Best film of the 90s...

Rating: Null/10 (25 October 2001)

With L.A. Confidential running a close second, this is the best film in a surprisingly good decade for movies. Finally, somebody gets Stephen King right. The film is based on one of his short novellas, and director Frank Darabont absolutely nails it. Of course, he has a lot of help from Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins, Bob Gunton, Clancy Brown, and Gil Bellows. All give amazing performances. Throw in Darabont's screenplay, Roger Deakins' cinematography, and Thomas Newman's score, and you have a bonafide masterpiece. If you don't dig this movie, please check your pulse.

It's a real shame Hollywood did not know how to market this back in 1994, because word-of-mouth came too late for the film to make money or win the Oscars it deserves. So when you see Shawshank for the first time, you'll wonder how in the hell Forrest Gump won best picture. To this day, I've never left a movie theater feeling better than when I saw The Shawshank Redemption.