Based on King's novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, Frank Darabont's film is already at icon status and may prove to be a generational work of cinema. It focuses on the friendship between two prison inmates and celebrates the near miraculous effects of hope in the face of despair. It's a rare Stephen King story that deals solely with real life monsters and will go down as one of the best American stories of the 20th century.