The Shawshank Redemption was not an overnight hit, but its reputation gradually snowballed after its release, and it eventually became one of the most cherished films of all time—and deservedly so. The 1994 film, directed by Frank Darabont and based on a Stephen King novella, tells the story of Andy Dufresne, a banker who was wrongly convicted of murder, and his friendship with the long-serving Red, in prison. It is heavy, hopeful and chock full of quotes that will stay with you long after the credits roll.
Here are some of the most memorable lines from The Shawshank Redemption.
- Red: Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.
- Andy: Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.
- Red: I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged.
- Andy: I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
- Warden Norton: Salvation lies within.
- Red: These walls are funny. First you hate ’em, then you get used to ’em.
- Andy: That’s it! Step aside, this fucker’s havin’ hisself an idea.
- Brooks: The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry.
- Red: Forty years I been asking permission to piss. I can’t squeeze a drop without say-so.
- Andy: I find I’m so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head.
- Red: There’s not a day goes by I don’t feel regret.
- Andy: I understand you’re a man who knows how to get things.
- Tommy: That’s it! That’s the guy! That’s him!
- Red: I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.
