Imprisoned in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.
Writing
Freeman's voiceover redefined movie narration
Acting
Robbins' stillness vs. Gunton's sweating evil
Cinematography
That final shot of Zihuatanejo beach
Director
Frank Darabont
Tim Robbins
Andy Dufresne
Morgan Freeman
Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding
Bob Gunton
Warden Norton
William Sadler
Heywood
Clancy Brown
Captain Byron T. Hadley
Gil Bellows
Tommy
James Whitmore
Brooks Hatlen
Mark Rolston
Bogs Diamond
Jeffrey DeMunn
1946 D.A.
Larry Brandenburg
Skeet
Neil Giuntoli
Jigger
Brian Libby
Floyd
David Proval
Snooze
Joseph Ragno
Ernie
Jude Ciccolella
Guard Mert
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Stephen King sold Darabont the rights for $5,000—he never cashed the check, framing it with 'In case you ever need bail money' written on it.
This box office flop became cable TV's most-played movie of the 1990s, building its legend through endless TNT reruns.
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