It’s hard to believe it has been a whopping thirty years since the brilliant 1994 prison dramaThe Shawshank Redemptiondebuted in theaters. A lot has changed over three decades, and during that time, the perception and reception of the story based on the novel byStephen King,written for the screen and directed byFrank Darabont, has changed.Upon its release, and how it is regarded now is as different as night and day.Propelled by the heartwarming friendship of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) and Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman), the story of a successful banker wrongfully convicted of double murder and his tireless effort for freedom and revenge against a crooked warden (Bob Gunton) and evil correctional guard (Clancy Brown),Shawshank, as it is now referred to in shorthand, wasn’t an instant hit. In fact, audiences weren’t entirely sure what to make of the little-known King story, which led to a less-than-impressive box office opening.
We Weren’t Sure What Kind of Movie ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ Was in 1994
As the writer of the book from which the movie is adapted, Stephen King’s name was not included in the title like most of his other films.It is based on his novelRita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.The story is also an outlier in that it is not the macabre horror genre that audiences used to associate with the prolific author. As a result, the title was vague and somewhat mysterious. What is this “Shawshank,” and why does it need “Redemption”? Although Robbins and Freeman were both well-known and respected A-list actors, the public wasn’t sure what kind of trip they were in for. As a result, the movie was a flat-out bomb at the box office,making a paltry $727,000 in its theatrical release opening weekend in 33 theaters. This was the return of a $25 million budget fromYou’d be hard-pressed to find a more highly regarded film that tanked so severely upon its debut.
‘The Shawshank Redemption’ Became a Hit Because of Word-Of-Mouth
Only a handful of people had seen The Shawshank Redemptionin the theater, so it would have to rely on word-of-mouth and favorable, glowing reviews spreading like wildfire to become the masterpiece that we recognize it to be thirty years later. Even the folks who laid down their hard-earned cash to see the film probably expected something closer to a more traditional King creepshow likeThe Shining,Christine,orMisery. A character-driven tale ofprison life, perseverance, escape, and revenge must have felt like bait and switch, but it’s hard to imagine that viewers were disappointed with what they saw.
‘The Shawshank Redemption’s Red Was Radically Different in Stephen King’s Story
Surprising as it may be, the movie is far bleaker than the book that inspired it.
There were signs that the word was getting out despite the financial disappointment.By the timeThe Shawshank Redemptionhad concluded its first theatrical run, it had amassed closer to $16 million. The final tally for the movie comes in at over $29 million,with 98% of that total coming from inside the U.S.
‘The Shawshank Redemption’ Is Ubiquitous Comfort Viewing Today
It’s challenging to go a week without seeing a marathon ofThe Shawshank Redemptionon TNT, TBS, or another cable streamer. Despite the horrifying depiction of the brutality suffered by Andy and the rest of the inmates at Shawshank State Prison, it is most assuredly seen as comfort-viewing today. The timeless tale goes back hundreds of years, having been told in Alexandre Dumas’s novelThe Count of Monte Cristoand is the ultimate feel-good story of a good man toppling a corrupt system that has left him for dead.
A large part of why there isa certain level of tranquility experienced while viewing the movieis due to Morgan Freeman’s stellar narration. His soothing, dulcet, and perfect pacing in Andy’s story is like listening to an old friend recount a fond memory. Freeman’s voice work onThe Shawshank Redemptionkick-started a hugely successful voice-over career for the talented actorsynonymous with quality and easy listening.Naturally,the most quotable line from the filmis Red’s as he tries to get a forsaken Andy’s head right after time in the hole, saying, “You either get busy living or get busy dying.” It’s just one of many of the great lines in a film chock-full of bon mots.
The Tremendous Musical Score Frames The Horrors of ‘The Shawshank Redemption’
Thomas Newmanwas assigned the incredibly difficult task ofdelivering a mellifluous musical scorejuxtaposed against some truly hard-to-watch, hardscrabble truths of prison life. Behind the brutal segments of Andy being physically and sexually assaulted and spending months in the hole are the glorious orchestral movements coordinated by Newman.The score and Freeman’s trademark silky smooth voice somehow lift the viewer and the main characters awayfrom the vicious and subhuman squalor that makes the movie so accurate and breathtaking. So, as we hit thirty years now since Darabont faithfully and masterfully adapted the Stephen King story for the big screen, sit back, grab a bucket of popcorn, and watch asThe Shawshank Redemptionages like a fine wine that you hesitate to uncork for fear of tarnishing its unquestioned greatnessas one of the finest films ever made.
The Shawshank Redemption
Over the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.
The Shawshank Redemption is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.
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