Scenes 101-110
101 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1953) 101
Dark. Andy's in his bunk, polishing a four-inch length of
quartz. It's a beautifully-crafted chess piece in the shape of
a horse's head, poise and nobility captured in gleaming stone.
He puts the knight on a chess board by his bed, adding it to
four pieces already there: a king, a queen, and two bishops.
He turns to Rita. Moonlight casts bars across her face.
102 EXT -- EXERCISE YARD -- DAY (1954) 102
Floyd runs into the yard, scared and winded. He finds Andy and
Red on the bleachers.
FLOYD
Red? Andy? It's Brooks.
103 INT -- PRISON LIBRARY/ANDY'S OFFICE -- DAY (1954) 103
Floyd rushes in with Andy and Red at his heels. They find
Jigger and Snooze trying to calm Brooks, who has Heywood in a
chokehold and a knife to his throat. Heywood is terrified.
JIGGER
C'mon, Brooksie, why don't you just
calm the fuck down, okay?
BROOKS
Goddamn miserable puke-eatin' sons
of whores!
He kicks a table over. Tax files explode through the air.
RED
What the hell's going on?
SNOOZE
You tell me, man. One second he was
fine, then out came the knife. I
better get the guards.
RED
No. We'll handle this. Ain't that
right, Brooks? Just settle down and
we'll talk about it, okay?
BROOKS
Nothing left to talk about! It's all
talked out! Nothing left now but to
cut his fuckin' throat!
RED
Why? What's Heywood done to you?
BROOKS
That's what they want! It's the
price I gotta pay!
Andy steps forward, rivets Brooks with a gaze. Softly:
ANDY
Brooks, you're not going to hurt
Heywood, we all know that. Even
Heywood knows it, right Heywood?
HEYWOOD
(nods, terrified)
Sure. I know that. Sure.
ANDY
Why? Ask anyone, they'll tell you.
Brooks Hatlen is a reasonable man.
RED
(cuing nods all around)
Yeah, that's right. That's what
everybody says.
ANDY
You're not fooling anybody, so just
put the damn knife down and stop
scaring the shit out of people.
BROOKS
But it's the only way they'll let
me stay.
Brooks bursts into tears. The storm is over. Heywood staggers
free, gasping for air. Andy takes the knife, passes it to Red.
Brooks dissolves into Andy's arms with great heaving sobs.
ANDY
Take it easy. You'll be all right.
HEYWOOD
Him? What about me? Crazy old
fool! Goddamn near slit my throat!
RED
You've had worse from shaving.
What'd you do to set him off?
HEYWOOD
Nothin'! Just came in to say
fare-thee-well.
(off their looks)
Ain't you heard? His parole came
through!
Red and Andy exchange a surprised look. Andy wants to
understand. Red just motions to let it be for now. He puts his
arm around Brooks, who sobs inconsolably. Softly:
RED
Ain't that bad, old hoss. Won't be
long till you're squiring pretty
young girls on your arm and telling
'em lies.
104 EXT -- PRISON YARD BLEACHERS -- DUSK (1954) 104
ANDY
I just don't understand what
happened in there, that's all.
HEYWOOD
Old man's crazy as a rat in a tin
shithouse, is what.
RED
Heywood, enough. Ain't nothing
wrong with Brooksie. He's just
institutionalized, that's all.
HEYWOOD
Institutionalized, my ass.
RED
Man's been here fifty years. This
place is all he knows. In here,
he's an important man, an educated
man. A librarian. Out there, he's
nothing but a used-up old con with
arthritis in both hands. Couldn't
even get a library card if he
applied. You see what I'm saying?
FLOYD
Red, I do believe you're talking
out of your ass.
RED
Believe what you want. These walls
are funny. First you hate 'em, then
you get used to 'em. After long
enough, you get so you depend on
'em. That's "institutionalized."
JIGGER
Shit. I could never get that way.
ERNIE
(softly)
Say that when you been inside as
long as Brooks has.
RED
Goddamn right. They send you here
for life, and that's just what they
take. Part that counts, anyway.
105 EXT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON -- DAWN (1954) 105
The sun rises over gray stone.
106 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- DAWN (1954) 106
ANGLE ON RITA POSTER. Sexy as ever. The rising sun sends
fingers of rosy light creeping across her face.
107 INT -- LIBRARY -- DAWN (1954) 107
Brooks stands on a chair, poised at the bars of a window,
cradling Jake in his hands.
BROOKS
I can't take care of you no more.
You go on now. You're free.
He tosses Jake through the bars. The crow flaps away.
108 EXT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON -- MAIN GATE -- DAY (1954) 108
TWO SHORT SIREN BLASTS herald the opening of the gate. It
swings hugely open, revealing Brooks standing in his cheap
suit, carrying a cheap bag, wearing a cheap hat.
Brooks walks out, tears streaming down his face. He looks
back. Red, Andy, and others stand at the inner fence, seeing
him off. The massive gate closes, wiping them from view.
109 INT -- BUS -- DAY (1954) 109
Brooks is riding the bus, clutching the seat before him,
gripped by terror of speed and motion.
BROOKS (V.O.)
Dear Fellas. I can't believe how
fast things move on the outside.
110 EXT -- STREET -- PORTLAND, MAINE -- DAY (1954) 110
Brooks looks like a kid trying to cross the street without his
parents. People and traffic a blur.
BROOKS (V.O.)
I saw an automobile once when I was
young. Now they're everywhere.