The Shawkshank Redemption might be the best film that never won Best Picture, or very nearly that. But nothing was going to beat Forrest Gump that year, not even Pulp Fiction. 1994 seems to be a memorable year for many film fans because of those two movies specifically. Both are continually celebrated the way the older generations celebrate Citizen Kane and Vertigo. Shawshank is somehow the most poetic thing when it concludes, proving that the way a movie ends is the most important thing about it.
The other film that was, I thought, significant was Robert Redford’s Quiz Show. Somehow, John Turturro was not nominated for Supporting Actor. Quiz Show is a good example of the Oscars not really embracing films that depict Hollywood, or in this case, television, in an unflattering light. They much prefer when they’re freeing hostages from Iran.
If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section. Oscar Podcast will be uploaded some time Monday night.