Shawshank Redemption: Hidden Mistakes, Plot Holes & Bloopers That Slipped Through

No matter how many times I watch it, it never gets old. The storytelling is gripping, the acting flawless, and the cast—led by Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins—is absolute perfection. But even the best films have their imperfections.

Despite its near-flawless reputation, The Shawshank Redemption has a few hidden mistakes, continuity errors, and plot holes that might make you do a double take. Let’s dive into some of the surprising slip-ups and behind-the-scenes secrets that somehow made it into the final cut.

Morgan Freeman’s Legendary Dedication

During Andy (Tim Robbins) and Red’s (Morgan Freeman) first conversation in the prison yard—where Red casually tosses a baseball—the scene took an exhausting nine hours to film. Freeman never once complained, throwing that baseball the entire time. The next day, though? He showed up to set with his left arm in a sling. Now that’s commitment!

Red Was Almost Played by Someone Else

Morgan Freeman’s portrayal of Red is legendary, but did you know he almost lost the role to Hollywood icons like Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, Paul Newman, Gene Hackman, Robert Redford, or Robert Duvall? Luckily, director Frank Darabont had his heart set on Freeman, and the rest is cinematic history.

Why Is Red Called Red?

In Stephen King’s novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, Red is described as a red-haired Irishman—very different from Freeman’s portrayal. When Freeman first picked up the book, he put it down after the first page, thinking, “I can’t play an Irishman.”

Darabont, however, insisted Freeman was perfect for the role. As a nod to the original character, they kept Red’s nickname and even added a clever inside joke. When Andy asks Red why he’s called that, he responds with a smirk: “Maybe it’s because I’m Irish.”

A Wardrobe Malfunction in the Background

Next time you watch Shawshank, pay close attention during Andy and Red’s first conversation. There’s an extra in the background who, at some point, magically changes shirts. It’s a small continuity slip, but now you’ll never unsee it!

Andy’s Chessboard Mistake

Andy Dufresne, the brilliant banker-turned-inmate, is meticulous about details—except when it comes to his chessboard. The bottom-right square should always be white, but in Andy’s setup, it’s black. This means the kings and queens are placed incorrectly, a mistake no serious chess player would make. But hey, when you’re plotting a prison escape, who has time for chess rules?

The Famous Poster Plot Hole

One of Shawshank’s biggest mysteries is how Andy managed to reattach his poster of Raquel Welch over the escape tunnel after crawling through it. When the warden throws a rock at it, the poster appears to be secured on all four corners—so how did Andy slip through without disturbing it?

At a cast reunion, Morgan Freeman himself asked Tim Robbins about this puzzling moment. Robbins’ explanation? He mimed securing the top corners, lifting the bottom edge, slipping under, and letting it fall back into place.

But does this explanation hold up? Some argue that if the poster was only pinned at the top, air pressure changes in the tunnel would have made it flap or dimple, creating noise that could’ve alerted the guards. A little movie magic, perhaps?

Breaking Through an Iron Pipe… with a Rock?

Andy’s escape plan was brilliant—but could it really work? He broke open a sewage pipe with just a rock, but here’s the issue: prison sewage pipes are typically made of iron, not a material that can be easily smashed. Plus, hitting it hard enough to break it would’ve likely injured Andy’s hand. Yet, in the movie, he cracks it open with relative ease.

And for the record? That sewage tunnel wasn’t filled with human waste—it was actually cow dung. According to Tim Robbins, it was still “pretty toxic!”

A Perfect Ending… with One Small Fix

I love The Shawshank Redemption, but if I had to change one thing, it would be the final 30 seconds. The film confirms that Red makes it to Mexico and reunites with Andy—but did we really need to see it?

Throughout the film, Red narrates details about Andy’s escape—information he could only know if they eventually met. Cutting to black before the beach scene could have left a little more mystery while still making the ending satisfying.

And fun fact: That beach scene wasn’t filmed in Mexico—it was shot in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, for that perfect Caribbean-blue water.

Was Andy Dufresne Based on a Real Person?

While The Shawshank Redemption isn’t a true story, it bears striking similarities to the real-life prison escape of Frank Freshwaters, a man who was jailed in 1957 for manslaughter.

Like Andy, Frank gained the trust of prison staff and plotted his escape. He managed to vanish for decades, eventually settling in Florida under a new identity. He was caught 56 years later, living quietly in a trailer.

Oh, and while Shawshank Prison is set in Maine, the actual filming location was Mansfield Correctional Institution in Ohio—a place that looked just right for a legendary escape.

How Shawshank Became a Cult Classic

Despite its brilliance, The Shawshank Redemption flopped at the box office, barely making back its $25 million budget. So, what saved it?

Two things: home video sales and Ted Turner. Turner owned the TNT network and aired Shawshank constantly. Director Frank Darabont even joked that Turner played it “every five minutes for years.” Thanks to endless reruns, the movie found its audience and became the beloved classic we know today.

The Director’s Secret Cameo

Frank Darabont was so hands-on with Shawshank that his actual hands appear in the film! When Andy loads his revolver in the opening scene, and later when he carves his name into the prison wall, those aren’t Tim Robbins’ hands—they’re Darabont’s.

Tim Robbins & Morgan Freeman’s Lifelong Bond

Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman’s chemistry on-screen is legendary, but their friendship didn’t end after filming. The two still meet for dinner every couple of years. Robbins once said, “People stop us all the time to say Shawshank is their favorite movie, that they’ve seen it 40 times, or that it changed their life. That’s pretty remarkable.”

So, the next time you watch The Shawshank Redemption, keep an eye out for these fun bloopers, plot holes, and behind-the-scenes gems. It’s a film that, despite its small flaws, remains one of the greatest ever made.