The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Director Frank Capra’s stories of little men beating the odds were a key inspiration for writer-director Frank Darabont’s adaptation of the Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. The film’s history turned out to be Capra-esque, too. Darabont fought for the right to make his feature directing debut with the picture and turned out a warmly human story about the relationship between two convicts, a banker (Tim Robbins) wrongly convicted of murder and a lifer who smuggles in contraband (Morgan Freeman). Despite strong reviews, the picture flopped initially. But after receiving seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, it took off on home video and cable broadcasts. Thirty years later, it still ranks as one of Columbia’s most popular releases with a staunchly devoted fan base.
d. Frank Darabont, 142m, DCP