Morgan Freeman, Frank Darabont and Tim Robbins (Photo courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

It has claimed the No.1 spot on IMDb's Top 250 films from user opinions, and has won the hearts of many Americans over 20 years. Despite the current recognition of "The Shawshank Redemption" as an iconic film that changed the film industry, it wasn't always this way.

The film, based on Stephen King's novella, "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption," is regarded as the first to take a humanistic approach to portraying incarceration. It tells the story of hope through the friendship between Red, a convicted murderer, and Andy Dufresne, who is wrongly accused of killing his wife and her lover.

In a Q & A hosted by bestselling author Max Brooks ("World War Z" and "The Zombie Survival Guide"), director Frank Darabont and leading actors Morgan Freeman (Red) and Tim Robbins (Andy Dufresne) told hilarious stories from the making of the film.

They all agreed that the opening was disappointing and frustrating for the whole team, as the film really didn't take off until it was nominated for seven Academy Awards. In the beginning, people criticized everything from the name of the film to Darabont as a director.

"People say, 'Why are you calling the thing The Shawshank Redemption? Nobody can say that,'" Freeman told the audience.

Freeman and Robbins recalled some of the names people come up with as the film title, including "Screamshaw Reduction" and "Shimshunk Redemption."

Darabont says one of the most harsh reactions came from Kenneth Turan, a long-time film critic for the Los Angeles Times. He says it was upsetting to get the worst review from the local paper compared to the glowing reviews from the rest of the nation. 

One comment on the internet—which Darabont calls a "clearinghouse for the mentally ill"—claimed that Darabont should commit a crime so that he will get locked up and never make another movie. 

However, Darabont received numerous letters from those thanking him for providing inspiration and reinforcement to turn their life around. 

"They credit it for having saved their life that day," he said. One had said "I lost 250 pounds because I saw your movie," according to Darabont.

Robbins, who teaches theater in prison, said the inmates appreciate the movie as it provides a sense of hope and helps them keep their sanity under tough conditions. (But the guards not so much, he jokingly added.)

The actors' decisions to take on the challenging, yet fascinating character roles goes back to the moment they read the script. 

"I read the script without knowing which character I was being told to read for," Freeman said. "So when i read the script, I called my agent and said 'whatever,'" willing to take on any role.

After finding out he would become the central character, he excitedly thought, "Ok, I own this."

Brooks also asked the actors what they did to prepare for their roles in such an unfamiliar setting. He had heard that they watched animals in zoos to observe the sense of entrapment.

"I also spent an afternoon in solitary confinement, which was really interesting," Robbins said. "I knew I was gonna get out but I tried to get the sensorial experience somewhat and talk to prisoners, talk to guards."

Freeman replied, "I just read the script," bringing up laughter from the audience.

Robbins says it has largely to do with imagining the reality to be much worse than what you can possibly experience, so that you get an accurate sense of what such conditions can do to the human spirit.

Brooks, like many others, admired the universal and ever-lasting effect of the first-of-its-kind film.

"I can't think of a movie in modern history that has been more loved by everyone," Brooks said. "More importantly, It's one of the few movies that I know that has also bridged the gender gap."

King, in looking back at the making of the widely acknowledged classic, explained Darabont's work: "He's gone on to make other great films, two from my work, I'm happy to say, but "Shawshank" is its own thing—an American icon—and I'm delighted to have been part of it."

You can reach Staff Reporter Diana Lee here and follow her on Twitter here.