Do you want to play Where Is This?

If so, watch the following clip & answer the following questions:

• What movie?
• Who’s the actor?
• What’s his character’s name?
• Where was the location supposed to be?
• Where was the actual location?

ANSWERS

If you’re a movie buff, then you know that the movie is The Shawshank Redemption . . . and that the actor is Tim Robbins . . . and the voice-over gave you the character’s name of Andy Dufresne.

And although you might’ve guessed or deduced that the scene was shot along the coast of California or Mexico, you’d be wrong on both counts.

When I first watched Shawshank – even through the scene was only thirteen seconds long – I knew exactly where it was shot.

You see, I both biked and ran along that same stretch of road hundreds of times. That view is unmistakable – and it’s even more breath-taking when you see the sun sparkling off the water, hear the waves lapping onto the rocks below the cliff, and feel the wind rifling thru your hair.

Yes, I still had a full head of hair back then and that wind was always howling. In fact, the gusts were so fierce at times, that it made it difficult to peddle and/or run downhill.

So don’t be fooled by Morgan Freeman’s voice-over. Freeman suggests that Andy Dufresne is riding along the Pacific – but Tim Robbins and the red convertible aren’t within 2,000 miles of the Pacific.

If you watch the movie, you’ll observe that Morgan Freeman’s character got a blank postcard and deduced:

• That his friend Andy Dufresne sent it to him.
• By the post-mark, Andy sent it from Fort Hancock, Texas.
• Andy is headed for Mexico.

Which makes perfect sense because there is no Extradition Treaty between Mexico and the United States. So once Andy reaches Mexico, he doesn’t have to worry about being captured and returned to the U.S.

What doesn’t make sense – especially when Morgan Freeman’s character traces Andy’s expected route into Mexico – is that Andy would be anywhere near the Pacific.

Just look at the map of Texas & show me where Fort Hancock – or any part of the Lone Star state – come in contact with the Pacific Ocean.

So Andy’s supposed to be driving from Texas to Mexico alongside the Pacific. But we now see that that’s impossible.

Okay – for you nitpickers out there – yes, Andy Dufresne could’ve then driven across Mexico in a westward direction until he did reach the Pacific. But that would be a long ride, he’s left no trail for Red to follow, and it’s way out of context for the plot.

NORTH SHORE ROAD

The scene was shot along North Shore Road . . . on the island of St. Croix . . . in the middle of the Caribbean . . . between Salt River Inlet and Cane Bay.

Let’s zoom in a little . . . to the exact curve where the red convertible was driving . . .

SECOND CLIP

Now watch the next clip & answer the same questions:

Okay, we know that’s the closing scene from The Shawshank Redemption . . . & that’s Morgan Freeman. But you may not remember his character’s name – Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding.

In that last scene, you’re supposed to think that Red’s walking along a beach somewhere in Mexico when he comes across his buddy Andy Dufresne trying to salvage a derelict boat. But once again, that’s a bad presumption.

This scene was also shot on St. Croix . . . on the southwestern tip of the island . . . at Sandy Point . . . a world-class beach & a favorite spot for locals.

And zooming in . . .

BAD NEWS

When The Shawhank Redemption was filmed back in 1994, the producers took the cast & crew on location & filmed at a real place. Unfortunately, today, those scenes would probably be produced using a blue screen and/or CGI. Which, in my opinion, is bad news for movie-lovers. Now, I’m talking about older movie-lovers – not the younger generation that gobbles whatever crap is shoved down their throats by film-makers and advertisers.

Yes, today, movies can be shot faster & cheaper – but certainly not better.

And let’s not get into re-hashing older films that were never that good the first time around. I’d feel sorry for the younger generation of movie-lovers – but they have no idea what real movies are supposed to look like.

While I’m into my old files, I’ll trot out a historical vignette that intertwines the island of St. Croix with Christopher Columbus & his Second Voyage to the New World . . . Cabo de las Flechas will be coming soon.

In addition to being the official Eagles Outsider for BlameMyFather.com, Barry Bowe is also the author of:

• Born to Be Wild
• 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant
• 12 Best Eagles QBs
• Birth of the Birds
• Soon-to-be-published sexy, police procedural Caribbean Queen
• Soon-to-be-published novel Stosh Wadzinski
• Soon-to-be-published novel Polish Widow