I remember a couple of years ago I was looking through the TV Guide. You know how they put stars next to movies in there? Well, "Desperately Seeking Susan was on and had 3 stars next to it while "Shawshank Redemption" had only 2 stars. That's a crime!
This is the criteria they use to come to "how many stars" a movie gets. *from the mag itself*
Our evaluations are based on a number of factors, including a consensus of leading critics, quality of cast and director, awards earned and box-office performance.
How the hell did Shawshank Redemption only get 2 stars? Hmm You sure you saw that right?
Shawshank didn't do all that well in the theaters, and it didn't win any Oscars or Golden Globes, so maybe that is why they only gave it two stars. If that is why, it's pretty stupid reasoning. It's a five-star movie.