The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
- If you look closely during the crowded sequence in the second act of The Shawshank Redemption, the original author of the source material makes a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo.
- The most famous, quotable line in The Shawshank Redemption wasn't actually in the script; it was completely improvised by the actor on the third take.
- Despite a very rocky opening weekend, The Shawshank Redemption went on to gross over 5x its initial budget thanks purely to incredible audience word-of-mouth.
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 stars Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne, a banker who is sentenced to life in Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murders of his wife and her lover, despite his claims of innocence. Morgan Freeman co-stars as Ellis 'Red' Redding, a long-term inmate who becomes Andy's closest friend.
Over the course of nearly two decades, Andy maintains his hope and dignity while quietly working on an elaborate escape plan. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards but won none, losing to Forrest Gump in several categories. Despite a modest theatrical run of $58 million, The Shawshank Redemption found enormous success through home video and television broadcasts, eventually becoming one of the most beloved films of all time.
It has held the #1 position on IMDb's Top 250 list for most of the site's history.
