No way does this belong in the top 250....

Rating: 8/10 (15 October 2005)

Shawshank IS a very good film but it has too many cliché characters and situations AND script holes that one can drive a truck through. Gee, this must be from a Stephen King story. Actually, it's from two of his short stories. With King its often quantity and not quality. Despite that, The Shawshank Redemption is worthwhile.
What this film does have is terrific performances from the entire cast and a sense that an honest man can remain honest, despite the worst of circumstances. The scenes with the great character actor James Whitmore, especially those of his trying to cope after his release, are very well done.
The last ten minutes is splendid and almost redeems the rest of the picture. It gives this film an 8 instead of a 6 in my scale.