Your voice is as singular a thing as your thumbprint or your DNA—never in all of human history has a voice exactly like yours existed and never again will it be repeated in another person. Some voices have reached an iconic status, I would say: Julia Child, Wallace Shawn, Ed Wynn, James Earl Jones, and topping the bunch, the voice of Morgan Freeman. Wouldn't it be just wonderful to have Morgan Freeman reading you bedtime stories at night? Or relay the traffic forecast in those deep, dulcet tones of his? Well, we can't have everything, but we can celebrate Morgan Freeman and enjoy his many cultural contributions. From movies to documentaries to audiobooks, the man is a master of his craft.
Born to a barber and a school teacher in 1937, Tennessee, Freeman moved around a lot during his childhood, temporarily settling in Greenwood, Mississippi. At the age of nine, he acted in his first school play and at twelve he won a state-level drama contest. The victories were only barely begun, of course; atop dozens of prestigious nominations, Freeman has been the recipient of two Black Reel Awards, one Academy Award, two Golden Globes, seven NAACP Image Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three lifetime achievement awards, among many others.
Talk about your high achievers.
Freeman's body of work is exciting in that he chooses such varying roles from project to project. We've seen him get Batman souped-up, crack a kidnapping case as James Patterson's Alex Cross, play God Himself, drive Miss Daisy, train Ben-Hur in the ways of a charioteer, debunk magicianry, and emulate South African President Nelson Mandela. As Freeman puts it:
"I like being eclectic. The more varied the better: the wider the range. I've been sucked into a kind of mold of a good guy and that's actually almost beyond my ability to control. But other than that, a good story and an interesting character is all I am looking for."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Here are a few of the ways to get your Freeman fix
(with a little help from your Essa Public Library):
Now You See Me
"An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money."
Morgan Freeman plays Thaddeus Bradley, an ex-magician who now spends his time debunking magic rather than performing it. He has his work cut out for him with a band of new magicians who call themselves "The Four Horsemen." Get it at Essa Public Library.
The Story of God with Morgan Freeman
Originally aired as individual episodes on National Geographic, this documentary series follows Morgan Freeman's quest to explore life's big questions, like death and creation, from the perspectives of different religions.
Invictus
"Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match."
Morgan Freeman was nominated for the Academy Award of Best Actor for his role as Nelson Mandela.
Going in Style
"Joe, Willie and Albert, three lifelong friends, plan to rob the bank that swindled them out of their pension money in order to come through for themselves and their loved ones."
Freeman plays Willie Davis, one of the three daring gentlemen who "step off the straight and narrow for the first time in their lives" in a hilarious attempt to right a corporate wrong.
The Shawshank Redemption
1994: now there was a good year!
Freeman would receive an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of "Red": "a lifer who knows the ropes at Maine's Shawshank State Prison."
"New inmate Andy Dufresne is a quiet banker, unjustly convicted of murder. Andy's indomitable will earns Red's friendship and his resourcefulness brings hope and change to the entire prison. Andy is full of surprises—and he saves his best surprise for last."
And there's more where that came from! You can find even more library-owned Freeman flicks right here.
A colleague of mine recently shared an absolutely brilliant idea to make movie nights at home more like the real thing; she and her sweetheart each grab a soda and some hot popcorn, select a feature in advance, set a time for the movie to begin, and don't look at their phones during the entire presentation—just like in the real theatre! And a lot of these films are so good that they merit being enjoyed in that way, I think. Some actors have a real knack for choosing great projects, and Morgan Freeman (probably because of his massive talent and eminent desirability as an actor) would certainly fall into that category.
Here's hoping that there are some fantastic Freeman flicks in your future. I hope you have a wonderful day, wherever you are.♡ See you in the movies!
—Victoria Murgante
Comments