How did a low-key prison movie which was considered a box-office flop on
its original release become one of the most popular movies of all time?
Mark Kermode traces the history of this unexpected audience favourite
from the pages of Stephen King's novella 'Rita Hayworth and Shawshank
Redemption', through the icy corridors of Ohio's Mansfield Reformatory
(whose imposing gothic architecture dominates the film), to the
television and video screens on which 'The Shawshank Redemption' became
a phenomenon. This study traces the history of 'The Shawshank
Redemption' and draws on interviews with writer/director Frank Darabont
and leading players Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. The book also
explores the near-religious fervour that the film inspires in a huge
number of devoted fans.