1994: Forrest Gump vs Pulp Fiction vs The Shawshank Redemption

[CaptainCanada]

On the eve of another Academy Awards ceremony, let us think back to the 1994 Best Picture slate, which is arguably the strongest in the modern era (certainly since at least 1976's). Two nominees (Quiz Show and Four Weddings and a Funeral) are good films and generally well-regarded; but the big hitters are the three modern classics: Forrest Gump (the winner), Pulp Fiction (its main rival at the time) and The Shawshank Redemption (which has since arguably eclipsed them both). All three are still held in very high esteem today. If you go by the IMDB at the moment, Shawshank is the #1 film of all time (and also has the most votes of any film), Pulp Fiction is #5, and Forrest Gump is #33.

Gump, as the winner, has attracted the biggest backlash, but I still love it. It's not as transcendent as Shawshank or as hip as Pulp Fiction (though it has much, much more emotion than the latter), but I think it's tremendously effective, and it makes me wish Robert Zemeckis wasn't spending all his time doing unconvincing motion-capture CGI these days. My vote for the best goes to Shawshank.

 

[Watchman]

Pulp Fiction by leaps, bounds, and light years. Shawshank is good and I don't like Gump at all.

 

[Jackasscoley15]

Damn, tough choice, seeing as I love all three. But if I have to choose only one as the superior movie, my vote goes to Shawshank Redemption. Forrest Gump is a film that I never get tired of watching to this day, but as far as execution goes, it doesn't hold a candle to Shawshank. And while I love Pulp Fiction on a technical level, for me it just doesn't carry any emotional weight.

 

[Hurm...]

I have to go with The Shawshank Redemption. I LOVE Pulp Fiction, though.

 

[CaptainCanada]

Pulp Fiction is a tremendously fun and very influential film, but I would call it my least favourite of the three. The only thing that I think holds back Tarantino as a filmmaker is that his movies are not really about anything, other than, I guess, how much Tarantino loves movies. This isn't prohibitive, by any means (Inglourious Basterds was my choice for Best Picture last year), but when stacked up against other tremendously-made films that do have more in the way of theme, he's at a disadvantage.

 

[JeetKuneDo]

Love 'em all, but Shawshank is the winner for me.

 

[dude stannis]

I love all three dearly. But the Bruce fan in me gotsta go Pulp Fiction.

 

[DarkKnight88]

They're ALL great in their own way. I mean seriously, can you really compare the three of them? I do feel Forrest Gump gets too much hate nowadays (the Dances with Wolves syndrome). It's actually still pretty great.

 

[danoyse]

Loved all 3 films, I've never had an issue with Forrest Gump winning Best Picture.

If I had to pick between the other two, I'd go with Shawshank Redemption over Pulp Fiction.

 

[Solidus]

Yea I can't vote this really. I love all three in their own ways. To me it's almost neck and neck with Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Shawshank first. Because it's one of my favorite films. It gets to me on every viewing. Pulp Fiction second, then Gump. I love all three though.

 

[Poetic Chaos]

1. Shawshank Redemption
2. Forrest Gump
3. Pulp Fiction

No losers here.

 

[danoyse]

I saw Shawshank about a month before it opened. It was amazing. I'd read the book (novella, actually), and I still think it's one of the best Stephen King adaptations. The audience seemed to love it, and I remember I assumed it was just going to be a big hit.

Then it opened and disappeared from theaters in about a week. It was ridiculous. But when it got all the Oscar nominations, suddenly it was back in theaters and then it started to finally find this audience it deserved.

So even though it didn't win anything, just the nominations made it a winner. I was so happy about that at the time. Still am.

 

[jonathancrane]

Easily Shawshank.

Pulp Fiction, while its a technical achievement, becomes unbearable after one viewing.

As for Forest...don't have much to say in its defense or promotion. It just is.

 

[Bunker]

Shawshank and Pulp are masterpieces. Gump sucks.

 

[CGHulk]

Gump is a classic, but I wanted Shawshank to win that year. I don't go for any movies that are nihilism, so Pulp Fiction is out!

 

[Secret Fawful]

Shawshank, easily. A film filled with great characters, memorable scenes, and a lot of hope. I haven't seen Pulp Fiction yet, and don't like Forrest Gump. I always thought Gump was ultimately a very cruel film. I'm not saying I always like happy endings, and I'm not saying Forrest Gump didn't have a happy ending of a sort, but all I ever get from the movie is a feeling of hopelessness and futility. It feels like a slap to the face when I finish it and it just makes me feel like I wasted my time on it.

 

[Max J Power]

I've only seen Pulp Fiction. I'd be surprised if the other ones topped it for me; in addition to being a masterpiece, Pulp Fiction is one of the movies that got me really into movies, so it gets some extra points with me.

 

[Mace Dolex]

All three films are great and it's funny but if it hadn't been for the parodies on Family Guy and Robot Chicken I might of never cared to watch The Shawshank Redemption.

And isn't it the same for most of us here? I was 18 in 1994 so I was mostly into comedies and action movies never caring for the dramas, I guess as one gets older they learn to appreciate good movies.

 

[Drizzle]

I love all three of those films, but if I were to choose one for Best Picture, I might go with Shawshank.

 

[Spider-Fan]

As great as Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction are, The Shawshank Redemption got robbed. It was the best film of that year.

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

No contest for me, Pulp fiction.
Gump is alright, it can be pretty funny and touching, I will watch it if it happens to come on tv.
Shawshank is good, but i don't think it is the outright classic a lot of people say it is, it is an uplifting story for sure, but as a piece of art, it is not *that* remarkable. I think it's pretty telling that the guy went on to do more Stephen King adaptations afterwards, he is not a great director like Tarantino, more like a guy who knows how to follow formula, and that's what it's like, it's a very forumulaic prison movie.

 

[_______]

1. Pulp Fiction
2. Shawshank
3. Forrest

 

[CrypticOne]

Very hard to choose. Pulp Fiction. With Forrest Gump coming in second.

 

[Fenrir]

My ranking:

1. The Shawshank Redemption
2. The Shawshank Redemption
3. The Shawshank Redemption

That's right. The other two films don't even register in comparison. Of course, not to take anything away from either Pulp Fiction or Forrest Gump, both great films (the former arguably more so), but The Shawshank Redemption is simply in a league of its own. I know IMDB's ratings mean crap but I still find it incredibly fascinating that a period prison drama beat a much beloved Mafia classic in the internet popular vote. That goes to show how deeply The Shawshank Redemption connects with the wider audience, despite its niche genre and utterly dreary backdrop.