The Shawshank Redemption

Dir: Frank Darabont, 1994 (9.8*)

AFI Top 100

My favorite prison film and the best made from any Stephen King work yet, from his short story "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption." The story starts with innocent Tim Robbins being convicted of killing his wife and her lover, ending up in Shawshank prison for life. There he meets Morgan Freeman, in probably his best acting performance to date, and they become best friends over time.

Robbins survives by becoming creative in a manner I won't reveal here. Look for a great beer drinking scene. Totally uplifting, it's hard to believe that it won no Oscars, with 7 nominations. It's now the top-rated film at Internet Movie DB (IMDB.com), as rated by viewers, just ahead of The Godfather.