The story follows Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a mild-mannered banker wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and her lover in 1947. Sentenced to life at Shawshank State Penitentiary, he eventually befriends Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman), the prison's resident smuggler and narrator. Over two decades, Andy uses his financial expertise to assist the corrupt Warden Norton with money laundering, while secretly engineering a meticulous escape that culminates in his freedom and eventual reunion with Red in Mexico. Key Characters Movie Analysis: “The Shawshank Redemption” — Themes
Massive Airtime: Research by IHS projected that in 2013 alone, the film accounted for 151 hours of basic cable airtime, tied with Scarface and trailing only Mrs. Doubtfire. 2. Why it Works as an "Index" Shawshank Redemption Index