Summary
- Tim Robbins reveals a simple solution to a
The Shawshank Redemption
plot hole. - Robbins crawled through actual waste water in the iconic escape scene.
- Despite being a financial flop,
The Shawshank Redemption
is now seen as one of the greatest movies of all time.
The Shawshank Redemption star, Tim Robbins, recently revealed that the answer to a major plot hole in the movie is deceptively simple. Directed by Frank Darabont, and based on the short story by Stephen King, The Shawshank Redemption is commonly regarded as one of the greatest movies of all-time, and holds the top spot on IMDb’s Top 250 Movies, sitting above The Godfather, The Dark Knight, and 12 Angry Men. However, the film’s dramatic ending has troubled some fans, who believe the ending opens up an obvious plot hole. But the film’s lead has recently set the record straight.
During a presentation for the film’s 30th anniversary, via Turner Classic Movies, Robbins and his former co-star, Morgan Freeman, discussed the production and legacy of the film. During the presentation, Freeman asked Robbins about Andy Dufresne’s infamous poster during his escape from the prison, a question which has bugged fans for years. “I read it on one of those things you do on the web,” Freeman said to the audience, then turning to Robbins, asking:
How did Andy get that poster back in place after he got into that tunnel?
His question was met with laughter by the audience. Robbins, quickly and casually answered the question, with a visual demonstration. “Easy. This is so easy,” Robbins said. The actor held his hands up, imitating putting up the poster, and said, “Pinned up here [at the top of the poster]. Pull up here [lifting the bottom of the poster]. Go underneath. Go in.”
Tim Robbins Literally Crawled Through a ‘River of Sh*t’
During the conversation, the pair discussed various aspects of the film’s production, including its famous ending in Zihuatanejo, and the iconic scene where Andy crawls through the sewer pipes to escape the prison.
Shockingly, Tim Robbins revealed that the liquid he swam in wasn’t made to look dirty using ‘movie magic’, it was actual waste water. Robbins revealed, “The sludge I was crawling through was a lot safer than the water I fell into. Because the water I fell into was from farm country, so it was filled with cow urine.” However, Robbins assured audiences that “we had a toxicologist come out and test it.” He then joked that “they had a shower ready for me at all times.” Recreating Red’s iconic line in the film, Robbins said, “I came out of a river of Fullers Earth, and came out into a river of crap… and I’m here to tell the tale.”
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Despite its contemporary status as a cinematic classic, The Shawshank Redemption was actually a box office flop when it was released in 1994. The film barely grossed $16 million against an estimated budget of $25 million. Freeman attributes part of the film’s financial failure to its title. “The best way to sell anything is word of mouth,” Freeman said in the interview. He continued, “and nobody could really get out past Shh- Shem- Shaw- Something like that. Shimsham?” Tim Robbins added to this, joking “Shimshank Reduction was the best one I heard.”
Check out the trailer for The Shawshank Redemption below.
