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".

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Officers Russell and Burwell report to the duty officer.

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I'm Andy Dufresne. The wife-killing banker.

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Why did you do it? I didn't, since you ask. You're gonna fit right in! Everybody in here's innocent. Didn't you know that? - Heywood, what are you in here for? - Didn't do it. Lawyer fucked me.

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Rumor has it you're a real cold fish. You think your shit smells sweeter than most. Is that right? - What do you think? - To tell you the truth, I haven't made up my mind. I understand you're a man that knows how to get things. I'm known to locate certain things, from time to time. - I wonder if you might get me a rock hammer. - A what? A rock hammer. - What is it, and why? - What do you care?

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Well, if it was a toothbrush, I'd just quote a price, but then a toothbrush is a non-lethal object.

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Fair enough. A rock hammer is about six or seven inches long. Looks like a miniature pickaxe. Pickaxe? - For rocks. - Rocks.

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Quartz? Quartz.

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And some mica. Shale.

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Limestone. So? So, I'm a rock hound. At least, I was in my old life. I'd like to be again on a limited basis. Or maybe you want to hammer somebody's skull. No, sir.

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I have no enemies here. No? Wait a while. Word gets around. The Sisters have taken quite a liking to you. Especially Bogs.

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I don't suppose it would help any if I explained to them I'm not homosexual. Neither are they. You have to be human first. They don't qualify.

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Bull queers take by force. It's all they want or understand. If I were you, I'd grow eyes in the back of my head. Thanks for the advice. Well, that's free. You understand my concern. Well, if there's any trouble, I won't use the hammer. Then I guess you want to escape. Tunnel under the wall, maybe. Did I miss something? What's funny? You'll understand when you see the rock hammer. What's an item like this usually go for? Seven dollars in any rock and gem shop. My normal mark-up's 20 per cent. But this is a specialty item. The risk goes up, the price goes up. Let's make it an even ten bucks. Ten it is. Waste of money, if you ask me. Why's that? Folks around this joint love surprise inspections. If they find it, you're gonna lose it. If they do catch you with it, you don't know me. Mention my name, we never do business again. Not for shoelaces or a stick of gum. Now, you got that? I understand. Thank you... Mr. er...? Red. The name's Red. Red? Why do they call you that?

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Maybe it's because I'm Irish.

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I could see why some of the boys took him for snobby. He had a quiet way about him. A walk and a talk that just wasn't normal around here. He strolled... like a man in a park, without a care or worry in the world. Like he had on an invisible coat that would shield him from this place. Yeah. I think it would be fair to say... I liked Andy from the start.

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Let's go! Some of us have got a schedule to keep.

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Move it! Come on. Move it!

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Bob, how are you doing? How's the wife treating you?

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Easy. Keep it moving.

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Red...

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Andy was right. I finally got the joke. It would take a man about 600 years to tunnel under the wall with one of these.

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