A “Shawshank” Reunion!
This photo showed up on my FB feed, and it reminded me that “The Shawshank Redemption” is considered one of the greatest, most uplifting films of all time!
“Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”
It’s a movie that you can’t turn off….because “no good thing ever dies…”
In 1994, people met Andy Dufresne, and his story became one of the most beloved movies of our generation…and it was based on a Stephen King novella!
Behold The Beauty Of “Zihuatanejo”!
Few times in the history of film has a single movie location meant so much to the audience…and if you know what “Zihuatanejo” means, then you know one of the greatest, most intense and uplifting films of all time!
Celebrating 32 Years Of “The Shawshank Redemption!”
In the fall of 1994, a film about the human spirit persevering agains all odds was a modest hit at the theaters, but in the decades since has grown to become one of cinema’s greatest achievements.
The Shawshank Redemption – Directed by Frank Darabont – released in 1994
Just how beloved is this movie? Well, consider this: a few years ago, the classic British film magazine Empire voted “The Shawshank Redemption” the best movie OF ALL TIME!
Here is the trailer:
The film was an adaptation of iconic Writer Stephen King’s 1982 novella which was titled “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption“.
It’s the story of Andy Dufresne, a wrongly imprisoned convict and the only innocent man in Shawshank State Penitentiary. It’s here, locked inside this brutal and unforgiving institution, where Andy meets fellow lifer Red – played brilliantly by Morgan Freeman – and has his relationship with hope put to the ultimate test.
And Now, “Shawshank” Secrets Revealed!
Here is an interview celebrating the film’s 30th anniversary in 2024 with the film’s Director Frank Darabont, from The Guardian:
“The movie’s like a Rorschach test,” suggests Darabont, speaking to us as his enduring prison drama starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman turns 30 years old. “People can project their own traumas and difficulties onto that film and gain some uplift and encouragement from it, and that’s pretty cool. It’s not a feeling you get that often as a filmmaker,” he adds. “To have even one of those in your life is a real gift.”
The film doesn’t shy away from the brutality of prison life, but Dufresne’s refusal to let that life break him is what makes the film so inspiring.
Morgan Freeman’s Directing Advice!
I love this anecdote…I think we can all agree that Morgan Freeman is the coolest person on the planet, and his performance in “Shawshank” is heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure. But it turns out he had some advice for the Director before filming. As Darabont told The Guardian:
“I learned that every actor is different and has differing needs from a director and I had the perfect examples in Morgan and Tim,” he says of the experience. “Tim approaches things from an intellect standpoint which seeps into his intuition and performance; he needs more conversation about backstory and motivation whereas Morgan is purely intuitive.”
“Darabont recalls discovering this on the job during a conversation he was having with Freeman about an upcoming scene: “I could see his eyes glazing over. I stopped myself and said ‘You don’t need all this conversation, do you?’ He said, ‘No not really. I just need to know when you want me to turn left and when you want me to sit down.’ That taught me a valuable lesson that every actor has a different approach.”
“When to turn left and when to sit down!” I love that!
Remember this scene? Well…it was REAL POOP!
Now, for one of the film’s greatest secrets revealed. When Dufresne crawls his way through the prison’s sewer to freedom, little did we all know when watching the scene what Tim Robbins was crawling through!
As Darabont said:
“It’s a glorious moment, right? Everybody feels their soul being uplifted. Meanwhile, we were out in this horrible little creek that was filled with cow poop,” reveals Darabont of crafting this key moment.
“They had to dam the creek to get the water level up and pour sterilizing stuff in there so Tim wouldn’t get some horrible disease. Actors can be real troopers sometime because sliding out of that pipe into that muck was so gross. To convey that incredible moment while covered in cow urine? It’s amazing.”
Yes, it was a body of water filled with cow poop and urine! No wonder Tim loved letting the rain wash it all away!
I have a lot of film fanatic friends and we are all in agreement: if we come across “Shawshank” on TV somewhere, we stop and watch the rest of it to the end…it’s powerful story never gets old and if you don’t cry when you see the last scene, you have no soul!
As I said, the film is based on a Stephen King novella…he has written so many novels that have become classic films, like this:
“Carrie” is in my top five films of all time…an incredible cast, brilliant direction and a lead character you care about – oh and it’s scary in the best way too!
See more here:
I also shared a look at a terrific Halloween season thriller written by King – all about a killer car:
Smart, well done and some great thrills to – take a test drive with “Christine!”
Here’s the trailer and more:
I love King’s writing so much I compiled seven great adaptations of his work for film…see them all here:
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Let me know your favorite ”Shawshank” moment and if you like this story, please share on social media – thanks!
Categories: Art, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Great Films, Movies, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, True Hollywood Mystery
johnrieber 
The hope quote will forever be one of the best. Has it really been 32 years? It feels like 10.
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I am a bad person for I never saw this movie….chuq
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