Andy Dufresne, a bank merchant, is found guilty of the murders of his wife and her boyfriend and is condemned to life in prison at Shawshank. Life appears to have taken a turn for the worst, but Andy is fortunate in that he makes friends with several of the other convicts, particularly one known only as Red. Over time, Andy discovers ways to live life as comfortably as one might in a jail, sending a message to all that, while the body may be imprisoned, the spirit is never truly imprisoned.