Shawshank Redemption Quotes
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Source: Shawshank Redemption
Speaker: Red
"I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged."
Sometimes it makes me sad, though… Andy being gone. I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend.
Context
This line was spoken by Red (played by Morgan Freeman) in Shawshank Redemption (1994), directed by Frank Darabont.
He's not a ginger or a Pokémon protagonist, but Red holds Shawshank Redemption together with his warm, poignant voiceovers delivered in Morgan Freeman's dulcet tones. And it's fitting that he gets to deliver the film's final lines as he then breaks parole to be with his friend Andy Dufresne on a Mexico beach after he's released years later.
This particular voiceover encapsulates the friendship between Andy and Red as Andy has made the Shawshank prison a much brighter place as he plays operas over the PA system and fills the library with exciting and ironic books like The Count of Monte Cristo. Of course, he has an insanely clever—and disgusting—escape plan.
But Andy's ingenuity and skill in both escaping and revealing that the warden's a money launderer doesn't make Red miss him any less. At least he gets to sip mai tais—or whatever drink Red is into—on a beach with him in the end.
Where you've heard it
A friend or mentor has used this line to cheer you up when you've been in a life situation that feels like Shawshank. They remind you that Andy eventually tunneled out of his cell with the help of a rock and a Raquel Welch poster, and that you can beat your problems in a similar manner.
The Brooklyn-based indie band American Authors allude to this quote in the song "Luck" from their 2014 debut album Oh, What A Life!
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
You should totally spread your wings and embrace life instead of being stuck in a terrible situation. However, we don't recommend crawling through dung-filled sewers to find this freedom.