July 23, 2016
No good thing ever dies, but trees unfortunately do.
The famous tree that was featured in the 1994 film "The Shawshank Redemption" fell on Friday.
The Shawshank Trail, a tour that allows fans of the movie to experience places where scenes were filmed, shared the news on its Facebook page:
According to Cleveland.com, high winds knocked down the tree located in Mansfield, Ohio.
Say farewell to the Shawshank Redemption tree... #ShawshankTree #ShawshankRedemption pic.twitter.com/7PTx4uAx7I
— PV_momma (@midwest_cowgirl) July 22, 2016
Jodie Snavely, the group tour manager for the Mansfield and Richland County Convention and Visitors Bureau, told Cleveland.com that the tree could have been 200 years old.
The tree plays a prominent role in the film. Falsely-convicted murderer Andy Dufresne, played by Tim Robbins, escapes the Shawshank Prison and buries a letter at the base of the tree. Before he fled, Dufresne begged fellow prisoner and friend Ellis Redding, played by Morgan Freeman, to find the tree when he was released to recover what is buried. The letter then tells Redding to use the money contained inside to join Dufresne in Mexico.
"I have had a chance to see the tree and if it's a stump left, I'm sure people will still come see it because hope is a good thing, and a good thing never dies," Snavely told CNN, echoing the words written in Dufresne's letter.
The film, which was adapted from a Stephen King book, was nominated for seven Academy Awards.
