This is one of my favorite movies of all time. The novella by Stephen King is pretty good, but when retooled as a script they accomplished the nearly impossible, a movie that really is better than the book.

If you ever have a chance to read the script for Shawshank Redemption, I recommend it. There are places online where you can order scripts from Hollywood productions if you're really into movies (like me).

The acting in this film is superb, from Tim Robbins' understated performance as Andy to Morgan Freeman's steady, patient mentor figure and iconic narration.

This movie is one of the few on my 5 star short list.