History Trivia / TheShawshankRedemption

* CompletelyDifferentTitle:

* AcclaimedFlop: The film had a lukewarm box office reception (mainly due to its WordSaladTitle and the distinct [[SexSells lack of female cast members]]) despite receiving favorable reviews from critics. Averted once it found its audience on home video - it sailed past CultClassic and became one of the most popular and beloved films of all time.

* NamesTheSame: No, the Dana Snyder who plays the 1954 Food-Way woman is not [[WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce a giant talking milkshake]].

* Director Frank Darabont had to change the title from ''Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption'' to just ''The Shawshank Redemption'' because several actresses sent in their resumes in for consideration thinking it was a Creator/RitaHayworth movie. Accorting to Darabont, a supermodel's agent called him and said that it was the best script he'd ever read and his client would be perfect for the part of "Rita Hayworth"--[[EpicFail immediately revealing just how much attention the agent had paid to the actual script.]]

* This is one of the films on Creator/RogerEbert's [[RogerEbertGreatMoviesList Great Films List]].

* UsefulNotes/AFIS100YearsSeries:
** AFIS100Years100Cheers: #23
** AFIS100Years100Movies10THAnniversaryEdition: #72

* AFIS100YearsSeries:

* VindicatedByHistory: When released theatrically, the film was met with unenthusiastic reviews. In the '90s, public attitude toward crime favoured retribution over rehabilitation; as such, many film critics thought [[ humanising prisoners was ridiculous, since the characters were formerly violent criminals who had been gradually institutionalised.

* VindicatedByHistory: When released theatrically, the film was met with unenthusiastic reviews. In the '90s, public attitude toward crime favoured retribution over rehabilitation; as such, many film critics thought [[Main/CompletelyMissingThePoint humanising prisoners was ridiculous]], since the characters were formerly violent criminals who had been gradually institutionalised.

* InsertCameo: The hands loading the gun in the beginning of the film belong to director Creator/FrankDarabont.

** Creator/ClintEastwood, Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/PaulNewman, and Creator/RobertRedford were all considered to play Red.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Although he had experience playing the BigBad, Creator/ClancyBrown had never played a character quite as sadistic as Hadley before. He made no attempt to remain in character between takes.

*** The Brazilian Portuguese title is "Um Sonho de Liberdade", which means "A Dream of Freedom."

** The Brazilian Portuguese title is "Um Sonho de Liberdade", whoch means "A Dream of Freedom."

** Creator/TomHanks turned down the role of Andy Dufresne in order to star in ''Film/ForrestGump''. As did Creator/KevinCostner, in order to make ''Film/{{Waterworld}}''. Needless to say, he regrets it. Creator/JeffBridges, Creator/NicolasCage, Creator/JohnnyDepp, and Creator/CharlieSheen were all considered to play Andy as well.
** The role of Tommy Williams was intended for Creator/BradPitt.

** A sequence where the convicts find Jake (Brooks's pet crow) dead in a field sometime after Brooks has left the prison, and the convicts give Jake a funeral and burial. This deletion ends up providing a subtle thematic shift; as scripted, both Brooks and Jake represent the dangers of institutionalization, but as depicted on screen, Jake ends up foreshadowing Andy's successful escape in the climax of the film.

* The Swedish title is ''Nyckeln till frihet'', which means “The Key to Freedom”.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Although he had experience playing the BigBad before, Creator/ClancyBrown had never played a character quite as sadistic as Hadley before. He made no attempt to remain in character between takes.

* AcclaimedFlop: The film had a lukewarm box office reception (mainly due to its WordSaladTitle and the distinct [[SexSells lack of female cast members]]) despite receiving favorable reviews from critics.

** The Latin American title is ''Sueños de Fuga'' which means "Escape Dreams" or, in Argentina, ''Sueños de Libertad'' which means "Dreams of Freedom"