No other movie can make you feel both trapped and free like The Shawshank Redemption. I think it’s the best film ever made, no question about it.
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen it, but I could keep watching without getting tired.
The plot is top-notch, the acting is perfect, and the casting is spot-on — not just Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, but every other character as well. It’s pure cinematic brilliance.
However, even great films aren’t free from mistakes….
A buddy recently told me to rewatch The Shawshank Redemption, and at first, I was hesitant. It had been almost 15 years since my last viewing, so I wondered if it would still be good. But wow — it really does hold up! From the very first scene, I was totally hooked again: this truly is one of the best movies ever created.
But even with its legendary status, The Shawshank Redemption has its oddities and errors that might leave you puzzled.
Let’s explore some lesser-known goofs and behind-the-scenes blunders that somehow slipped through in this amazing film.
A flawless performance
We have to start with a fun fact that always surprises fans of The Shawshank Redemption. Of course, it’s about the incredible Morgan Freeman.
During Andy (Tim Robbins) and Red’s (Morgan Freeman) first conversation in the prison yard — where Red casually tosses a baseball — Freeman didn’t just act; he really got into it.
The scene took an exhausting nine hours to shoot! Freeman threw that baseball for all that time without complaining once. Talk about commitment! The next day though? He showed up on set with his left arm in a sling. That kind of behind-the-scenes effort makes this movie unforgettable.
Freeman’s favorite role
Red is one of Morgan Freeman’s most famous characters in The Shawshank Redemption, plus it’s his personal favorite too.
Interestingly enough, this role almost went to big names like Clint Eastwood or Harrison Ford before Freeman brought Red to life with his memorable performance.
Why call him Red?
In Stephen King’s novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, Red is described as having red hair — which differs from how we see him in the movie.
In a 2014 chat with Yahoo Entertainment, Freeman shared that when he started reading Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, he stopped after realizing Red was written as an Irishman. “I can’t play an Irishman,” he thought before putting down the book.
Despite his initial doubts , director Frank Darabont always saw him as Red & eventually convinced him to take on the part.
Red’s response “Maybe it’s because I’m Irish,” when Andy asks about his nickname was an inside joke they loved so much they kept it in!
Shirt swap blooper
Morgan Freeman’s dedication during their first chat isn’t all that’s interesting .
Here’s a funny little mistake for you next time you watch: during their introduction scene , there’s an extra hanging out who had quite a wardrobe change!
When filming Red’s lines , they wore one prison shirt but by Andy’s lines? They magically changed into another! It’s a small slip-up that’s now become a fun Easter egg for fans of Shawshank.
Chessboard error
Andy Dufresne , who knows everything about creative accounting , has attention to detail like no other . From managing warden books & helping guards save money on taxes , he’s got everything figured out . But setting up chess? Even geniuses have off days!
For sharp-eyed viewers : Andy Dufresne ‘s chessboard setup ? It’s actually backwards ! The bottom-right square should be white but instead it’s black .
So now both kings & queens are lounging on wrong-colored squares . A classic chess mistake no serious player would make since placement matters!
But hey maybe Andy has bigger things than chess rules on his mind . After all when plotting your escape from Shawshank who cares if your board breaks tradition…
Tim Robbins talks plot hole
One unforgettable moment in The Shawshank Redemption happens when guards discover Andys impossible escape!
But fans have been confused over one puzzling detail for years .
How did Andy manage putting back poster over tunnel after crawling through ? To some people poster clearly attached at ALL four corners when warden threw rock at it .
It remains mystery baffling viewers sparking debates & even making Morgan himself ask during cast reunion at TCM Film Festival .
Was it movie magic? A smart trick? Or is there a reason that fans have overlooked all along?
“How did Andy get that poster back up after he crawled into that tunnel?” Freeman asked his co-star, according to Geek Vibes Nation.
“It’s simple. So simple,” Tim Robbins said, using gestures to clarify the puzzle. He pretended to pin the poster at the top but not at the bottom. “Pinned up here [at the top of the poster]. Pull up here [lifting the bottom of the poster]. Go underneath. Go in.”
Could Andy’s escape really stay unnoticed?
But do fans actually believe that explanation? Not really.
According to IMDb, Tim Robbins’ reasoning about how the poster stayed put might have some issues. If it was only secured at the top, as he suggested, it would react to pressure changes in the tunnel once they broke through.
The poster would either flap around or if still attached at bottom, it would probably dimple. Either way, this movement could create noise and easily catch guards’ attention. This brings up a good question: how did such an important detail go unnoticed in Shawshank’s quiet environment?
How could Andy break open sewage pipes?
When discussing Andy’s clever escape plan from Shawshank, one detail stands out: he used just a basic rock to smash open sewage pipes and crawl through them. But here’s something interesting: sewage pipes are usually made of iron.
A rock as basic as what Andy used would need to be super strong just to make a dent let alone break through those pipes! Plus hitting them with enough force could’ve hurt his hand badly.
In that scene where Andy crawls through sewer tunnels for his escape, Tim Robbins later joked saying “It wasn’t actually human waste; it was cow dung! It was pretty toxic.”
A perfect ending… minus 30 seconds
By now you know The Shawshank Redemption is a 10/10 film for me and suggesting any changes feels almost wrong! But if someone forced me with a gun and made me change one thing I’d say maybe end about 30 seconds sooner.
We know Red made it down to Mexico and Zihuatanejo — or eventually met up with Andy somewhere else too! He narrates throughout including all those details about Andy’s escape so there’s no way he knew all this unless he found him!
However, that beach scene feels too literal and takes away from what makes this film great overall; leaving things more open-ended might’ve been better!
And fun fact: The final Zihuatanejo beach scene wasn’t even filmed in Mexico — they shot it in St. Croix US Virgin Islands because they wanted stunning blue Caribbean water for their shot.
Was Andy Dufresne real?
While The Shawshank Redemption isn’t based on true events exactly; there are some fun connections with real-life prison escapes!
Many people say that Andy Dufresne looks quite similar to Frank Freshwaters who also ended up behind bars for manslaughter back in 1957! Just like our character Frank got close with prison staff earning their trust while plotting his big getaway.
Now here’s where things get interesting—Frank managed an amazing breakout under mysterious circumstances! No one knows exactly how he escaped but vanished for decades living under new identity as truck driver down Florida way until authorities caught him after56 years finding him living humbly on property belonging Senator Thad Altman parents keeping low profile fishing fending off trespassers like pro!
Oh yeah while Shawshank is set supposedly Maine filming took place Mansfield Correctional Institute Ohio—probably because looked more like place someone could pull off great escape just like Frank who hails from Ohio!
The unexpected rise of shawshank
Budgeted $25 million The shaw shank redemption earned around $28 million box office Columbia Pictures
Despite powerful themes hope redemption movie struggled R rating violence lackluster marketing campaign leading rather weak reception . But two things stopped quietly fading away . First found new life home video becoming cult classic
Second reason ? Guy named Ted Turner cable mogul owned TNT network picked shaw shank ran football turning favorite resonated viewers ages backgrounds
“Turner started airing shaw shank on TV every five minutes years don’t think cost anything!” filmmaker Frank Darabont recalled interview Yahoo
“There endless opportunity people catch Turner network bless Ted Turner well played heck out of”
Director hands make surprising cameo
Now let talk little bit about Frank Darabont Hungarian-American director major impact1994with The shaw shank redemption nominated seven Oscars including Best Picture
But wouldn’t been same without inspiration Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas. Darabont drew heavily from especially voiceover narration editing techniques shifting between different time periods
And here’s fun tidbit opening scenes whenAndy loads revolver hands shown aren’t Tim Robbin’s—they belong director himself !
Later during scenes where carves name cell wall (which appear twice) Darabont’s hands show again insert shots
From Shawshank to Shimmy Shimmy Shake
Tim Robbins has mentioned he never gets bored of hearing about The Shawshank Redemption. But when he agreed to be in the movie, he had no clue how much it would influence his career.
The script was the greatest thing he had ever read, from beginning to end – but as noted, the film wasn’t a success when it first came out.
“When it released and didn’t do well at the box office, there were many reasons given: Well, it’s the title; no one can remember that title. And that makes sense too because for years after that film came out, people would come up to me and say, ‘You know, I really liked you in that film Scrimshaw Reduction‘ or ‘Shimmy, Shimmy Shake’ or ‘Shankshaw’” – talk about a title mix-up,” Robbins shared.
Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman share dinner every few years
Tim Robbins, 66 years old now had a good idea of who Morgan Freeman was before they met on set of The Shawshank Redemption—but he was truly amazed when they finally met face-to-face.
“When we met in person I was instantly struck by his warmth and calmness. I grew to really care for him not just as a partner in making Shawshank Redemption, but also as a friend. We would hang out on weekends and sometimes have dinner after filming,” Tim told Hollywood Reporter.
Robbins added “I still have dinner with Morgan every year or two. Over time we’ve been surprised at how many people stop us to say that Shawshank is their favorite movie ever or that they’ve watched it 40 times or even that it changed their life somehow. That’s pretty amazing and quite a gift.”
The unforgettable performances along with hidden behind-the-scenes moments make The Shawshank Redemption continue captivating us even after all these years.
This next time you watch this classic film take some time to notice details you might miss — those little things make Shawshank truly special! And don’t forget sharing your favorite scenes with others!
