1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Nominated For: Best Picture; Best Actor (Freeman); Best Adapted Screenplay; Best Cinematography; Best Editing; Best Original Score; Best Sound Mixing. IMDB Ranking: #1 Rotten Tomatoes: 90% To most, The Shawshank Redemption is a masterpiece, excelling in all areas, from the poignant authenticity of Shawshank and its inmates, to the beautiful original score that is constantly underlining the movie's central theme of everlasting hope, to the performances of the male-dominated cast (particularly Morgan Freeman, who inherits a share of his old friend's overwhelming sense of optimism right after he loses the very last shred of his own). To the Academy's credit, The Shawshank Redemption was nominated for seven awards, but unfortunately for the picture, the 67th Academy Awards were one of the toughest ever, with both Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction released that same year; indeed, Shawshank lost out to Forrest Gump in four of its seven categories. Regardless of this, and in spite of its modest box office performance, The Shawshank Redemption has gone on to become possibly the greatest sleeper hit of all time thanks to television showings, video and DVD sales. It has topped several 'Best Film Ever' polls and lists, and has held the IMDB.com number 1 slot since 2008 - cementing its mantle as perhaps the most universally loved film ever made. Like this list? Which movies have we missed? Let us know in the comments section below.
Gary Hughes
I'm a university graduate/full-time layabout who fills his days writing fiction, watching 90s sitcoms and growing irate after failing to catch Mewtwo with 99 ultra balls on Pokémon Red. I think that says it all, really, doesn't it?
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Gary