Andy DuFresne (Tim Robbins), a successful banker, was convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. Sentenced to life in prison, he learns prison life the hard way. He approaches Red (Morgan Freeman), a lifer who is known for procurement. Andy wants a poster of Rita Hayworth and a rock hammer. On work duty one day he overhears the head guard lamenting that the IRS will take a chunk of money he inherited. Andy offers to help him with a tax loophole so he won't have to pay the taxes. That leads to Andy being moved to work detail in the library and the beginning of his work doing taxes and legal matters for guards as well as being involved in money manipulations for the warden. A young man comes into the prison. He has proof that Andy is innocent. When the warden has him killed because Andy is too valuable to let go, Andy sees the handwriting on the wall. After having a chat with Red, Andy vanishes during the night. He visits banks he has put the warden's money into under a fake name, takes the money, and goes to Mexico. He sends reports of what has transpired in the prison to the authorities, which results in a major prison overhaul. Red gets paroled and follows Andy's last instructions to meet him in Mexico.