The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Director:

Frank Darabont

Writers (WGA):

Stephen King (short story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption")
Frank Darabont (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 September 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.

Plot:

Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Murder | Shawshank | Friend | Banker

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Tim Robbins	...	Andy Dufresne
Morgan Freeman	...	Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding
Bob Gunton	...	Warden Norton
William Sadler	...	Heywood
Clancy Brown	...	Captain Hadley
Gil Bellows	...	Tommy
Mark Rolston	...	Bogs Diamond
James Whitmore	...	Brooks Hatlen
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	1946 D.A.
Larry Brandenburg	...	Skeet
Neil Giuntoli	...	Jigger
Brian Libby	...	Floyd
David Proval	...	Snooze
Joseph Ragno	...	Ernie
Jude Ciccolella	...	Guard Mert
Paul McCrane	...	Guard Trout
Renee Blaine	...	Andy Dufresne's Wife
Scott Mann	...	Glenn Quentin
John Horton	...	1946 Judge
Gordon Greene	...	1947 Parole Hearings Man (as Gordon C. Greene)
Alfonso Freeman	...	Fresh Fish Con
V.J. Foster	...	Hungry Fish Con
John E. Summers	...	New Fish Guard
Frank Medrano	...	Fat Ass
Mack Miles	...	Tyrell
Alan R. Kessler	...	Laundry Bob
Morgan Lund	...	Laundry Truck Driver
Cornell Wallace	...	Laundry Leonard
Gary Lee Davis	...	Rooster
Neil Summers	...	Pete
Ned Bellamy	...	Guard Youngblood
Joe Pecoraro	...	Projectionist (as Joseph Pecoraro)
Harold E. Cope Jr.	...	Hole Guard
Brian Delate	...	Guard Dekins
Don McManus	...	Guard Wiley (as Don R. McManus)
Donald Zinn	...	Moresby Batter (as Donald E. Zinn)
Dorothy Silver	...	1954 Landlady
Robert Haley	...	1954 Food-Way Manager
Dana Snyder	...	1954 Food-Way Woman
John D. Craig	...	1957 Parole Hearings Man
Ken Magee	...	Ned Grimes
Eugene C. DePasquale	...	Mail Caller (as Eugene C. De Pasquale)
Bill Bolender	...	Elmo Blatch
Ron Newell	...	Elderly Hole Guard
John R. Woodward	...	Bullhorn Tower Guard
Chuck Brauchler	...	Man Missing Guard
Dion Anderson	...	Head Bull Haig
Claire Slemmer	...	Bank Teller
James Kisicki	...	Bank Manager
Rohn Thomas	...	Bugle Editor
Charlie Kearns	...	1966 D.A.
Rob Reider	...	Duty Guard
Brian Brophy	...	1967 Parole Hearings Man
Paul Kennedy	...	1967 Food-Way Manager
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Babson	...	Con (uncredited)
Dennis Baker	...	Old Man on Bus (uncredited)
Fred Culbertson	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Richard Doone	...	Con (uncredited)
Rita Hayworth	...	Gilda Mundson Farrell (archive footage) (uncredited)
Alonzo F. Jones	...	Inmate (uncredited)
Michael Lightsey	...	Con (uncredited)
Brad Spencer	...	1957 Parole Hearings Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Frank Darabont

Writing credits (WGA)
Stephen King		(short story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption")
Frank Darabont		(screenplay)

Produced by
Liz Glotzer	....	executive producer
David V. Lester	....	executive producer (as David Lester)
Niki Marvin	....	producer

Original Music by
Thomas Newman

Cinematography by
Roger Deakins		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Richard Francis-Bruce

Casting by
Deborah Aquila

Production Design by
Terence Marsh

Art Direction by
Peter Landsdown Smith		(as Peter Smith)

Set Decoration by
Michael Seirton		(as Michael Sierton)

Costume Design by
Elizabeth McBride

Makeup Department
Roy Bryson	....	hair stylist
Jeni Lee Dinkel	....	makeup artist
Kevin Haney	....	key makeup artist
Philip Ivey	....	key hair stylist (as Phillip Ivey)
Pamela Priest	....	hair stylist
Monty Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Kokayi Ampah	....	production supervisor
David V. Lester	....	unit production manager (as David Lester)
Sue Bea Montgomery	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Greenwood	....	second second assistant director
Thomas Schellenberg	....	key second assistant director
John R. Woodward	....	first assistant director
Jesse V. Johnson	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Peter Allen	....	paint foreman (as Peter J. Allen)
Lee Lee Baird	....	on-set dresser (as Lee Baird)
Bob Baker	....	decorating consultant (as Bobby Baker)
John Barbera	....	labor gang boss
Earl F. Betts	....	propmaker foreman (as Earl Betts)
Glen Blanton	....	plasterer
Jack Evans	....	assistant art director
Barrett Fleetwood	....	labor foreman
Susan Fraley	....	set estimator
Blair Gibeau	....	painter
Chad Goodrich	....	propmaker gang boss
Antoinette J. Gordon	....	senior set designer (as Antoinette Gordon)
Kelley A. Hankins	....	painter (as Kelley Collopy)
Carey Harris Jr.	....	propman (as Carey Harris)
Todd Hatfield	....	stand-by painter
James Hawthorne	....	paint gang boss
Robert Hawthorne	....	paint gang boss
Jim Henry	....	propshop foreman
Jack Hering	....	set dresser
John M. Heuberger	....	set dresser
Joseph A. Hodges	....	set designer (as Joe Hodges)
Alba Leone	....	lead person
Sebastian Milito	....	construction coordinator
Scott Mizgaites	....	propmaker gang boss
Christopher Neely	....	set dresser
Isidoro Raponi	....	propshop foreman (as Isadoro Raponi)
Tom Shaw Jr.	....	property master (as Tom Shaw)
Dixwell Stillman	....	construction foreman
Pete von Sholly	....	storyboard consultant (as Peter Von Sholly)
Paul Wells	....	key carpenter
Rhonda Yeater	....	art department assistant
Jim Heastings	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Petra Bach	....	adr supervisor
Kevin Bartnof	....	foley artist
David Behle	....	mixing recordist
Bruce Bell	....	sound editor
Mike Boudry	....	additional adr recordist
Kevin Boyd	....	cable person
Willie D. Burton	....	production sound mixer (as Willie Burton)
Rick Canelli	....	adr recordist
Michael J. Cerone	....	additional adr recordist (as Michael Cerone)
Jeff Clark	....	sound editor
Zack Davis	....	sound editor
Marilyn Graf	....	foley mixer
Ron Grafton	....	foley recordist
Michael Herbick	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ellen Heuer	....	foley artist
Shelley Rae Hinton	....	adr editor
Dale Johnston	....	sound editor
Doc Kane	....	additional adr mixer
Jack Keller	....	mixing recordist
Larry Lester	....	sound editor
Marvin E. Lewis	....	boom operator (as Marvin Lewis)
Robert J. Litt	....	sound re-recording mixer
William L. Manger	....	sound editor (as Bill Manger)
Lori Martino	....	assistant sound editor
Thomas J. O'Connell	....	adr mixer (as Tom O'Connell)
Richard Oswald	....	sound editor
Janelle Showalter	....	assistant sound editor
John Stacy	....	supervising sound editor (as John M. Stacy)
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Ulrich	....	adr editor
Bill Weinman	....	assistant sound editor
Paul J. Zydel	....	additional adr mixer (as Paul Zydel)
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bob Williams	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Melissa Taylor	....	visual effects producer (uncredited)

Stunts
Daniel W. Barringer	....	stunts (as Dan Barringer)
Fred Culbertson	....	stunts
Jerry Gatlin	....	stunt coordinator
Mickey Guinn	....	stunts
Dick Hancock	....	stunts
A. Michael Lerner	....	stunts (as Allen Michael Lerner)
Tom Morga	....	stunts
Ben Scott	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Tim L. Amstutz	....	lighting stand-in (as Tim Amstutz)
John Archibald	....	second rigging grip
Robin Brown	....	first assistant camera
Rex Buckingham	....	rigging grip
Keith Bunting	....	best boy grip
James J. Burke	....	lighting stand-in (as James Burke)
Brian 'Buzz' Buzzelli	....	grip (as Brian Buzzelli)
Don Cerrone	....	key grip
Poul Jorgen Christensen	....	rigging grip (as Jorgen Christensen)
Tony Corapi	....	rigging best boy
Gerrit Dangremond	....	Steadicam operator
Eugene C. DePasquale	....	grip (as Eugene DePasquale III)
Richie Ford	....	rigging gaffer
Max Gerber	....	lighting stand-in
David Gilby	....	lighting stand-in
James P. Gribbins	....	electric rigger (as James Gribbins)
Thomas Guidugli	....	grip
Bruce Hamme	....	dolly grip
Dexter Hammett	....	lighting stand-in
Jim Harrington	....	grip (as James Harrington)
Andy Harris	....	second assistant camera
William Kingsley	....	lamp operator
Jeremy Knaster	....	best boy electric
John 'Quincy' Koenig	....	lamp operator (as Quincy Koenig)
Bobby Mancuso	....	second assistant camera
Bill Martin	....	lighting stand-in
Ken McCahan	....	grip (as Kenneth McCahan)
Russ Milner	....	grip (as Russell Milner)
William Moore	....	lamp operator (as Bill Moore)
Hope A. Nielsen	....	film loader (as Hope Nielsen)
William R. Nielsen Jr.	....	second assistant camera (as Bill Nielsen Jr.)
Bill O'Leary	....	gaffer
Charles Quinlivan	....	rigging grip (as Charley Quinlivin)
Judy Scarboro	....	video assistant
Van Scarboro	....	video assist operator
Joseph Short	....	electric rigger
Jon Stinehour	....	lighting stand-in
Eric Swanek	....	first assistant camera
Ruben Turner	....	lamp operator
Michael P. Weinstein	....	still photographer (as Michael Weinstein)
Robert Bender	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)
Pat Dames	....	grip (uncredited)
Kurt Dale Hartman	....	electrician (uncredited)
David Moenkhaus	....	additional second assistant camera (uncredited)
Jon D. Morrison	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Adam Moyer	....	background casting intern
Lynn Myers	....	casting: Ohio (as D. Lynn Meyer)
Brent Scarpo	....	background casting assistant
Jane Shannon-Smith	....	casting associate (as Jane Shannon)
Ivy Weiss	....	background casting
Julie Weiss	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cookie Beard	....	wardrobe assistant
Carol Buckler	....	seamstress
Kris Kearney	....	key costumer
Taneia Lednicky	....	wardrobe supervisor
Donnie McFinely	....	costumer
Eva Prappas	....	costumer
Mira Zavidowsky	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Jeff Canavan	....	apprentice editor
Patricia A. Galvin	....	first assistant editor (as Patty Galvin)
David Johnson	....	production assistant
Robert C. Lusted	....	second assistant editor (as Robert Lusted)
David Orr	....	color timer

Music Department
Bill Bernstein	....	music editor
Julian Bratolyubov	....	music preparation
Jim Makiej	....	assistant music editor (as James C. Makiej)
Leslie Morris	....	music contractor
Thomas Pasatieri	....	orchestrator
Dennis S. Sands	....	music scoring mixer (as Dennis Sands)
Arlene Fishbach	....	music consultant (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Robert Conrad	....	driver
Fred Culbertson	....	transportation captain
William Culbertson	....	driver
William P. Davis	....	driver (as William Davis)
Chick Elwell	....	driver
Dick Furr	....	driver
Harold Garnsey	....	driver
Sally Givens	....	driver
James Graham	....	driver
Ray Greene	....	driver
Mickey Guinn	....	driver
Ronald Hogle	....	driver
Neil Knoff	....	driver
David Marder	....	transportation coordinator
Roland Maurer	....	driver
Douglas Miller	....	driver
Gary Mishey	....	driver
Glen Murphy	....	driver
Ken Nevin	....	driver (as Ken Nevin Jr.)
Tom Park	....	driver
Chuck Ramsey	....	driver
Judith Reed	....	driver
Scott Ruetenik	....	driver
David Smith	....	driver
Donald Snyder	....	driver
J.D. Thomas	....	driver
David Turner	....	driver
Chip Vincent	....	driver
Mario Simon	....	picture car coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Therese Amadio	....	additional animal wrangler
Kokayi Ampah	....	location manager
Kelley Baker	....	accounting assistant
Robert C. Barnett	....	assistant: Frank Darabont (as Robert Barnett)
Brian Boggs	....	craft service
Richard Brooks Burton	....	gyrosphere assistant (as Richard Burton)
Tom Cotter	....	assistant: Tim Robbins
Chris Cozzi	....	location assistant
James Ellis	....	script supervisor
Jane Estocin	....	assistant production accountant
Alfonso Freeman	....	assistant: Morgan Freeman
Carlos Garcia	....	caterer
Edward A. Gutentag	....	gyrosphere assistant (as Ed Gutentag)
Scott E. Hart	....	animal trainer (as Scott Hart)
Beth Hickman	....	production office coordinator
Anne Hilbert	....	office assistant
Jesse E. Johnson	....	set production assistant (as Jesse Johnson)
Michael Kelem	....	gyrosphere operator (as Mike Kelem)
Jose Lopez	....	caterer
Ernie Malik	....	unit publicist
Frank McKeon	....	first aid
David McQuade	....	set production assistant
Karin Mercurio	....	accounting assistant
Mark Moelter	....	craft service
Margaret J. Orlando	....	assistant office coordinator (as Margaret Orlando)
Sioux Richards	....	script supervisor
Ramona Sánchez-Waggoner	....	production accountant (as Ramona Waggoner)
Joe Schultz	....	caterer
Don Speakman	....	craft service
Scott Stahler	....	location assistant
Amie Tschappat	....	office intern
Michael Vasquez	....	accounting assistant
Sophia Xixis	....	assistant: Niki Marvin
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	....	helicopter pilot
Saxon Eldridge	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Alan Jacques	....	projectionist (uncredited)
Tom Lent	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	....	aerial coordinator (uncredited)

Thanks
Dennis Baker	....	thanks: Warden of The Mansfield Correctional Institution
Manny Centeno	....	thanks: Director of the U.S. Virgin Islands Film Commission
Allen Greene	....	in memory of
Richard Hall	....	thanks: assistant to the Warden of The Mansfield Correctional Institution
Stephen King	....	special thanks
Eve Lapolla	....	thanks: Ohio Film Commission
Lee Tasseff	....	thanks: Mansfield Convention & Visitors Bureau

Production Companies

• Castle Rock Entertainment

Distributors

• PolyGram Film International (1994) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• Columbia Pictures (1994) (USA) (theatrical)
• Rank Film Organization (1995) (UK) (theatrical) (as Rank Film Distributors)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2000) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Empire (2008) (Romania) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1999) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Columbia TriStar Films AB (1995) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Shochiku-Fuji Company (1995) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (1995) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Asmik (1995) (Japan) (VHS)
• Asmik (2001) (Japan) (VHS)
• Atlantic Film (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Filmayer (Spain)
• Future Film (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• Guild Home Video (UK)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2003) (Czech Republic) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1998) (Finland) (TV)
• PolyGram Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Roadshow Entertainment Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1995) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution
• Shochiku Company (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Shochiku Home Video (2001) (Japan) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (Argentina) (video)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• VCI Distribution
• Village Roadshow Entertainment (Australia)
• Vídeo Arte (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1996) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2005) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Motion Pixel Corporation (digital special effects)

Other Companies

• Redman Movies and Stories  camera crane
• Arlene Fishbach Enterprises  music consulting
• Bald Eagle Sound Inc.  post-production sound
• Boston Light & Sound  dailies projection system
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• D. Bassett & Associates  negative cutting
• Direct Travel of California  travel services
• Du Art Film Laboratories  production dailies processing
• Epic Soundtrax  soundtrack published by
• Hollywood Rental Company  production equipment
• International Film Guarantors  completion guaranty
• Joe Dunton & Company International  Arriflex camera and lenses provided by
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment provided by
• Nancy Seltzer & Associates  publicity
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Preston Camera Systems  gyrosphere aerial camera system

Also Known As:

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and prison violence.

Runtime:

142 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 (video rating) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:16 | Iceland:14 | South Korea:12 (cable rating) | Australia:M (TV rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Israel:PG | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:R(A) | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Ashland, Ohio, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

Initially Frank Darabont was planning to make his directorial debut with a Chucky type horror movie, although he wasn't particularly enthused about the prospect of doing so. Instead, he decided to adapt Stephen King's atypical short story. The resulting script soon became a hot ticket around Hollywood, attracting interest from stars like Nicolas Cage and Tom Cruise.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The full-size photo poster of Rita Hayworth that Red procures for Andy in 1949 comes from a series of celebrity posters that went on sale in the early 1960s.

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.

Movie Connections:

References La grande illusion (1937)

Soundtrack:

Willie and The Hand Jive

Shawshank Redeems Hollywood

Can Hollywood, usually creating things for entertainment purposes only, create art? To create something of this nature, a director must approach it in a most meticulous manner, due to the delicacy of the process. Such a daunting task requires an extremely capable artist with an undeniable managerial capacity and an acutely developed awareness of each element of art in their films, the most prominent; music, visuals, script, and acting. These elements, each equally important, must succeed independently, yet still form a harmonious union, because this mixture determines the fate of the artist's opus. Though already well known amongst his colleagues for his notable skills at writing and directing, Frank Darabont emerges with his feature film directorial debut, The Shawshank Redemption. Proving himself already a master of the craft, Darabont managed to create one of the most recognizable independent releases in the history of Hollywood. The Shawshank Redemption defines a genre, defies the odds, compels the emotions, and brings an era of artistically influential films back to Hollywood.

The story begins with the trial of a young banker, Andy Dufrense, victimized by circumstantial evidence, resulting in a conviction for the murder of his wife and her lover. After a quick conviction, Andy finds himself serving a life sentence at Shawshank prison, with no hope of parole. He exists in this prison only in appearance, keeping his mind free from the drab walls around him. His ability to do this results in the gaining of respect from his fellow inmates, but most of all from Ellis Redding. Ellis, commonly referred to as Red, finds gainful use of his entrepreneurial spirit within the drab walls of Shawshank by dealing in contraband and commodities rare to the confines of prison. Andy's demeanor and undeniable sense of hope causes Red to take a deeper look at himself, and the world around him. Andy proves to Red and the other inmates that in the conventional walls of Shawshank prison convention will find no home in his lifestyle.

By creating the film's firm foundation, the meticulously chiseled screenplay paved the way for this film's success. Frank Darabont outdoes himself with the phenomenal adaptation of Stephen King's equally noteworthy novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. In this novella, King demonstrates that he can break free from the genre he dominates and still create a marvelous piece of modern literature. Though the film mirrors the novella in many ways, Darabont illustrates a focused objective of improving upon the areas where the novella came up short, resulting in one of the best book to film transitions ever.

While maintaining some of the poetic and moving dialogue of the novella, Darabont also proves that a film's score can generate a great deal of emotional response from its audience, as dialogue does. He employs the cunning Thomas Newman, son of the legendary Hollywood composer, Alfred Newman. Darabont shows recognition for the film's needs by employing Newman, who makes the gentle piano chords whisper softly to the viewer, as if a part of the scripted dialogue. Newman lends himself to individualism and tends to drive more towards the unique in the realm of score composition. His effort in Shawshank did not go unnoticed, as his score received an Oscar nomination in 1995. While unique and independent, Newman's score never once intrudes on your concentration or distracts from the film.

With work from vast array of talented scene designers, costume designers, composers, cinematographers, and various other Hollywood artists, the cast of The Shawshank Redemption had a strong foundation to work with. The marvelous cast of this film will dazzle you with some of the most convincing performances you will witness in a film. While both Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman shine as Andy and Red, respectively, the true spectacle of acting lies within the plethora of amazing supporting actors who easily disappear into their roles. Most noticeable of these, the veteran film star James Whitmore, who portrays the elderly Brooks Hatlen. Brooks, a man incarcerated for an unmentioned crime for so long that he finds himself attached to the Shawshank and the daily life he has lead. Each of these actors show a true dedication to their art, and a focused purpose in their motivations, creating a convincing setting that never once caters to anything unbelievable.

With all of the aesthetic touches and attention to cinematic detail, the most beautiful part of the film lies within its thematic material, such as its focus on the human desires for the most abstract concepts, like hope and freedom. These themes, which concern things the human spirit undoubtedly yearns for, seem so intricately woven into the plot that it easily draws its audience in to its story. Though full of hardened criminals, your heart will go out to these men as they display the most basic of human emotions, and deliver some of the most quotable lines in a film to date. Like a great novel, this film manages to succeed at greater things than simply entertaining an audience. Darabont tells his story most masterfully, illustrating principles and inspiring his audience to think. He leaves us a poignant film with a powerful message of hope, and redemption, something we all seek.

This film manages to redeem Hollywood in the eyes of people who feared it long lost in a dark sea of clichés and predictability. Darabont shows us that artists still work in the Hollywood studios and production facilities. These artists show their capability to produce art; real art that inspires you to look at the deeper aspects of life and the world around you. The Shawshank Redemption delivers much-needed breath of fresh air for anyone who realizes the capability of film. It proves that masters of the craft still live on this earth, and still bless us with timeless masterpieces that we will never forget.