The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
- Directed by
- Frank Darabont
- Written by
- Frank Darabont
- Cast
- Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, James Whitmore, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows, Mark Rolston
- Genre
- drama film, crime film, prison film, buddy film
- Country
- United States
- Runtime
- 2h 22m
- Rated
- R
- Rating
- 8.7 of 10 from 30,777 voters
- Elsewhere
- IMDb
The catalogue in 3D
The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.
How it feels
A banker wrongly convicted of murder adapts to life in a harsh prison over decades. He forms a deep friendship with a fellow inmate and finds unexpected purpose in his confinement.
hopefulslow-burnmelancholicresilientcerebraltenderbittersweetquietly intense
What happens
The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American 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 eight weeks. 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. The Shawshank Redemption premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 1994, and was released in the United States by Columbia Pictures on September 23. While the film received critical acclaim upon its release—particularly for its story and the performances of Robbins and Freeman—it was a box-office disappointment, earning only $16 million during its initial theatrical run. Its failure was attributed at the time to many factors, 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 confusing for audiences. It went on to receive multiple award nominations, including seven nominations at the 67th Academy Awards, 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 Entertainment by Turner Broadcasting System, and it was shown regularly on the TNT network starting in 1997, further increasing its popularity. Decades after 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 among audiences. 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". (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)
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Pulp Fiction (1994)
Natural Born Killers (1994)- More like this film, on a shelf you can walk up to.It's the lit case on the top shelf.