I was rewatching 'The Shawshank Red Redemption' for the 10th time and had a totally different idea for the ending.

Okay so you know how Andy escapes and Red gets paroled and they meet on that beach in Mexico? What if it ended right after Red gets on the bus to go to Mexico? Like, we see him looking out the window, hopeful, and the screen fades to black. We don't see the reunion. It ends on the hope, not the payoff. I was thinking about this after a long day dealing with a flooded apartment unit, and it just hit me that sometimes the journey is the whole point. What do you think? Would that have been a better, more powerful ending, or is the happy reunion necessary?

3 comments

3 Comments

troy_gibson432mo ago

Man, that's a heavy thought after a flooded apartment! Honestly, your version is probably the 'better' ending, but I'm a total sucker for the payoff. I need to see Red's face on that beach to feel like my own parole was approved.

sethp2618d ago

That "feels like my own parole was approved" line hit me hard, @troy_gibson43. I know exactly what you mean, I've been there with a flooded apartment myself (frozen pipe burst in '21, whole living room was toast). For the drying out part, you gotta get air moving fast, like a couple of box fans and a dehumidifier running nonstop for days, otherwise you'll end up with mold behind the walls. And pro tip: take photos of everything right now for your renter's insurance claim before you move a single box. Makes the whole process way less of a headache when you're waiting for that check to clear.

derekgibson2mo ago

Yeah, I get that need for the happy ending! I'm the same way, I'd sit through ten hours of Andy digging just to see him smile on that beach. My version would probably cut to black right as he steps off the bus and leave everyone mad at me.