MANSFIELD — Richland Source members never let us down.
This week we had a member donate two tickets as part of a drawing to Saturday’s Shawshank Redemption 30th anniversary Q-A with some of the movie’s stars and director Frank Darabont.
To qualify for the drawing, members had to share some of their thoughts on the movie and the impact it’s had on our community.
Here’s some of what they told us:
“For the 25th (anniversary), we took out friends’ old car that was seen in the movie and drove it to all the sites. It was super cool. When my Mom was dying of cancer, my husband got me a bracelet that said ‘Hope is a good thing, and no good thing ever dies,’ ” Kim Bajko said.
“He also uses it as trivia on why it didn’t win an Oscar that year, because Forrest Gump won — another outstanding movie. He has a shirt the says Dufrene and Redding fishing charters.”
One member knows someone who had a brush with Morgan Freeman.
“I live in Lucas and many of my friends were involved in some way with the movie. My friend, Sybil Burskey, was a tour guide and in charge of events at Malabar Farm. Morgan Freeman boarded his wife’s horse at a local farm during his stay. Sybil’s daughter Erin was invited to ride horses with Morgan and his daughter. As tour guide, Sybil met many of the stars from the movie,” Margaret Martin said.
Stephen Crane said, “First, it’s on my favorite feel-good movie list. Watch it once or twice a year. Second, for many years I rode my bike every Saturday morning down Pleasant Valley Road — always noting the famous, now departed, oak tree.”
Mansfield has become a reference point because of the movie, too.
“I travel (a lot) for business. People are always asking where I’m from and after I tell them Mansfield, Ohio and get a blank stare. I mention it was where “The Shawshank Redemption” was filmed and it’s amazing how people react to this fact and then go on to share how much the movie has meant to them!
“I remember when it was being filmed and how excited the community was to be hosting a movie production (both stars and crew). I’ve run the Shawshank Hustle a few times and I love how people from around the country participate so they can tour the Reformatory and feel closer to the whole ‘Shawshank Vibe,’ ” Chase Eyster said.
We heard from several folks who were extras in the picture.
“My husband Dave Potter was an extra. he was the ball player first in line at the library door. We love Shawshank — read the short story and loved it long before the movie! Now we watch the movie several times a year. It’s one of the best movies ever made. We have a framed poster in our TV room,” Pamela Potter said.
“The attached picture was taken last spring. We were at Malabar for our granddaughter’s prom pictures and the Shawshank van was in the parking lot. Dave posted the picture on Facebook saying, ‘look who I ran into at Malabar,’ and several friends thought he was serious!”
The element of hope was a central theme that struck a chord with numerous readers.
“The letter Andy wrote to Red about hope; the very idea that hope could exist in such hopeless circumstances is stunningly uplifting,” said Tim Williams.
Many of the sites in town are part of the Shawshank Trail, that most of us drive past each day.
“I was thrilled to watch some of the filming and transition in particular of the E & B market, now KV market to reflect a grocery store of that era,” said Norval Blackwell.
One teacher remembered it for his students’ appearance in the movie.
“It was filmed the summer after I had joined the faculty at OSU-M, and many of my students were extras in the movie. It was so exciting to catch glimpses of them!” said David Tovey.
Romance and Shawshank? Yes, we heard about that, too.
“Always enjoyed the movie. Had our wedding reception at Pugh Cabin and we live on Snyder Road near where Red jumped out of back of pickup truck near ‘Buxton,’ ” Richard Wander said.
“The movie, of course, was amazing … the characters profoundly impressed me. But when we actually visited the Reformatory everything changed … tears, shock, despair,” said Joanne Snow. “How could a human exist in those circumstances?
“You transformed from a spectator to a participant.”