Image: Castle Rock Entertainment
About This Quiz
Think you remember all the details of "The Shawshank Redemption?" Take this quiz to find out.
Reigning supreme as one of the greatest movies of all time, "The Shawshank Redemption" was the film adaptation of Stephen King's 1982 work, "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption." Those who watched the movie because they loved the book will agree that this is one of the better adaptations of a Stephen King book (we can't say the same thing for all movies based on King's work). If you're wondering how Rita Hayworth fits into the story, go back and watch the movie (and maybe read the book), because you're not ready to take this quiz.
The film stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman as Andy Dufresne and Ellis Redding (Red), respectively, and unwinds a story about the two that is intricate, intimate, and captivating. But, since this is not a review, we'll try to keep our personal feelings to ourselves.
Although many critics continue to hail the movie as a must watch, it did not fare well at the box office, making only twice the $25 million it cost to make, but it's still a popular offering on cable television.
So, if you're ready to take the Shawshank Redemption challenge, let's get started.
What is Brooks's job at the prison?
he runs the kitchen
he runs the library
Andy is reassigned from the laundry to the library, where he works for Brooks. The job is mostly a cover for Andy to work on the prison staff's finances.
he's the warden's personal assistant
he doesn't have a job
Why does Brooks hold a shiv to Heywood's throat?
Heywood stole food from him
Heywood threw a rock at Jake
Brooks has the beginnings of Alzheimer's
Brooks doesn't want to be released from prison
Brooks believes the only way the prison board will let him stay is if he stages a violent assault on another inmate. He's afraid of life on the outside after so long in Shawshank.
What job is Brooks given on the outside?
bagging groceries at a Food-Way
Brooks is given a room at a halfway house and the job at the grocery store. Unable to adapt to his new life, Brooks soon kills himself.
cleaning bathrooms in an office building
parking cars at wrestling events
shelving books at a city library
Advertisement
What is Red's special skill?
mediating arguments between inmates
obtaining contraband goods from outside
Red says that every prison in America has "a con like me." He's the one who can get prisoners what they need, like cigarettes or skin magazines.
predicting cell searches
making moonshine
What shocking secret does Tommy tell Red and Andy?
that Captain Hadley is gay
that Warden Norton killed his wife
that he knows who killed Andy's wife and her lover
Tommy learned the information from a former cellmate. The man, who liked to talk, shot the pair in a botched burglary. He was gleeful that "some hotshot banker" was convicted in his place.
that Brooks is still alive
Where is Andy first assigned to work at the prison?
the kitchen
the laundry
Andy works in the laundry. It's also, unfortunately, where he's first cornered and sexually assaulted by Boggs and The Sisters.
the mailroom
the kitchen garden
Advertisement
What does Andy request from Captain Hadley, in return for setting up the tax shelter for his inheritance?
a better work detail
beer for the guys working on the roof
Andy says that a prisoner on a work detail feels like more of a man if he can have "a bottle of suds." The usually nasty Captain Hadley complies with this request.
money for himself
extra rations from the kitchen
Why is Tommy shot to death?
he gets in a vicious fight in the yard
he tries to climb over the fence
he tries to shiv a guard
he knows too much about Andy's false conviction
The warden arranges a private meeting with Tommy, outside the prison's front door. When Tommy affirms that he's willing to testify on Andy's behalf, Norton has Hadley shoot him from the tower. Norton isn't about to let his prized bookkeeper go.
Where does Red find the money and letter from Andy?
in a stone wall, along a hayfield
Andy has told Red to go to a hayfield in Buxton, and to look under a black obsidian rock. Here, Red finds cash and an invitation to join him in Mexico.
under the porch of Andy's old house
in the break room of the Food-Way
buried near a statue in a city park
Advertisement
Where do Andy and Red reunite?
on the beach
King's novella ends with Red on the road to meet Andy; the last line is, "I hope." The movie provides an unequivocal happy ending, showing the two meeting again, on the beach where Andy is rehabbing his boat.
in a beachside bar
at the border, in Fort Hancock
they don't
Where does Andy get the suit and shoes he wears to the banks?
he buys them with Warden Norton's money
he stole them from Norton's office
It's a bit of a plot convenience that even though Andy is Norton's prized bookkeeper, the warden still has him shine his shoes and take his clothes down to the laundry. Not to mention that they fit well enough not to raise eyebrows.
he steals them from a haberdashery
he takes them from his own things, in storage
Where is the town Andy dreams of escaping to?
Canada
the Dominican Republic
Mexico
Andy wants to live in a town called Zihuatenejo, in Mexico. This comes out in a poignant scene between Red and Andy, sitting against the prison wall. Andy wants to open a small hotel and fix up a boat to take his guests charter fishing.
Oregon
Advertisement
What was young Tommy Williams's crime?
attempted murder
public drunkenness
theft
Williams is a cocky but likable young thief. Soon, Andy is educating him so that he can get his high-school diploma.
exposing himself
What does Brooks keep as a pet?
a crow
In the scene where Brooks feeds Jake the crow a maggot, the Humane Association objected to a live maggot being used. So a live one is seen on Andy's plate, but the crew had to find a dead one for the shot where Brooks feeds it to his bird.
a kitten
a snail
a rat
What are Red and his yard friends betting on, the day Andy arrives?
the number of inmates to get off the bus
the number of times the warden will mention God in his speech
the first inmate to start a fight
the first inmate to break down and cry
Someone always cries the first night, Red says. His bet is on Andy, but he loses that wager.
Advertisement
How does Andy react to the $200 and the books?
he celebrates with a cigarette
he writes a thank-you letter
he is depressed about how little they sent
he vows to start writing twice a week instead of once
Andy does seem pleased about the gift. But it's not enough for his ambitious plans for the library, so he redoubles his efforts.
What is the name of Morgan Freeman's character?
Brooks Hatlen
Ellis Boyd Redding
Morgan Freeman's character, Elis Boyd Redding, was originally written as white. Harrison Ford and Robert Redford were under consideration for the role.
William Somerset
Boggs Martin
When Andy asks why Red has that nickname, what does Red tell him?
it's because of his temper
it's because of his last name
it's because he's a "redbone"
"Maybe it's because I'm Irish."
Director Frank Darabont wanted Morgan Freeman for Red from early on. Despite the character in the novella being white, Darabont felt only Freeman had the gravitas for the role.
Advertisement
In his last parole hearing, what does Red call a "bull----" word and a "politician's word"?
corrections
remorse
rehabilitated
In his last parole hearing, Red gives up on the standard platitudes; instead he talks about how he doesn't know what "rehabilitated" even means. Somehow, it does the trick, and he's released.
sorry
What record does Andy play over the prison loudspeaker?
The Ballad of Joe Hill
Hank Williams Sings
The Marriage of Figaro
Andy locks the door to the warden's office, where the record player is, turns on the loudspeaker, and plays The Marriage of Figaro. The stunt infuriates the prison staff and earns him time in "the hole."
Folsom County Blues
Who did Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) allegedly shoot?
a business rival
his wife
his wife and her lover
Andy's wife was cheating on him with the golf pro at their country club. He allegedly shot them both. Why do fictitious rich people join country clubs, anyway? It never ends well for them.
his mistress
Advertisement
When Norton refuses to investigate Tommy's story, what does Andy accuse Norton of being?
corrupt
obtuse
Andy calls the warden "obtuse" because he refuses to believe that there could be any truth to Tommy's story. Of course, Norton isn't so much being "obtuse," or unable to see the obvious, as he is unwilling to let Andy go free.
selfish
lazy
What is the first thing that Andy wants from Red?
a book
a bottle of brandy
a poster of Rita Hayworth
a rock hammer
Red is at first worried that Andy will use the hammer in a fight, or use to to try to tunnel out. Andy, though, says he wants it to refine rocks he finds in the yard -- he's a rockhound.
In what state is Shawshank Redemption set?
California
Maine
Shawshank State Penitentiary in Maine is mentioned in several of Stephen King's books. It's part of a fictional world he's created, like William Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County.
New York
Texas
Advertisement
On paper, who withdraws all the money from the accounts?
Norton
Andrew Dufresne
Ellis Redding
Randall Stephens
"Randall Stephens" was the identity that Andy created to shelter Norton's ill-gotten gains. In conversation with Red, Andy makes it seem like this is for Norton's legal protection -- but it actually sets Andy up to claim the money, no questions asked.
Who wrote the novella that Shawshank Redemption is based on?
James Lee Burke
Stephen King
The credits say it was based on the "short novel by Stephen King." The film's producers might have worried that audiences wouldn't know what a novella is. (It's a work of fiction that falls between about 20,000 and 50,000 words.)
Raymond Chandler
Peter Straub
What grade did Tommy posthumously get on his GED exam?
A
B+
C+
Tommy earned a C+. A guard gives Andy the news through a narrow food slot. Andy is in the hole, being punished for his veiled threat to blackmail Norton. (At least, Norton thought it was a threat).
D
Advertisement
Who played Captain Hadley?
Bruce Boxleitner
Clancy Brown
Brown has done a lot of work in science fiction and horror films. He played an immortal hunter in the film "Highlander."
Harvey Ketiel
Costas Mandylor
Which Rita Hayworth movie are the inmates watching?
Pal Joey
Gilda
It's during the movie Gilda that Andy comes to Red and asks him to get "Rita Hayworth" into the prison. This seems like an impossible request, until we find out that the two men are discussing a poster.
The Loves of Carmen
My Gal Sal
What does Andy say he did with his gun?
buried it in a hayfield
lost it in a drunken blackout
threw it in the river
Andy maintains his innocence throughout his trial. He intended to shoot the lovers, but couldn't, and he tossed the gun in a river -- where, unfortunately, police couldn't find it to verify his story.
he claims he never owned a gun
Advertisement
How many years did it take Andy to tunnel out using the rock hammer?
nine
twelve
fifteen
nineteen
Andy was incarcerated in 1947. He makes his escape, therefore, into the world of the mid-60s; quite a change of pace.
Which of the following was NOT a pinup in Andy's cell?
Betty Grable
There was no Betty Grable poster. Why Andy wanted to change out his poster, we don't know. But by the time he escapes, Raquel Welch is guarding his tunnel, dressed in her iconic animal-skin bikini.
Rita Hayworth
Marilyn Monroe
Raquel Welch
How long does Andy petition the state senate for library funds before they respond?
ten months
one year
three years
six years
After writing weekly letters for six years, Andy receives $200 and several boxes of donated books. The enclosed letter says, "We will now consider this matter closed," and requests that he stop writing them.
Advertisement
Where do Boggs and The Sisters stage their last attack on Andy?
the laundry
the kitchen
his cell
a projectionist's booth
They are in a projectionist's booth, while a movie is being shown. Boggs and The Sisters beat Andy so badly that he's in the infirmary for about a month. But Hadley and another guard -- who by now find Andy useful -- get revenge by severely beating Boggs, then transferring him to another prison.
How many times were Andy's wife and her lover shot?
once apiece
twice apiece
four times apiece
The number of bullets - four per victim - according to the prosecutor, implies cold-bloodedness. The killer took the time to reload his six-shot revolver in order to shoot the victims once more apiece.
they were absolutely riddled with bullets
You Got:
/35
Castle Rock Entertainment