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The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, and William Sadler. Cinematography by Roger Deakins. Edited by Richard Francis-Bruce. Produced by Niki Marvin. Written and Directed by Frank Darabont.
Andy Dufresne (played by Tim Robbins) is wrongly sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife and her lover. He is sent to Shawshank Prison where he immediately sticks out as a quiet but strong outsider. He soon befriends another inmate named Red (played by Morgan Freeman) and the relationship becomes strong over the decades they spend together.
Andy, being an educated man, is used as an accountant of sorts by the prison staff and he discovers over time that the faculty is polluted with corruption. Andy is used and abused, but silently he is planning his revenge.
Stephen King has a running deal with up and coming filmmakers. For one dollar you can buy the film rights to any one of his short stories; a program he refers to as “dollar babies”. Pending his approval you can exhibit the film commercially.
Frank Darabont’s “Woman in the Room” was the very first of these projects. In the early eighties Darabont wrote King a letter and asked him if he could adapt the story, which was published in his collection shorts titled Night Shift. King obliged and Darabont went to work producing the beautiful thirty minute featurette. The short film won a few awards and King now regards it as one of the very best of the “dollar baby” films.
A decade later Darabont asked King if he could adapt his novella “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” from his collection Different Seasons. King again gave his blessing and then quickly forgot about it. A few weeks later Darabont presented him with a fantastic screenplay and asked King if he could shop it around.
Once again King approved, but didn’t think anything would come of it. A few months later The Shawshank Redemption proved itself to be one of the most highly acclaimed films of the decade, and on some critic’s lists of all time. Despite its critical success, the film did very poorly at the box office.
It only took in eighteen million dollars on its initial run, and only ten more after its seven Academy Award nominations. But it finally found its audience when it was released on video. Within five years it had become one of the highest grossing home videos ever.
Budget: $25,000,000
Total US Gross: $28,241,469
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 142 Minutes
US Release Date: 9/23/94
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Awards:
Academy Awards:
Nominated for best cinematography, editing, score, sound, screenplay based from previous material, actor, and picture.
Golden Globes:
Nominated for best actor in a dramatic role and best screenplay.
Directors Guild of America:
Nominated for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures.
Writers Guild of America:
Nominated for Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published.
American Film Institute’s Top 100 Lists:
100 Years… 100 Cheers (#23).
Tagline: Fear Can Hold You Prisoner. Hope Can Set You Free.
Quote: “I believe in two things: discipline and the Bible. Here you'll receive both. Put your trust in the Lord; your ass belongs to me. Welcome to Shawshank.”
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