The Shawshank Redemption Movie Facts, Easter Eggs and hidden details

20 of the most interesting The Shawshank Redemption easter eggs you didn't know about. Handpicked and verified, these little-known hidden details can be obscure enough most people will miss. These behind the scene easter eggs and hidden messages will give you another view of The Shawshank Redemption movie message.

The Shawshank Redemption poster
The Shawshank Redemption poster
The Shawshank Redemption Plot

Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

Genre Drama
Director Frank Darabont
Stars Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
IMDB score 9.3

The Shawshank Redemption Movie Trivia

The convict seated directly behind Tommy as they arrive at the prison, is the former Ohio State Reformatory warden, Dennis Baker.

1 - Andy and Red's opening chat in the prison yard, in which Red is throwing a baseball, took nine hours to shoot. Morgan Freeman threw the baseball for the entire nine hours without a word of complaint. He showed up for work the next day with his arm in a sling.

Andy and Red's opening chat in the prison yard, in which Red is throwing a baseball, took nine hours to shoot. Morgan Freeman threw the baseball for the entire nine hours without a word of complaint. He showed up for work the next day with his arm in a sling.

Andy's cell number 245 is a nod to bible verse Daniel 2:45

Accuracy details in The Shawshank Redemption

1 - For Red's mugshot when he was younger, production took a picture of Morgan Freeman's son.

For Red's mugshot when he was younger, production took a picture of Morgan Freeman's son.

1 - The narrator says Andy crawled 500 yards to freedom, estimating it to be "just shy of half a mile". A half a mile in yards is 880 yards, almost double that estimation.

The narrator says Andy crawled 500 yards to freedom, estimating it to be "just shy of half a mile". A half a mile in yards is 880 yards, almost double that estimation.

The Shawshank Redemption movie hidden details

1 - When the warden opens the Bible the last untouched page is the beginning of the book of Exodus, chronicling the Jewish escape from slavery. This is symbolic of Andy's escape from the chains of imprisonment.

When the warden opens the Bible the last untouched page is the beginning of the book of Exodus, chronicling the Jewish escape from slavery. This is symbolic of Andy's escape from the chains of imprisonment.

1 - When Brooks is released, the camera is pointing back at the prison, indicating his connection to it and reluctance to leave. When Red leaves, the camera points out of the prison towards freedom, because Red hasn't yet been institutionalised.

When Brooks is released, the camera is pointing back at the prison, indicating his connection to it and reluctance to leave. When Red leaves, the camera points out of the prison towards freedom, because Red hasn't yet been institutionalised.

1 - When Brooks is riding the bus away from prison, the eyelines of every other passenger is pointing away from him, showing how truely alone he is on the outside.

When Brooks is riding the bus away from prison, the eyelines of every other passenger is pointing away from him, showing how truely alone he is on the outside.

1 - The detective arresting Hadley reads from his notebook to state the Miranda warning. The Supreme Court ruling which enshrined the Miranda rights (i.e. the suspect's right to remain silent) was made in 1966, the year Andy Dufresne escapes from prison; a new protocol

The detective arresting Hadley reads from his notebook to state the Miranda warning. The Supreme Court ruling which enshrined the Miranda rights (i.e. the suspect's right to remain silent) was made in 1966, the year Andy Dufresne escapes from prison; a new protocol

1 - "Red" is checking over his shoulder despite no longer being in prison. Habits can be hard to break

"Red" is checking over his shoulder despite no longer being in prison. Habits can be hard to break

1 - The same number as the haunted hotel room in The Shining, another Stephen King adaptation.

The same number as the haunted hotel room in The Shining, another Stephen King adaptation.

Red mentions how he'd given up on playing the harmonica after being incarcerated. Later, when Red sees the rock wall with the oak tree, an instrument is introduced into the film's score for the first time: a harmonica.

The Italian opera song that Morgan Freeman's character guesses is about 'indescribable beauty' is really about a countess trying to expose her husbands infidelity

1 - <b></b>one of the first shots of the prison in The Shawshank Redemption (1994) you can see that the roof of at least one of the buildings in the prison is damaged. Later in the film, the main characters are tasked with repairing the rooves of the buildings.

one of the first shots of the prison in The Shawshank Redemption (1994) you can see that the roof of at least one of the buildings in the prison is damaged. Later in the film, the main characters are tasked with repairing the rooves of the buildings.

Andy hid his stone hammer in the second Book of the Bible: Exodus - the story about the escape of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

1 - Brooks gets chewed out for not double bagging. Years later at the same grocery store Red uses a double bag.

Brooks gets chewed out for not double bagging. Years later at the same grocery store Red uses a double bag.

1 - Clancy Brown, well known for his protrayal of Captain Hadley in The Shawshank Redemption (1994) played a character of the same name, Captain Hadley, in The Guardian (2006).

Clancy Brown, well known for his protrayal of Captain Hadley in The Shawshank Redemption (1994) played a character of the same name, Captain Hadley, in The Guardian (2006).

1 - Dufrense uses the beginning of the Exodus to mark the first page to conceil the rockhammer.

Dufrense uses the beginning of the Exodus to mark the first page to conceil the rockhammer.

Andy plays a recording of Mozart's duet, "Sull'aria . . . che soave zeffiretto" from The Marriage of Figaro. The version played features Edith Mathis and Gundula Janowitz and was released in 1968, at least ten years after the scene occurs in the movie's timeframe.

Andy gets still and nervous when The Count of Monte Cristo is brought up...