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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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Reviews Counted:56

Fresh:49

Rotten:7

Average Rating:8/10

Rated: 15

Runtime: 2 hrs 25 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:17-09-2004

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]

Reviews for The Shawshank Redemption

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
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...a throwback to the kind of serious, literate drama Hollywood used to make.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Freeman, in particular, is exceptional. His performance is so unshowy it can easily go unnoticed, but it's the soul of Shawshank.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
09/14/04
Nev Pierce
Nev Pierce
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Shawshank Redemption is all about hope and, because of that, watching it is both uplifting and cathartic.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

The Shawshank Redemption is one of those films that is a true work of both art and magic.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
10/31/04
James Brundage
James Brundage
Filmcritic.com

Powerful drama that reminds us that hope is a precious and buoyant emotion that can give our lives substance and meaning.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
08/26/02
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

Drawn in straight, brutal lines.

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

Flawlessly acted and directed, this film packed the strongest emotional wallop out of any film [in 1994].

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
01/13/04
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) is an impressive, engrossing piece of film-making from director/screenwriter Frank Darabont...

Full Review Source: Tim Dirks' The Greatest Films | comment Comment
01/01/00
Tim Dirks
Tim Dirks
Tim Dirks' The Greatest Films

If the film is perhaps a little slow in its middle passages, maybe that is part of the idea, too, to give us a sense of the leaden passage of time, before the glory of the final redemption.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Why are these men in jail?

Full Review Source: F5 (Wichita, KS) | comment 37 Comments
02/09/06
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

It's an old-school melodrama at heart, sturdy and forthright and upstanding, but without a whisper of complexity or wit.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
09/23/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Beaches for straight men.

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

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

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

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

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

An amazing movie. Easily one of the best movies made during the 90s and definitely one of the top 'prison' movies of all-time. Pretty much everything about this movie works and works extremely well!

Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
06/24/06
JoBlo
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

I love this film. It's a story about hope and dreams and one whose emotional impact is as great as the Pacific Ocean is blue.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
02/27/09
Louise Keller
Louise Keller
Urban Cinefile

It's a devoutly old-fashioned, spiritually uplifting prison drama about two lifers who must break their emotional shackles before they can finally become free men.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rita Kempley
Rita Kempley
Washington Post

A testament to the human spirit...

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/28/07
Leonard Klady
Leonard Klady
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for The Shawshank Redemption

July 02, 2008: Total Recall: RT Celebrates the Bill of Rights
We the people of Rotten Tomatoes, in order to make this Independence Day more perfect, do ordain and establish this Total Recall as a cinematic tribute to the Bill of Rights. More...

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