Red (Morgan Freeman)’s Timeline and Summary
- We don't get too many details about Red's sordid past—just that he admits he's guilty, and he's in for murder. Whatever he did to get into Shawshank, at least he's more deserving of his sentence than Andy is.
- When Andy arrives, Red is busy taking bets from the other inmates on who will be the first to crack. He doesn't think much of Andy at first, and bets against him. That would be the first of many times that Andy would surprise Red.
- As Andy opens up more and more, he and Red get pretty tight. The "man who knows how to get things" gets him a rock hammer (for him to dig his tunnel) and a series of movie star posters (to hide the tunnel), though Red just figures he's got an innocent hobby and likes to fall asleep looking at pretty girls in skimpy clothes.
- Andy and Red have a big heart-to-heart about life and failure and regret and all that fun stuff. Andy tells Red about a town in Mexico where he'd go if he were free…then tells him that, if he ever gets out himself, he needs to promise he'll seek out this one particular rock in a hayfield and dig up what's buried there.
- Because if the prospect of freedom isn't enough to inspire a person to bust outta jail, the promise of a mysterious treasure hunt should be.
- The warden grills Red after Andy's escape, but because he knows nothin', he reveals nothin'.
- With a new outlook on the whole hope/freedom deal, Red goes into his next hearing and strays from the usual script. Without even trying, he convinces the panel he's rehabilitated, and is released back into the wild.
- He doesn't much care for bagging groceries in a small-town market, so he finally decides to dig up that rock. Good thing, too, because there's a giant wad of cashola in there from Andy. As well as a reminder that he should join his friend in Mexico.
- He violates parole and buys a bus ticket to the border.
- Walking along the beach in Mexico, he reunites with his friend.