The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 movie, written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The film stars Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne and Morgan Freeman as Red (Ellis Redding).

Differences from the book

On the whole, the film is a faithful adaptation of the Stephen King book. For a general description of the plot, see Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. However, there are a number of differences.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• The Indian Normaden that shares Andy's cell for a period doesn't appear at all in the film.
• The scene where Norton inspects Andy's cell for contraband without finding the rock hammer (and they quote scripture at each other) doesn't appear in the novella.
• In the novella, when Andy comes to Shawshank, the warden is a man named Dunahy; he is replaced by a man named Stammas; who is himself replaced by Sam Norton. In the film, Norton is warden throughout.
• In the novella, Norton resigns after Andy's escape. In the film, he has embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars, and when Andy escapes and makes this known, Norton commits suicide in his office rather than allow himself to be arrested.
• Red never becomes assistant librarian in the novella.
• Brooks' threatening to cut the throat of another prisoner to avoid being paroled, only appear in the film. In both the novella and the film, Brooks is paroled and leaves Shawshank. His suicide soon after leaving prison only occurs in the film.
• In the novella, Andy sells off all his assets while still on trial. Together with a friend, he sets up a false identity and transfers all assets there. In the film, Andy himself sets up the false identity so that he can create accounts to launder money for the warden; Andy then drains these accounts upon his escape.
• In the novella, Williams is transferred (not killed).
• In the novella, there are 14 cells in cellblock 5, facing each other across a corridor. In the movie Andy's cell is upstairs and there is no cell immediately across from his.
• In the novella, the warden rips the poster away. In the film he throws a carved rock at it first, putting a hole through it.
• Red is an Irish-American in the book but in the movie he is black, although when asked by Andy why he is called "Red" he jokingly replies "Maybe it's because I'm Irish."
• The endings are slightly different. The novella ends with Red en route to find Andy in Mexico but not sure that he will, ending with the words "I hope." The movie shows Red finding Andy on the beach in Mexico.
• The escape of Andy occurs 9 years earlier, from 1975 to 1966.