Uplifting and Inspirational

Rating: 10/10 (8 October 2006)

Back in 1994, 'The Shawshank Redemption' opened to lukewarm reviews and mild economic success, securing less than $30 million at the domestic box office. Though nominated for a very respectable seven Academy Awards, it failed to win any of these, up against the likes of 'Forrest Gump' and 'Pulp Fiction.' Since then, the film has steadily grown in popularity and now stands as one of the most highly-regarded films of the 1990's.
Convicted for the brutal murder of his wife and her lover, a crime of which he claims to be innocent, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins, 'Mystic River,' 2003) is ordered to serve two back-to-back life sentences at Shawshank Prison. Life is hard. The prison guards are brutal and unforgiving, many prisoners are ruthlessly antagonistic towards Andy, and the warden is greedy and corrupt. Nevertheless, Andy forms lifelong friendships with many of his fellow prisoners, most particularly Red (Morgan Freeman, 'Se7en,' 1995), the "man who can get things." Clinging stubbornly to the knowledge of his own innocence, Andy never loses his hope that justice will inevitably prevail.
Despite being a story filled with suffering and adversity, 'The Shawshank Redemption' remains one of the most uplifting and inspirational films of all time.