The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption.
The Shawshank Redemption is an American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, first released on September 23, 1994. Based on the 1982 Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, it tells the story of banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), who is sentenced to life in Shawshank State Penitentiary (prison pictured) for the murder of his wife and her lover, despite his claims of innocence. Over the following two decades, he befriends a fellow prisoner, contraband smuggler Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman), and becomes instrumental in a money laundering operation led by the prison warden Samuel Norton (Bob Gunton). The film received positive reviews, but earned only $16 million during its initial theatrical run. After garnering seven Academy Award nominations, it was one of the top rented films of 1995, and totaled $58.3 million at the box office after a theatrical re-release. In 2015, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry.