Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton

Andy Dufresne, a mild mannered New England banker, is convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. Despised at first by the other inmates because of his introverted manner, Andy slowly forges an unl...( read more  read more... )ikely friendship with Red, a seasoned lifer and his gang. Soon, Andy also becomes popular with the prison guards, including the vicious Captain Hadley who offers him protection against the jail's rougher convicts in exchange for financial counseling. The prison warden also takes advantage of Andy's banking knowledge by exchanging privileges for creative bookkeeping. Over a twenty year period, Andy is able to maintain his sanity and dignity in prison not by physical force but by mental force. His smarts and confidence keep him going and he is able to teach the other prisoners that hope is the ultimate means of survival.

Flixster Users

98% liked it

769,577 ratings

Critics

88% liked it

56 critics

R, 2 hrs. 22 min.

Directed by: Frank Darabont

Release Date: September 10, 1994

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DVD Release Date: January 27, 1998

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Flixster Reviews (64,866)


  • November 8, 2009
    This movie was really good! I kept getting distracted during it, and I'll have to watch it again sometime, but I liked it.
  • October 4, 2009
    This is TOP NOTCH CINEMA! see this movie! excelent! All the actors were spot on. Tim Robbins was interesting because you cant really tell what he is thinking about wich greatly added to his character...he was great!
  • September 15, 2009
    The Shawshank Redemption is the ultimate feel good film. Everything from the performances to the music is just perfect. It's not particularly original, it's stolen ideas from nearly every prison break film there is, but it doesn't matter, The Shawshank Redemption is beautiful and...( read more) never gets boring. Brilliant!
  • July 27, 2009
    In this review I'm not going to give a plot synopsis of this film because I'm sure everybody else who has commented on it has. However, I will express the positive effect it can have on the viewer if they let it.

    The acting is uncommonly magnificent. Morgan Freeman delivers the ...( read more)greatest performance of his brilliant career as the seasoned life-serving prisoner Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding, Tim Robbins holds his own against Freeman as Andy, the central character, James Whitmore's portrayal of the institutionalized Brooks provides the backbone of the story, Bob Gunton is wonderful as the corrupt Warden Norton, and Clancy Brown's commanding performance as Captain Hadley, the sadistic head prison guard, almost makes him steal the show from Freeman.

    Frank Darabont's restrained direction of the delicate story is critical for the film to not become sentimental or clichéd, and his beautiful adaptation of the Stephen King story on which the movie is based is a real breath of fresh air. On account of Darabont, the film shows that special effects are not needed to tell a great story in film. As a teenager, I love special effects movies as much as the next person, but they get boring after a while. Plus many people forget that there was a time in cinema when the blockbuster didn't exist, when they made movies that just told great stories and gave the audience a chance to be uplifted by those stories without the creators having to resort to special effects. I applaud you for having the guts to make a non-commercial film that reminds people of that in this day and age, Mr. Darabont.

    SPOILER ALERT!

    As with all truly great films, 'The Shawshank Redemption' is full of scenes that have become entrenched in the public's collective consciousness. There's the scene where Andy plays the opera record over the loudspeaker for all the inmates in the prison, Captain Hadley bashing "Fat @$$" to death for crying during his first night in prison (a very powerful scene), Red giving his "Rehabilitated?" speech to the board of parole officials, the Warden getting his final judgement, and of course, Andy crawling to freedom through what Red in his narration calls "500 yards of s**t-smelling foulness I can't even imagine,", the scene which for me is perhaps the greatest movie scene of the '90s.

    END OF SPOILERS!

    I thoroughly recommend this cinematic masterpiece, which has earned its place in my humble top ten films of all time list, to anybody. Whatever gender, age, religion, nationality etc. you are and whatever language you speak, I guarantee it will change your life, or perhaps even save it. Movies like 'The Shawshank Redemption' only come along once every decade, if that. Unforgettable.
  • July 13, 2009
    Others have already hinted at the injustice of this movie walking away with zero Oscars after having had seven nominations in (the strong year) 1995. That being said, thankfully the audience recognized this film in the years after nonetheless, as seen on the number one spot of im...( read more)db.com's top movies list.. An incredibly strong and moving plot, portraying the prison live between injustice, hope, cruelty and humanity, outstanding and heart-warming performances by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman and the wonderful score already make this one of the most enjoyable movies ever. The twist it takes towards the end and the solution of the very last minutes should not be spoiled for those unfortunate souls who haven't seen this masterpiece yet, but those incredibly moving and beautiful scenes will be remembered forever. Probably the most rewarding movie experience ever. A wise tale of friendship and hope and a must see for everyone, again and again.
  • November 24, 2009
    great movie! One of the few Stephen King stories that translates well to screen.
  • November 23, 2009
    One of the best movies ever.
  • November 23, 2009
    made me stop and think
  • November 20, 2009
    Great acting! Great movie!
  • November 20, 2009
    Hi..dear..thanks for your nice movie presents..Now I am busy..later I will watch the movie..thanks.

Critic Reviews


May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

It's the no-bull performances that hold back the flood of banalities. full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

If the film is perhaps a little slow in its middle passages, maybe that is part of the idea, too, to give us a sense of the leaden passage of time, before the glory of the final redemption. full review

View more The Shawshank Redemption reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • srhguire
    June 5, 2009
    really good film.well written and directed.
  • djabonillojr2008
    March 28, 2009
    this is the film that indeed dearest to my heart. at first i ignored this one when i walk through a video store thinking nothing about it until i learned about their Oscar nominations. they had 7 Oscar nominations but went home nothing. so i give it a try, i rented it without single knowledge of what kind of movie this was (i was even curious about the title though) and the rest is history to me. i had vcd of this film (i don't have dvd coz i can't find it) and i never let anyone to borrow it because its a treasure to me and i can't find it anywhere in our country. this movie should stay forever and ever, amen!
  • devonstvns
    March 18, 2009
    I think this movie was one of the greatest movies ever made. It truly is realistic. It also gets you think about life. I would recommend this for anyone to watch.
  • ispun
    January 2, 2009
    one thing for sure....
    this is the greatest movie ever made..
    i watch it alone at first
    and i always force my friends to watch it later
  • maralekoz
    August 17, 2008
    The best movie. La mejor pelicula que existe.
  • SinFuLsiGnoRiTa
    August 15, 2008
    this will stay forever... and i mean forever.
  • perfectgentlemn
    July 20, 2008
    Excellent, Excellent. All time great movie. ;-)
  • AgentLexi2132
    June 22, 2008
    Not even walls can hold hope confined.

    Shawshank is a tale of freedom, friendship and the bond of overcoming struggle in the face of desperation.

    A true masterpiece.
  • TheMightyCelestial
    June 18, 2008
    When it comes to these internet discussion forums, I've been institutionalized. If I ever try to make it on the outside, I might end up hanging myself.
  • hazeleyesf
    February 24, 2008
    It plants in y0u that particular feeling, which makes really think of life.It's like watching the "25th frame" - y0u don't know what exactly is but it fills y0u.Whatever, great m0vie! :)

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The Shawshank Redemption Trivia


  • "Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free." This is the main theme for which movie?  Answer »
  • "Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free", is the tagline of...   Answer »
  • What movie had the tagline, 'Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.'?  Answer »
  • In which movie does Morgan Freeman narrate the following: "We sat and drank with the sun on our shoulders and felt like free men. Hell, we could have been toring the roof on our own houses. We were the lords of all creation."  Answer »

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