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Movies / On DVD / The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption

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The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

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88 %
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Reviews Counted:56

Fresh:49

Rotten:7

Average Rating:8/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 25 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: In writer-director Frank Darabont's THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for the murders of his wife and her lover in the late... In writer-director Frank Darabont's THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for the murders of his wife and her lover in the late 1940s. However, only Andy knows that he didn't commit the crimes. Sent to Shawshank Prison to do hard time, Andy--a taciturn banker in the outside world--has to learn to get by in the brutal, cutthroat confines of prison life. His quiet strength slowly earns the respect of his fellow inmates--most notably, Red (Morgan Freeman)--and even much of the prison staff. But Andy's seemingly stoic acceptance of his unjust imprisonment hides a fierce determination for freedom. This beautifully crafted movie features touching and sincere performances from the entire cast, with an uplifting message about humanity's indomitable spirit and the redemptive value of hope. Based on the novella RITA HAYWORTH AND SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION by Stephen King, Darabont's intriguing adaptation is easily one of the finest films of the 1990s. [More]

Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Clancy Brown, Bob Gunton

Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Clancy Brown, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, James Whitmore, Gil Bellows, Mark Rolston

Director: Frank Darabont

Director: Frank Darabont
Screenwriter: Frank Darabont
Story: Stephen King
Producer: Niki Marvin
Composer: Thomas Newman, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Dec 21, 1999

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Shawshank Redemption

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1 - 20 (sorted by comments)
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Why are these men in jail?

Full Review Source: F5 (Wichita, KS) | comment 39 Comments
02/09/06
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

Beaches for straight men.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment 25 Comments
10/16/04
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine

It wanders down subplots at every opportunity and ignores an abundance of narrative exit points before settling on the aforementioned finale.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment 11 Comments
01/01/00
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Drawn in straight, brutal lines.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment 8 Comments
12/17/04
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

The Shawshank Redemption continually abandons plausibility in order to celebrate the triumph of hope over despair, of decency over cruelty, of justice over injustice.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment 5 Comments
05/20/03
Leonard Schwarz
Leonard Schwarz
Palo Alto Weekly

I have not read Stephen King's novella (his first non-horror), but some of the movie's deficiencies, such as the old-fashioned morality tale and portentous messge about camarderie and redemption--must have been in the source material.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment 1 Comment
01/13/07
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Rarely rises above the overbearing, obnoxious and trite.

Full Review Source: Projection Booth | comment 1 Comment
06/20/09
Rob Humanick
Rob Humanick
Projection Booth

In truth it's the purest Hollywood hoakum--a sunny, heart-tugging hymn to that old chestnut, the indomitability of the human spirit.

Full Review Source: Movieline | comment Comment
01/09/02
Movieline

It's a simple story elegantly, cleverly told, not to mention expertly acted.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
09/24/04
Boston Globe

A 'life-affirming' tale about life imprisonment, The Shawshank Redemption is the kind of old-fashioned entertainment that is easily overvalued in an era of diminishing expectations.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
06/28/07
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
11/20/08
Hollywood.com

One of the greatest films ever committed to celluloid.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
04/02/01
Andrew Howe
Andrew Howe
eFilmCritic.com

No review available.

comment Comment
04/08/03
Audrey Rock-Richardson
Audrey Rock-Richardson
Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah)

No review available.

comment Comment
04/07/03
Brian J. Arthurs
Brian J. Arthurs
Beach Reporter (Southern California)

When the film’s conclusion starts to unfold, you suddenly realize that this is one of the more inspiring films you’ve seen in a long time – yet you don’t feel the least bit manipulated.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

Shawshank is what might be described as an ethereal prison picture, if that's not an oxymoron.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

It is able to sustain itself throughout its duration and to keep you enraptured with its remarkably hopeful story.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

The Shawshank Redemption works not only as an excellent prison drama, but as a metaphor for overcoming our own private prisons.

comment Comment
01/25/06
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily

despite occasional lapses into familiar formulas and stereotypes, this is a first-rate prison drama

Full Review Source: All Movie Guide | comment Comment
06/27/02
Dan Jardine
Dan Jardine
All Movie Guide

...has certainly earned its reputation as one of the most effective prison movies in cinematic history...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
07/30/08
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by comments)
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