The Shawshank Redemption · written by Frank Darabont · 1994

At mail call, Tommy apologizes to Red for letting Andy down; Red reassures him.

Scene 158 of 249 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:21 into a 1:57 film

The story so farBefore scene 158

After a banker is wrongly imprisoned for murder, he uses patience, expertise, and friendship to survive Shawshank and build a path to freedom.

Scenes 1–8
Andy’s former life and conviction frame a banker whose apparent control has vanished.
Scenes 9–10
Inside prison, Andy needs a way to survive without surrendering the inner self he is trying to protect.
Scenes 11–30
Andy enters Shawshank and confronts its violence, hierarchy, and rules.
Scenes 31–154
He adapts through Red’s help, builds the library, and slowly earns trust while preparing for freedom.
Scenes 155–156
Tommy reveals that another inmate confessed to the murders, offering Andy a route to prove his innocence.
Just before
Scene 155
Tommy tells Andy and Red that his former cellmate Elmo Blatch confessed to killing Andy’s wife and her lover.
Scene 156
Andy walks away stunned by Tommy’s account of the confession.
Scene 157
Norton dismisses Tommy’s story and refuses to reopen Andy’s case.
Scene 158
This scene

158EXT -- PRISON YARD -- DAY (1966)

Mail call. Men crowd around as names are called out. Red and the boys are parked on the bleachers.

FLOYD

A month in the hole. Longest damn

stretch I ever heard of.

TOMMY

It's my fault.

RED

Like hell. You didn't pull the

trigger, and you didn't convict

him.

HEYWOOD

Red? You saying Andy's innocent? I

mean for real innocent?

(Red nods)

Sweet Jesus. How long's he been in

here?

RED

Since '47. Going on nineteen years.

MAIL CALLER

Thomas Williams!

Tommy raises his hand. The envelope gets tossed to him. He stares at it. Red peers over his shoulder.

RED

Board of Education.

TOMMY

The son of a bitch mailed it.

RED

Looks that way. You gonna open it

or stick your thumb up your butt?

TOMMY

Thumb up my butt sounds better.

He gets hemmed in by the older men. Red snatches the letter.

TOMMY (CONT'D)

C'mon, just throw it away. Will you

please? Just throw it away?

Red rips it open, scans the letter. Expressionless.

RED

Well, shit.