In doing a search on this film, I've uncovered people who loved it (although they hardly ever mention the scenes they liked best), people who hated it (somebody complained about it being sentimental fluff and having cartoonish villains, but not much else was sited), and why it deserves to be #2 on IMDB (is it still? probably not)

And while everyone mentions Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman as the Andy and Red characters (respectively), nobody mentions the supporting characters as much as I believe they should be!

I liked Andy and Red, but I loved Byron and Warden Norton the best (coincidentally, I really dug the supporting characters from Frank Darabont's The Green Mile better than the main cast - Wild Bill & Percy).

Byron may have had moments of "cartoonish villainy," but he basically ate up the scenery. Double that for the Warden - his lines, his whole life in the movie, blew everyone else in that film out of the water.

Am I really all alone in feeling this way?

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/movie-talk/...ight=shawshank

you must really like this movie.

I like the queer that no longer walks.

I like William Sadler's character.

"Fresh fish! Fresh fish! Fresh fish!"

That was 6 years ago. You must really like his threads.

Since the supporting cast never ages over twenty years, they are witches and we shouldn't speak of them.

All I have to say about the supporting cast is that they were great..but James Whitmore's performance as Brooks is sad. I really got sad to see the way he went out. To boot he died this year as well...I love his performance.

No, it's currently #1.

Ah-yes, the poor-man's James Caan.

They say Brad Pitt was up for the part of Tommy Williams, the hot-shot youngster who bused into the prison in 1965. Either way, I would have liked to have seen Williams go up against Bogs and the Sisters with that same carefree attitude.

Once Bogs got put out of commission, it seems the whole prison did a reversal: the prisoners were the good guys, and the good guys were the bad guys. I never met more of a bunch of sensitive people than those cons there (and that was really my only criticism of the film, but I overlook it because I love the film so much).

The sentimentality of the prisoners and overall in the film is one thing I really like about it.

The vast majority of films I've seen that go for the sentimentality jugular usually miss and hit the schmaltz vein which spurts everywhere and ruins it completely. This one manages to pull it off, with style.

Shawshank isn't a perfect movie, imo, but it's really fun to watch every couple of years. Agreed that the supporting cast is what steps it up a notch on the 'instant classic' scale. But for me the sweetness of some of the cons is what carries off the more evil and depressing parts of the film in a more convincing way.

Maybe I just have a thing for Darabont/King adaptations b/c I loved The Mist... like LOVED it and most people I know gave it a solild 'meh.'

I really enjoyed the character of Fat Barrel of Monkey Spunk.

Same here. Darabont is 3/3 in the King arena. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does with The Long Walk. Ideal dream? Giving Darabont the rights to the Dark Tower series and or remaking the Stand.

What a Dum-ass.

I like Shawshank, but I think it's overrated. No way it should be #1 on IMDb. Even a spot in the top 20 is pushing it.

FWIW, I liked Jake the best.

Hurm...yeah..I think it's great as well but #1 is too high for this film.

I adore Clancy Brown in this movie. I call people "fuckstick" and threaten to sing them a lullaby all the time because of him...

And even though it's not my absolute favorite film ever, I have no problem with it being ranked #1 on the IMDB.

Was racking my brain to remember his name. was going to say Colonel Stuart from Die Hard 2 and the Grim Reaper from Bill and Ted's.
I thought he was great in Shawshank, and Gil Bellows was pretty good too as the snitch kid.

That's Mr. Krabs to you.

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!!!!



Clancy Brown is the man! One hell of a modern character actor. His performance in Shawshank was very good - and extremely memorable, and his work in Highlander was phenomenal. Hell, I've never seen anything less than a good performance out of him. He was even quite good in The Bride as the Frankenstein Monster.