10 Unbelievable Backstories To Iconic Movie Moments

3. The Studios Tacked The Scene In Zihuatanejo On The End €“ The Shawshank Redemption

Shaw Sitting proud at the top of the IMDb Top 250, The Shawshank Redemption grew out of its disappointing (but not disastrous) release to become one of the most adored films of all time. Holding the title of manly weepie long before Toy Story 3 forcibly incinerated its way onto the scene, the ending is an emotional tour de force embodying bromance before that phrase even came on the scene. The ending is no one of the film€™s most memorable shots, which is pretty surprising given that director Frank Darabont never intended for it to be in the movie. Originally hoping to end the film a scene before, with Red wondering if the ocean is as blue as he imagines, the studio put pressure on Darabont to add in a definitive happy ending. And while I do think ending with Red looking out to see is a pretty cool idea, I have to admit I prefer the one we got. It rounds off the key relationship of the film and stopped unfunny commentators making Soprano-esque jokes about a truly touching moment.
Contributor
Contributor

Film Editor (2014-2016). Loves The Usual Suspects. Hates Transformers 2. Everything else lies somewhere in the middle. Once met the Chuckle Brothers.