The Shawshank Redemption (1994) First Time Watching! Movie Reaction!! 

I apologize for the late upload! But this was an incredible and moving film! It is easy to see why so many hold this movie in their number 1 spot! In our after movie discussion we only cover a small portion of what makes this movie so great for us and we could honestly talk for hours about it! Thank you for all the support!

When Andy is at his lowest point, he talks to Red about going to Mexico if he were to ever get out. Red responds that he shouldn't torture himself with "shitty pipe dreams". Andy then proceeds to crawl through a shitty pipe to get to his dreams... and off to Mexico

“I guess I just miss my friend”, gets me every time. This movie is imminently rewatchable. I don’t care how often I’ve seen it, if I stumble across it while channel surfing, I’ll stop and watch it again. Love it.

Fun fact: Shawshank came out the same year as Forrest Gump and didn't win 1 academy award. Also, this may be one of the most re-watchable movies ever made

The final line of the movie -- Red saying "I hope." -- was just perfection.

"I'd hate to deprive you of this...salvation lies within." Indeed...that's where my rock hammer is hidden.

Fun Fact: When the Prison Guard is arrested you see the Cop reading the Miranda Rights because that year in 1966 was the same year the rights were established.

Brooks' suicide is legitimately one of the most heartbreaking things in film. I don't tear up for movies but I struggle with that sequence.

Tim Robbins himself said that while most films just tack on a happy ending, what makes this one so good is that the happy ending is earned. Also, the movie is long so the viewer feels that prison, just like geology, is just pressure and time.

I am always worried that reactors won’t get the Brooks subplot and just get antsy to get back to Red and Andy, but everyone is fully invested in him and feels his death deeply.

The original end was meant to be like the book: Red on the bus. As you said. But then they decided to add the end on the beach. I’m glad they did. After everything the characters went through, it was a satisfying end the audience came to earn.

I’ve been lucky to have gotten to know Morgan Freeman pretty well over the last 20 years through work. Last time I talked with him he asked me “how much pull” I had in our kitchen. I responded “I’ve been known to locate things from time to time.” I got a smile from him.

Fun Fact: this is Stephen King’s favorite adaptation out of all his books.

Bob Gunton, the actor who played the warden, is a true badass in real life. He was a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne division and fought in the catastrophic battle for Firebase Ripcord in July 1971. He was one of the last soldiers to leave the Firebase (located in the Highlands of South Vietnam) before it was captured by the North Vietnamese Army. Bob stayed behind to retrieve classified documents so they would not end up in enemy hands. He received a reward for his heroics.

This the best kind of twist ending -- the kind where you don't see it coming, but when you go back and re-watch it, you realize all the clues were right in front of you.

Fun fact: He ket his rock hammer hidden in the Exodus gospel, chef's kiss!!

Here's a fun fact; The photos of young Red on his mugshot is acutally Morgan Freeman's son.

Red cut his wifes brakelines to collect the insurance money but she picked up her friends and all 4 died in the crash. In case anyone was wondering what he is in for.

This movie left such a strong impression on me that I have the Rita Hayworth poster on my door, because when I leave my house, freedom is behind

This was one of my Dad's favorite movies. The line "I guess I just miss my friend" was his favorite. He had lost a lot of friends over the years so it resonated with him. This video uncovered fond memories of my dad, so I'm glad you all watched it.

There are very few perfect films out there, this is one of them.

In the original Stephen King story, Red really is Irish. But they cast Morgan Freeman because if you can have that voice narrate a movie, why wouldn't you, and so that line "Maybe because I'm Irish" instead comes off as a joke. And oddly enough, a few years later he played ANOTHER King character who was originally Irish in Dreamcatcher (aka, the movie about poop monsters).

If this movie is on TV doesn't matter if it's 5 minutes in or 5 minutes left I'm watching it

I believe this movie is as close to perfection as a movie can be. The story, the incredibly rich characters, the excellent acting and the beautiful soundtrack especially the music playing to Andy's escape. Awesome!

Brook's whole tale gets me everytime. Especially in "I go to the park and feed crows every day in the hope that my friend might return" 😭

What’s still surprises me is that Captain Hadley is the voice actor for Mr. Krabs.

Morgan Freeman was cast early on and when Kevin Costner and Tom Hanks turned down the role of Andy Dufresne director Frank Darabont asked him if he had any suggestions for an actor to play the part and one of the actors he suggested was Tim Robbins. The rest is cinematic history.

So cool you said that about the ending. The bus fading to black actually was the original ending but Castle Rock urged Frank Darabont to reconsider and have the audience receive the catharsis of seeing the two men reunited. It changes the ending from an intellectual message about the theme of hope to a more emotional experience of hope being rewarded and fulfilled. I’m very happy with the ending - I love how bright and sunny everything is and Morgan Freeman’s big toothy smile too.

I am 57 and I still cry. Each. And. Every. Time. Despite watching countless times and almost memorising the entire script, i still cry. This is lightning in a bottle, the perfect storm. This can never be replicated or surpassed. That is why it has held the #1 spot on imdb greatest ever movies list since 2008 since entering the list in 1997 at #2.

In Shawshank prison, hope is such a dangerous thing. Andy made hope the best of things. Cause you can get busy living, or get busy dying. Such a classic line.

GOAT movie. Brings me joy when people discover it.

Just noticed when red said to Andy that his dream was a shitty pipe dream....and Andy crawled though a shitty pipe to achieve his dream....brilliant

Now I think you’re ready for The Green Mile... another amazing film based on a Stephen King story

When I saw this movie twice in the theater, it still amazes me how empty the theaters were back in the day. Oscar nominations in '95 helped this movie blow up significantly.

The guy that played Boggs played Drake in Aliens alongside the tough girl. That actress played John’s foster mom in Terminator 2. Howdy y’all from North Texas!!! Keep it up!!! Love it!!!

Andy inscribed the Bible with, "Dear Warden, You were right. Salvation lay within."

I really like the ending how the camera pans up and zooms way out before Andy and Red really meet, it's like the movie is telling the audience "ok you've seen enough, this moment is for them, get the hell outta here!"

There is a term i learned the first time in this movie: INSTITUTIONALIZED. It broke my heart that Brooks was so institutionalized, he was scared of his own unlocked door aka his own freedom.

I love it when the warden says 'salvation lies within' when he gives the bible back to Andy

The score in Shawshank Redemption is so amazing. It speaks like another character in the movie. Especially during the intense dialogue moments. With the single note piano hits building to an eventual crescendo.

This film still holds 9/10 on IMDB.

Now that you’ve watched The Shawshank redemption, the next film everyone would recommend after this, is “The Green Mile”. It’s made by the same people who did this movie (as well as based on another book by Stephen King). So if you ever get the chance, please check it out! 🎥🎬

Bitter sweet to see others react to Brooks's death. Hate seeing people sad but also glad they react as they should with it. To this day, still the saddest scene I have ever seen. (My opinion of course)

For me, this is definitely one of the greatest movies of all time. Easily in the top 10. Maybe even top 5.

"No thanks. I gave up drinking." Because the last time he drank, his wife died, and he went to prison.

Another great Tim Robbins movie that you've probably never heard of is "The Hudsucker Proxy" (1994), by the Coen Bros.

A masterpiece movie, one of the best ever made. It missed the Oscar just because in that year it competed with another very great one, Forest Gump.

The Shawshank Redemption is one of the most satisfying movies I’ve ever seen. It is absolute perfection in every way. I can’t imagine any existing scene being cut from the film. Every moment is valuable.

1 of the best movies ever, a top 5 of the 90s...........came out the same week as pulp fiction, 2 of the top movies of the 90s in the same week..........

I read the book when I was a kid and loved it. I was so excited when this film came out. One of the few films that did justice to the book. Morgan Freeman's voice is amazing.

The Warden gave Andy the Bible back and said "Salvation lies within"

Clancy Brown is the actor who does the voice of Mr. Krabs on SpongeBob Still, The Shawshank Redemption is one of the greatest Stephen King movie adaptation ever and still sad 😪

Such a good movie, such a powerful motion picture experience.

Great reaction as usual. This movie is so intense, with amazing writing. Acting. Top 10 in my books for sure. So many intense monologues in this movie that make me cry. Red's parole speech. Brooks fear after leaving the prison. The rooftop confrontation with the Hadley. "I think someone's to have an accident happen to them." I cry during each one.

As the warden said to Andy when handing back his bible, "salvation lies within"🙏. Now you MUST watch The Green Mile, please.🙏🙏.

My favorite cinematography scene of the movie is how when Brooks walks out the prison gate it’s looking inward (no hope) and with Red it’s looking outward (hope) when he walks out. My favorite movie and great reaction guys!

Those smiles in that last scene says it all.

You can actually feel the presence of Zihuatenejo through Andy's eyes

I don't comment on RU-vid videos often (5 times ever maybe?), but I couldn't help myself on this one. Shawshank Redemption is probably my favorite movie and I've seen it countless times. It makes me emotional EVERY TIME I watch it. I found myself in a rabbit hole of Shawshank "1st time watching" reaction videos lately. I should get a life, I know 😄, but I couldn't help seeing others experience this gem of cinema for the 1st time also. I wish I could re-live that day. It's THAT good! I must say, your analysis of every aspect of this film and what makes it so incredible was spot on and brilliant! By far the best I've come across. You clearly do so many of these because you both are very good at it and SHOULD be doing what you do 😊. It looks like I will be watching many more of your videos now. Bravo!

small Eater egg I love is when the warden opens the Bible and it shows where Andy's rock hammer was, the Bible opens on the book of Exodus. chef's kiss to the prop department for that one

I think Samantha could pull off the Rita Haworth hair flip for sure. Her hair is Top shelf on that OP level. Schmitt has definitely got himself a winner.

My all time favorite movie!! You two are my favorite of the 1st reaction videos of this movie

Many years ago a friend asked me if I had seen Shawshank, and I told him it didn't sound like my kind of movie. He said " Do yourself a favor and go see it before it's out of the theaters " I did. This is one of the top movies ever made. I've lost track of the number of times I've watched it. I tell people "Do yourself a favor " I went back to him and thanked him for the favor.

28:23 In the book, they never meet at the end. The director wanted to be faithful to the book but, in the test screening, everyone wanted to see them meet. He reluctantly added the last scene to the movie and eventually conceded that the movie turned out better with it!

Good review. It was overshadowed when it came out in 1994, because Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump came out the same year. The strange sounding name also contributed to low box office. It was after it came out on video that word of mouth grew and it because a legend.

One of the best movies written by Stephen King, another is The Green Mile in my opinion^^^ Great job man.

@35::29 _Then when they did his whole cell finding everything, I honestly thought that the pick was in the bible._ Great intuition Sam. When the warden took the bible from Andy for a few seconds asking him of any favorite passages. Andy's answer was prompt:: *Watch ye therefor, for you know not when the master of the house cometh.* Considering the enormous psychological pressure he was under at that moment, Andy definitely kept his spirits up behind the poker face with an *extremly bold, intelligent & quick sense of humor.*

This movie is recognized as one of the greatest movies ever made. Can you believe it bombed at the box office when it was release.

This was so fun to watch. The interaction between you two is incredibly lovely, and I love how you respect one another. Awesome.

Tim Robbins was “Merlin” in Top Gun. Tom Cruises RIO/ WSO after Goose.

That heartbreaking song "Brooks was here" is written by Thomas Newman who also wrote the excellent scores for American Beauty, The Green Mile, Meet Joe Black, and Six Feet Under (The classic HBO show). Dude has a very emotional style.

I honestly think that the best part of your videos is the awesome analysis that you make at the end. You truly walk us thru so many details and your comments are always so honest and so smart. This is certainly a fantastic movie and I'm glad to see it again thru your eyes and comments. You two are amazingly entertaining. Great reactions to a great choice of movie!

React to Stand By Me, another non-horror Stephen King story. It was published in the same book as the Shawshank Redemption.

I envy you guys getting to watch this for the first time. I saw it in the theater and it's still one of the best of all time.

I've recently discovered your channel. I appreciate your authentic reactions and breakdowns at the end. The Shawshank Redemption is the greatest movie ever made IMO. So much good stuff to discover upon repeat viewings. The sound design is so good. Even this video has the clicking shoes when Andy's walking back to his cell. Also, that Andy had to keep the secret of escape for most of the time he was there and made time after escaping to go to Buxton to set up the box for Red to find, IF Red ever got out, and IF he remembered that conversation and acted on it! Such a genuine friendship!

You guys are a lot more bright than your average “movie reactor”. I find that very refreshing. I only discovered your channel yesterday and I’ve already watched at least five videos. As I said it’s refreshing to watch people that can actually give intelligent commentary on a film. You guys rock! 🤘🏻👊🏻✌🏼🖖🏼🍻

Top 5 of my favorites.

The sash wringing... the trash thinging... mash flinging... the flash springing, bringing the the crash thinging the... Squidward : Yes. The Shawshank Redemption.

I bawled my eyes, NGL. I own the book by SK and also the DVD and I will never forget this movie. It grabs you and stays with you.

Norton -- "I hate to deprive you of this. Remember salvation lies within." Andy -- *thinks* "You don't know how right you are."

I know the word classic and masterpiece get tossed around a lot these days but this film definitely is

I love how you two take the time to break down how you felt about the movies that you review.. I think you two are the best movie reactors on RU-vid hands down!!

Thank you so much for uploading your experience with this movie... Tell me that is not the single best ending you ever seen. You know what it takes to write a story that the entire audience sees in front of their faces but misses the entire time? I still have the half-ticket stub from 1994 seeing this. Lots of us "olds" would say this is the best story ever told. That ending! It makes such sense but none of us ever seen it coming. They don't make stories like this too often. Really brilliant. So happy to see your first time with it ! Thanks! I owe you one.

Oh my goodness, guys! That was such a good review. Well done with the editing. It's such a good movie. I'm thankful to cry along with you; tears of sorrow and of joy. Looking forward to the next one.

Great reaction to a fantastic film! Certainly one of my favorites of all time. On a side note, the piece Andy plays to the entire yard is a duet "Sull'aria...che soave zeffiretto" from Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" (you can see 'Le Nozze di Figaro' on the cover in the film). As Red said he'd like to think the two Italian ladies are singing about 'something so beautiful it can't be expressed in words', when actually, they're discussing a plot to expose infidelity being committed by another character. Just a little inside joke I thought I'd share in case you watch the film again. Granted, it is a beautiful piece and just a simple search of Duettino Sull'aria on RU-vid will bring up a quality recording.

Very well done. Thank you. I remember seeing this (on VHS) at home with my wife almost exactly 25 years ago. So great to see the reaction of another couple seeing this for the first time.

One of my favorite parts of this movie is something you’d never notice on your first watch. The warden says “salvation lies within” when giving Andy back his Bible. The very Bible containing his rock hammer

This is the first reaction I ever saw on this channel. Been watching for about a year and Sam's smile at the end is still probably the biggest one I have seen on this channel. They still bring this movie up in other reactions. My favorite movie of all time. Hope is a good thing.

I’m sure by now someone wrote that in the book it ends when the bus drives over the hill and it leaves it up to you to guess what happens next. I’m so glad the movie put them meeting back up at the end because it just makes it the perfect ending to any movie ever!

For a great Tim Robbins movie you should check out "The Hudsucker Proxy." It's quirky and not for everyone. But starring Robbins, Paul Newman and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and directed by the Cohen brothers, it's definitely worth checking out.

It was fun watching you guys react to this. This happens to be my all time favorite movie. Also, I once preached a sermon entitled: Get busy living, or get busy dying," taken straight from this movie. You may be surprised to learn that the movie did not do very well at the theater when it came out. It's one of those films that has become much more popular over the years. I feel this was Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman at their best. And let's not forget Bob Gunton, who played the warden. You despised the guy, which means his acting was outstanding. He did a great job making you hate him. Have a good one.

Nice....you guys released this reaction to my Number 1 favorite film on my birthday...thanks for that! I absolutely love this film and I don't know how many times I've watched it. Such a classic.

Seeing your guys reaction was awesome, so glad you watched this classic.

Nothing to Lose is another good Tim Robins film :)

I was a resident at Mansfield Reformatory. in 1989 and 1990, in Mansfield Ohio. Mansfield Reformatory would be shut down a short time later, and then this film became the setting for one of the greatest prison movies ever made, the Shawshank Redemption. I was a kid then, sentenced to three months for stealing a car. A lot of people, when I tell them about this little bit of my history, find it hard to believe, but I have my prison records to prove it. Of course, being in prison isn't exactly the kind of thing one brags about, but my checkered past doesn't change the fact of my having been part of cinematic history. A few little interesting facts: The perspective of Andy, when he is walking into Shawshank for the first time, looking up at the windows above the entrance (it is one of several), is the exact same perspective I had. Walking into that door, I looked up at the windows, terrified, but also wondering about the building, its architecture. Upon arriving at the place, the prison looked like a veritable castle. So yes, I was looking at everything, taking everything in. The cells in the film are not the cells of Mansfield, that is, Shawshank. They actually built a set for that part of the film because by the time the movie was made, the cells were in disrepair and unusable. You can search "Mansfield Reformatory" in RU-vid and see what the cells were really like. They were tiny, claustrophobic. You had a metal footlocker that you shared with your roommate, there was a tiny sink and above it was a polished piece of steel for a mirror. The toilet was porcelain, stained brown with rust and age, looking like a small stool in the corner of the room. The shower room wasn't as it was portrayed in the movie. In reality, the Mansfield showers was nothing more than a single pipe hanging from the ceiling and running the length of the tiled room, and the water was always cold, there was no hot water. In fact, in order to get hot water in your cell, like for making the instant coffee you got from the inmate commissary (store), you had to wait for the single scheduled daily delivery of hot water by inmate trustees. When Andy and the other inmates are lined up for orientation, that is, the little pep talk from the warden, that was not inmate intake at Mansfield. That is actually one of the many dayrooms at Mansfield that served many functions, including religious services. The chow hall where Andy finds the meal worm in his oatmeal looks to be the same dining area of Mansfield's Reformatory. The bus coming into the prison through that single gated entrance is the entrance prisoners came through at Mansfield, exactly the same thing. The same route. It was pretty much the way it was depicted in the Shawshank Redemption. Since the cell block depicted in the movie isn't the actual cell blocks of Mansfield, the image of the inmates marching single file down to the dining area isn't how it was at Mansfield. In fact, the walk to the chow hall was very cramped, the walkway in front of the cells barely as wide as a man, and contained from floor to ceiling with bars. And when you got to the end of the walkway you walked down these stairs in a zigzag pattern. The stairs had brass rails that is was my job to polish. Huge brass rails the size of one's arm. I didn't get paid for it, I volunteered so I could get out of my cell every day. Shawshank was a dark and depressing place. The film has a peculiar -- and dare I say -- special meaning to me. It represents one of the darkest periods of my life, for a number of reasons of which, none the least of which is my time at Shawshank prison.

Great First Viewing! I recommend that you watch the movie again and keep this in mind: Andy smiles whenever things are going according to his plan! Everything that he does, is to increase his chances of fulfilling his secret agenda, which is to escape. He gets that hammer from Red. He gets the pinup posters. He exposes himself to opportunity. He overhears the guard talking about taxes, then offers to help him save taxes. He gets 3 beers for each of the guys on the roof, winning favor with the guard, and each of his coworkers. He eventually wins favor with all the guards and the warden. All the while, he patiently and meticulously inches day-by-day towards his escape. Having gained favor, Andy is in a position to set up fake accounts and identification. When he becomes indispensable, they take care of his problem with the bully. Andy plays everybody, and nobody, including Red know his plan. After the escape, Red remembers interprets their conversations. Love your content, I subscribed!!!

Yes! I was just looking around for something to watch! Great timing, guys🙂

I've seen this movie so many times and I still get choked up watching it. A classic!! Keep smiling!🤘🙂

Loved y'all's reaction--can't wait to explore your other uploads. 🙂 About the thunder--you can actually tell how far away lightning is by counting the seconds from the lightning flash to the thunder boom and then using the formula for how fast sound waves travel. Which is pretty cool. But unless a storm is moving amazingly fast, that lightning / thunder time is going to stay pretty consistent. So I would imagine that Andy counted a couple of strikes to get the rhythm and then counted to know when to hit with his rock, kind of like a timing puzzle in a video game (only with a lot higher stakes).

You guys are my favorite reactors. Seeing your reactions to some great scenes has made my day. Thanks for another great one!