The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American prison drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the 1982 Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The film 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. Over the following two decades, he befriends a fellow prisoner, contraband smuggler Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman), and becomes instrumental in a money laundering operation led by the prison warden Samuel Norton (Bob Gunton). William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows, and James Whitmore appear in supporting roles. Darabont purchased the film rights to King's story in 1987, but development did not begin until five years later, when he wrote the script over an eight-week period. Two weeks after submitting his script to Castle Rock Entertainment, Darabont secured a $25 million budget to produce The Shawshank Redemption, which started pre-production in January 1993. While the film is set in Maine, principal photography took place from June to August 1993 almost entirely in Mansfield, Ohio, with the Ohio State Reformatory serving as the eponymous penitentiary. The project attracted many stars for the role of Andy, including Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Kevin Costner. Thomas Newman provided the film's score. While The Shawshank Redemption received critical acclaim upon its release—particularly for its story, the performances of Robbins and Freeman, Newman's score, Darabont's direction and screenplay and Roger Deakins' cinematography—the film was a box-office disappointment, earning only $16 million during its initial theatrical run. Many reasons were cited for its failure at the time, including competition from the films 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. It went on to receive multiple award nominations, including seven Academy Award nominations, and a theatrical re-release that, combined with international takings, increased the film's box-office gross to $73.3 million. Over 320,000 VHS rental copies were shipped throughout the United States, and on the strength of its award nominations and word of mouth, it became the top video rental of 1995. The broadcast rights were acquired following the purchase of Castle Rock by Turner Broadcasting System, and it was shown regularly on the TNT network starting in 1997, further increasing its popularity. Decades after its release, the film is still broadcast regularly, and is popular in several countries, with audience members and celebrities citing it as a source of inspiration or naming it a favorite in various surveys, leading to its recognition as one of the most "beloved" films ever made. 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".
By the year Kennedy was shot, Andy had transformed a storage room smelling of rat turds and turpentine into the best prison library in New England, complete with a fine selection of Hank Williams. ♪♪ Lawd I don't know what I'll do-ooo ♪♪ ♪♪ All I do is sit and sigh... ♪♪ That was also the year Warden Norton instituted his famous Inside Out program. You may remember reading about it. It made all the papers and got his picture in Look Magazine. No free ride. But rather a genuine, progressive advance in corrections and rehabilitation.
The Shawshank Redemption
Our inmates, properly supervised, will be put to work outside these walls, performing all manner of public service. These men can learn the value of an honest day's labor, while providing a valuable service to the community and... at a bare minimum of expense to Mr. and Mrs. John Q Taxpayer. Of course, Norton failed to mention to the press that "bare minimum of expense" is a fairly loose term. There are a hundred different ways to skim off the top. Men, materials, you name it.
The Shawshank Redemption
And, oh, my Lord, how the money rolled in. If this keeps up, you'll put me out of business. - Ned! - This pool of slave labor you've got, you can underbid any contractor in town. Ned, we're providing a valuable community service here. Well, that's fine for the papers but I've got a family to feed. Sam... Sam, we go back a long way. I need this new highway contract. I don't get it, and I go under. That's a fact. You just have some of this fine pie my missus made especially for you, and you think about that.
The Shawshank Redemption
Get my stuff down to the laundry. - Two suits for dry-clean and a bag of whatnot. - Yes, sir. Tell them if they over-starch my shirts again, they'll hear about it from me. How do I look? - Very nice, sir. - Big charity to-do up Portland way. The Governor's going to be there.
The Shawshank Redemption
- He's got his fingers in a lot of pies, I hear. - What you hear isn't half of it. He's got scams you haven't even dreamed of. Kickbacks on his kickbacks. There's a river of dirty money running through this place. But the problem with having all that money is you'll have to explain - where it came from. - That's where I come in. I channel it, filter it, funnel it. Stocks, securities, tax-free municipals. I send that money out into the real world. - And when it comes back... - Clean as a virgin's honey pot, huh? Cleaner. By the time Norton retires, I'll have made him a millionaire.
The Shawshank Redemption
If they ever catch on, though, he's gonna wind up in here wearing a number himself. Now, Red, I thought you had a little more faith in me than that. I know you're good, Andy, but all that paper leaves a trail. Now, anybody gets curious, the FBI, the IRS, whatever, it's gonna lead to somebody. Sure it is. But not to me. And certainly not to the Warden.
The Shawshank Redemption
The silent silent partner. He's the guilty one, Your Honor. The man with the bank accounts. That's where the filtering process starts. If they trace anything, it's just going to lead to him. But who is he? He's a phantom, an apparition. Second cousin to Harvey the Rabbit. I conjured him... out of thin air. He doesn't exist, except on paper.
The Shawshank Redemption
Andy, you can't just make a person up. Sure you can, if you know how the system works, where the cracks are. It's amazing what you can accomplish by mail. Mr. Stevens has a birth certificate, a driver's license, social security number. You're shitting me? If they ever trace any of those accounts, they're going to wind up chasing a figment of my imagination. Well, I'll be damned. Did I say you were good? Shit, you're a Rembrandt! You know, 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.
The Shawshank Redemption
Ever bother you? I don't run the scams, Red, I just process the profits. Fine line maybe but... I also built that library and used it to help a dozen guys get a high school diploma. Why do you think the Warden lets me do it? To keep you happy and doing the laundry. Money instead of sheets. Well, I work cheap. That's the trade-off.
The Shawshank Redemption
Willy And The Hand Jive ♪♪ ♪♪ I know a cat named... ♪♪ Tommy Williams came to Shawshank in 1965 on a two-year stretch for B&E. That's breaking and entering to you. The cops caught him sneaking TV sets out the back door of a JC Penney. Young punk. Mr. Rock'n'roll. Cocky as hell. Hey, come on, old boys! Moving like molasses! Making me look bad. We liked him immediately. So I'm backing out the door, right? And I got the TV like this. It was a big old thing. I couldn't see shit. Suddenly, I hears this voice. "Freeze, kid! Hands in the air." Well, I just stand there, holding onto that TV. So, finally, the voice says, "Do you hear what I said, boy?" I say, "Yes, sir, I sure did. But if I drop this fucking thing, you got me on destruction of property, too."
The Shawshank Redemption
Hey, you've done a stretch in Cashman, right? Yeah. Yeah, that was an easy piece of time, let me tell you. Weekend furloughs, work programs. Not like here. Sounds like you done time all over New England. Yeah, I've been in and out since I was 13. You name the place, chances are I've been there. Perhaps it's time you tried a new profession? What I mean is, you don't seem to be a good thief. Maybe you should try something else. Yeah, well, what the hell do you know about it, Capone? What are you in for? Me?
The Shawshank Redemption