscars in early 1995,[9] the film was re-released between February and March, earning a further $12 million. 09.00 1949: Andy Dufresne arrives. The following year, Red is finally paroled after serving 40 years. [15] James Kisicki and Claire Slemmer portray the Maine National Bank manager and a teller, respectively. In 1949, Andy overhears the captain of the guards, Byron Hadley, complaining about being taxed on an inheritance and offers to help him shelter the money legally. But inside Andy Dufresne is a completely different man. Once you're in that situation, you just toe whatever line you have to toe. Many reasons were cited for its failure at the time, including competition from films such as Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump, the general unpopularity of prison films, its lack of female characters, and even the title, which was considered to be confusing for audiences. quotes: “See you in hell before I see you in Reno.” 04.30 Eight bullets, two victims. [41], At the time, prison-based films were not considered likely box-office successes, but Darabont's script was read by then-Castle Rock Entertainment producer Liz Glotzer, whose interest in prison stories, and reaction to the script, led her to threaten to quit if Castle Rock did not produce The Shawshank Redemption. 00.00 Andy Dufresne in car with gun. Plot summary for The Shawshank Redemption (1994), plus mistakes, quotes, trivia and more. It tells the story of banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), who is sentenced to life in Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murders of his wife and her lover, despite his claims of innocence. In 1947 Portland, Maine, banker Andy Dufresne is convicted of murdering his wife and her lover and is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences at the Shawshank State Penitentiary. I remember having a bad moment with the director, had a few of those." 12.00 Norton: Your ass belongs to me. [71] One scripted scene, which Darabont described as his best work, was left unfilmed because of the shooting schedule. [18] Andy is offered as a messianic, Christ-like figure, with Red describing him early in the film as having an aura that engulfs and protects him from Shawshank. The project attracted many stars of the time for the role of Andy, including Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Kevin Costner. The ‘Themes and analysis’ series explores the major themes underpinning a movie or a TV show. The number of takes that were shot resulted in Freeman turning up to filming the following day with his arm in a sling. [102], The oak tree, under which Andy leaves a note for Red directing him to Zihuatanejo, became a symbol of hope for its role in the film, and is considered iconic. [58][103] In 2016, The New York Times reported that the tree attracted thousands of visitors annually. [9][77] It was decided to mostly omit Stephen King's name from any advertising, as the studio wanted to attract a "more prestigious audience", who might reject a film from a writer known mostly for pulp fiction works such as The Shining and Cujo. Many movies following The Shawshank Redemption have tried and failed in their attempts to recreate this behemoth of a movie. Darabont seriously considered the offer, citing growing up poor in Los Angeles, believing it would elevate his standing in the industry, and that Castle Rock could have contractually fired him and given the film to Reiner, anyway, but he chose to remain the director, saying in a 2014 Variety interview, "you can continue to defer your dreams in exchange for money and, you know, die without ever having done the thing you set out to do". Darabont responded: "I can think of no greater honor than for The Shawshank Redemption to be considered part of our country's cinematic legacy. In the prison theater, the inmates watch the film Gilda (1946), but this scene was originally intended to feature The Lost Weekend (1945). [4], Darabont first collaborated with author Stephen King in 1983 on the short film adaptation of "The Woman in the Room", buying the rights from him for $1—a Dollar Deal that King used to help new directors build a résumé by adapting his short stories. The Shawshank Redemption Summary. Brooks, who in the novella is a minor character who dies in a retirement home, became a tragic character who eventually hanged himself. Thomas Newman provided the film's score. [5] Renee Blaine portrays Andy's wife, and Scott Mann portrays her golf-instructor lover Glenn Quentin. [77] Both films would become quotable cultural phenomena. [55] According to the Mansfield/Richland County Convention and Visitors Bureau (later renamed Destination Mansfield),[59] tourism in the area had increased every year since The Shawshank Redemption premiered, and in 2013 drew in 18,000 visitors and over $3 million to the local economy. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. After being confirmed for the role, he used the wig in the film's early scenes until his hair regrew. Realizing he could make use of the bed to escape, he began his plan. [3][9] Television airings of the film accrued record-breaking numbers,[22] and its repeated broadcast was considered essential to turning the film into a cultural phenomenon after its poor box-office performance. According to Darabont, harmonica player Tommy Morgan "casually delivered something dead-on perfect on the first take", and this is heard in the finished film. [64], For the scene depicting Andy's escape from the prison, Darabont envisioned Andy using his miniature rock hammer to break into the sewage pipe, but he determined that this was not realistic. [9] Freeman described filming as tense, saying, "Most of the time, the tension was between the cast and director. Andy begins writing weekly letters to the state legislature requesting funds to improve the prison's decaying library. But have you ever noticed the massive plot hole in the Shawshank Redemption before? [32] Then in the end of the film, Andy passes through a hole in his cell hidden by a movie poster to escape both his cell and ultimately Shawshank. While The Shawshank Redemption received positive reviews on its release, particularly for its story and the performances of Robbins and Freeman, it was a box-office disappointment, earning only $16 million during its initial theatrical run. [6] Turan similarly objected to what he perceived as extreme violence and rape scenes, and making most of the prisoners seem like a "bunch of swell and softhearted guys" to cast the prison experience in a "rosy glow". As the footage was too costly to procure from Paramount Pictures, producer Niki Marvin approached The Shawshank Redemption's domestic distribution rights-holder Columbia Pictures, which offered a list of lower-priced titles, one of which was Gilda. Freeman has described Red's story as one of salvation as he is not innocent of his crimes, unlike Andy who finds redemption. 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