A masterpiece, shame it was put down by Hollywood politix...

Rating: 10/10 (6 February 2001)

I think there is no need for me come up with words of praise, 'cos they've already been said in comments before mine! But the interesting thing is that Shawshank Redemption never won any thing at the 1994 Academy Awards, least of all Best Picture. Look at the competition... Forrest Gump, Quiz Show, Pulp Fiction, and (for Heaven's Sake) 4 Weddings and a Funeral! If I do recall correctly, the buzz at that time was that the only *real* contenders were Pulp and Forrest. Shawshank never figured in the race. FYI, Forrest won it, and he's at #169 in the IMDb 250.
Anyway, my opinion is that every once in a long while, you get ordinary people who have had minimal success on their own, come together and make an almost perfect movie. This is it. I doubt that anyone of the people who made this film will ever be able to reach the heights they did with Shawshank. Some have tried, but failed (like the director -> Green Mile).
Embrace this film, and let it enrich your being.