# Shawshank Redemption after multiple viewings.... unboxed spoilers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 18, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845 "2008-03-18T22:07:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dilton\_Doiley\_Philosopher\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f1d935/32.png) [@Dilton\_Doiley\_Philosopher\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dilton_Doiley_Philosopher_King)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/1 "2008-03-18T22:07:08Z")
So, after having watched The Shawshank Redemption for the brazillionth time, I noticed something… …I don’t think that - even when I watched the movie for the first time - I didn’t know that Andy was going to escape. It seemed pretty obvious from the original previews, I think. My entire experience of the movie has this underlying theme that I know Andy is escaping, very very very patiently. Certain parts of the movie don’t really work for me, like Andy tutoring the kid for year, and although obviously the kid getting shot is a significant catalyst, Andy was planning on escaping anyways. So, my question is… did anybody here ever watch The Shawshank Redemption without knowing anything about the story (either from the original King short story, or from trailers, reviews or word-of-mouth)? If so, were you surprised by the big reveal towards the end, that Andy had been digging his way out for almost 20 years? If you didn’t know that he escaped, how was the movie working for you up till then? ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/2 "2008-03-18T22:12:13Z")
I \*wish \*I hadn’t known he was going to escape. I’d read the book, years earlier, and so I knew, going in, exactly what was going to happen. I think not knowing would’ve made the movie even better. The big reveal near the end would’ve had a larger impact, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/3 "2008-03-18T22:13:57Z")
I watched it without knowing anything about it from word of mouth or anything. And I _was_ surprised and pleased at the reveal. The movie was working well for me up to that point. It seemed a little slow, but I was watching it for the first time so I was giving it a chance. It’s one of the movies I can still enjoy after a seventh viewing. One of my favourites. I have one particular moment which I like… the bit where The ordinarily ‘baddie’ guard is a good guy for a short period, when he takes revenge on the rapist bloke for badly beating Andy ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/4 "2008-03-18T22:14:31Z")
I saw the film in the very early stages of its word-of-mouth success phase, and knew nothing of the story. It was a very satisfying reveal, and I’m glad I was in the dark. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/5 "2008-03-18T22:15:27Z")
I didn’t know. I hadn’t read the book. Loved the ending. Yeah, I know, it’s sappy. ---
**Author:** ![Valerieblaise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@Valerieblaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valerieblaise)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/6 "2008-03-18T22:28:40Z")
It’s funny that you started this thread today. For some reason, I’d never gotten around to seeing it, and awhile back I TiVo’d it and then forgot to watch it until yesterday. I had no idea that he was going to escape - for some reason I kept expecting him to find a way to prove his innocence and get released. In a way, it’s a let-down, because he’s still believed to be guilty. At the very end, though, when Red finds him on the beach, working on the boat, it doesn’t really matter because he’s free. So I vote surprising and satisfying overall. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/7 "2008-03-18T22:36:35Z")
I did read the King story first so I knew what was going to happen. The full title to the novella is Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. The novella is one I re-read from time to time I think it was one of King’s best works. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/8 "2008-03-18T23:43:12Z")
It’s one of my favorite movies. I had no idea about the ending…in fact I thought the film did a good job of making us believe Andy was on the verge of committing suicide. The final scene on the beach is just perfect. I’ve always thought this was ultimately a love story between the two friends. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/9 "2008-03-19T00:09:47Z")
I definitely saw the movie with no knowledge of the ending. I love the movie, it is one of my all time favorites. I didn’t expect “the kid” to get murdered, and I didn’t expect Andy to escape – the whole bit about him asking for a length of rope, after making his bitter comment about it was time “to get busy livin’, or get busy dyin’” after spending two months in the hole… I just didn’t see how he _could_ escape. Obviously, knowing the title and Hollywood convention, once Andy was revealed to actually be innocent, I expected him to come out on top in the end. I just couldn’t see it how it would happen without being too much of a _deus ex machina_. So the ending was miraculously uplifting. I’d rather the movie not have ended with Red meeting Andy on the beach, it should remain something he looks forward to. I later read the story version and really like the way the story ends, “I hope.” Sums it all up really. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/10 "2008-03-19T00:33:51Z")
I had no idea. It was a great moment when the rock flew through the poster. I could not figure out how he got out. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/11 "2008-03-19T00:58:36Z")
The novella is wonderful, if you ever get a chance to read it. There’s a part in the movie that’s not in the book…when Andy plays _La Nozze Figaro_ on the record player for all the inmates. The music is absolutely breathtaking, and I’m glad they did that. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/12 "2008-03-19T02:53:42Z")
[QUOTE=Icerigger] I did read the King story first so I knew what was going to happen. The full title to the novella is Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. The novella is one I re-read from time to time I think it was one of King’s best works. [/QUOTE] I heartily concur. I had read the novella numerous times before seeing the movie, yet the movie still overwhelmed me. I had the same reaction after reading The Body and then seeing\*\* Stand By Me\*\*. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/13 "2008-03-19T03:07:18Z")
I didn’t read the book or hear any WOM before I saw it quite a while after it was released. I knew he was going to escape. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/14 "2008-03-19T03:19:18Z")
I knew nothing about it and while watching couldn’t care less whether he escaped or not. The main character just struck me as a whiney bastard. Having him be an **innocent** whiney bastard just made the whole idea of a redemption being in there silly, as does him escaping. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/15 "2008-03-19T03:21:56Z")
You know I had seen the previews, and the poster was very much a ‘freedom’ image, but watching the film I was drawn in enough that I didn’t start thinking ahead so the reveal worked for me. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/16 "2008-03-19T04:22:59Z")
I saw it as a kid, and it impressed me. I was very excited to see him escape. I should re-watch it. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/17 "2008-03-19T05:57:27Z")
I didn’t know anything about it going in. (I can’t remember why I was watching a movie I knew nothing about – maybe a friend wanted to see it?) The movie set me up to really, really want Andy to escape and the villains to get what was coming to them. And then it gave me exactly what I wanted. A truly satisfying movie experience. (I’m not so big on movies that leave me feeling depressed. If I wanted to feel depressed, I could sit at home and stare at the wall and save 10 bucks. If I’m paying to be entertained, I’d like to leave the theater feeling good.) And yes, I’d say Andy tutoring Tommy and then Tommy getting shot works for me, at least in the sense that it pushed my hatred for the Warden to another level and made the payoff that much more fulfilling. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/18 "2008-03-19T08:51:04Z")
hmmm that book had 4 short stories in it, “the Body” aka Stand by Me, Shawshank Redemption of course, “Apt Pupil” which was made into a truly lame movie (since when are modern movies MORE tame and less shocking than the old book they came from. what was the other one? the Breathing Method, the only one that didnt make it to film. great book with 4 great stories. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/19 "2008-03-19T09:34:13Z")
I thought the plot made more sense in the movie version, or at least was more fittingly ironic. In the novella, he had set up a false identity before he ever went to prison. Whereas in the movie, he set up a false identity to help the Warden cover up his financial crimes. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845/20 "2008-03-19T11:32:00Z")
I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t have any sense of a “reveal” though. It’s a movie about an innocent man in prison made for the masses, of course he was going to escape. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I think it’s a good movie, I just didn’t have any wow moment or anything. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shawshank-redemption-after-multiple-viewings-unboxed-spoilers/441845.md?page=2)