This Morgan Freeman Drama Is So Good It Should've Been the One to Get Him His First Oscar

Morgan Freeman should have won an Academy Award for The Shawshank Redemption, and I will forever stand by that.

A gripping movie that will have you tearing up, the film tells the story of a man named Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), who is falsely accused and convicted for the murders of his wife and her lover, and sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison. Obviously, when you’re faced with the plight of being falsely convicted of a crime and the harsh reality that you’re going to have to spend the rest of your life in prison, your life seems like it’s, well, over. Naturally, the overwhelming sense of depression that follows Andy is tough to deal with, and there is only one saving grace for him during this time period: a friendly gentleman known simply as Red (Freeman), who ends up becoming his mentor.

Red, himself, is a contraband smuggler serving a life sentence, and the two immediately form a heartwarming friendship. Red is there to support Andy at the beginning of his prison sentence when he is struggling to adapt to his new life. The two of them take on a mentorship role with the younger Tommy Williams (Gil Bellows), helping him pass his GED. Red is there to lift Andy up after the disappointment of being thrown into solitary confinement. Simply put, Red is the true friend that everybody deserves to have within their lifetimes.

Freeman’s subtle-yet-powerful performance and narration is part of what makes Shawshank so great. The direct, no-nonsense personality he gives Red balances out Andy’s glass-half-full mentality that at times seems way beyond the point of being realistic. Red is the Yin to Andy’s Yang and never leaves his side. And while Red may not see Andy’s vision at first, he also never doubts him (I won’t spoil the surprise ending).

Don’t get me wrong, The Shawshank Redemption did receive its recognition at the 1995 Academy Awards with seven nominations, which also included a “Best Actor” nomination for Freeman, but the film was shut out completely. Yes, The Shawshank Redemption didn't win a single Academy Award despite it now being recognized as one of the most beloved films in cinematic history. As for Freeman, I consider the 1995 “Best Actor” category to be among the toughest of the decade. Aside from Freeman's performance, you had Tom Hanks (who wound up winning) for Forrest Gump, Nigel Hawthorne for The Madness of King George, John Travolta for Pulp Fiction and Paul Newman for Nobody's Fool all up for contention.