When The Shawshank Redemption was introduced to the world in September 1994, it earned a reputation as one of the greatest films of all time thanks to its real-life depiction of incarcerated inmates. Directed by Frank Darabont, who also penned the screenplay, the film is based on the 1982 Stephen King book, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption , the film was a slow burn. Despite its $25 million budget, the film initially only earned $16 million upon its first release. However, the movie received critical acclaim, earning seven Oscar nominations and a second run in theaters, this time earning a staggering $73.3 million. Tim Robbins beat out Tom Hanks , Tom Cruise, and Kevin Costner for the lead role of Andy Dufresne, an inmate serving a life sentence at Shawshank State Penitentiary for murdering his wife and her lover. The gripping story of a man struggling to prove his innocence, while surviving horrid conditions is told with such authenticity that most people cannot help but ask...
