The Couch Potato's Guide to the Best of the Best: Morgan Freeman by Geoff Carter

David Sifry, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By Geoff Carter

The Ten Best Films of Morgan Freeman

He is the voice of God—or your best friend. He has played Nelson Mandela as well as the President of the United States. He has narrated epic cinematic journeys. We’ve followed him into the gritty worlds of prison life, policing, and amateur boxing. His calm and reassuring voice has guided us through rush-hour traffic on the Waze app. He is instantly recognizable. He is Morgan Freeman.

Freeman is a paradox. In his films, he has exemplified figures of benevolent authority, paragons of leadership, while still maintaining his distinctive and personable down-to-earth presence. His Nelson Mandela in Invictus is as easily believable as his character Scrap, a down-and-out boxer in Million Dollar Baby. He is a highly sought leading actor, able to carry a movie like Lean on Me, or a team player, submerging himself, as in Glory, into a lower profile member of an acting ensemble.

Morgan Freeman also exudes a decency in his persona. Even when he’s playing a murderer, an assassin, or a street pimp, there is something about him we—as an audience—trust. He is the voice (and voice-over) of reason in The Shawshank Redemption, playing Red, a world-weary convict trying to lead as decent a life as he can behind bars. He knows the ropes. He’s tough but he’s a good guy. His bewilderment while adjusting to the outside world is both sad and pitiful, yet we don’t feel sorry for him. We know he’ll get by. There’s a strength to him. And we, as the audience, root for Red because he is a decent guy.

Morgan Freeman transcends labels. He is not only an actor. He is a presence. He—and his voice—are icons. Can you imagine Jim Carrey guiding you home during rush-hour traffic? Could you imagine anyone but Freeman playing Red in Shawshank? (Even though the character was originally written as an Irishman?) Who else could have narrated the epic and harrowing journey of penguins making their way across the vast Antarctic wasteland with such gravity and sympathy—making the film a surprise hit in the bargain.

So, with no further ado, (and in my best Morgan Freeman voice) here—in no particular order—are the Couch Potato’s choices for the ten best Morgan Freeman movies.

Morgan Freeman’s Ten Best Films

Seven: A psychopathic killer is on the loose in a city on the verge of chaos. In the final days before his retirement, Detective Winterset (Freeman) determines the maniac is choosing his victims to demonstrate the consequences of the seven deadly sins. With his rookie partner Mills, (Brad Pitt), Winterset hunts down the madman before he can fulfill his ungodly quest. Freeman’s Winterset is educated, world-weary, and discouraged by the decadence surrounding him but still remains a humane and conscientious cop. Notable for Kevin Spacey’s creepy portrayal of John Doe, the murderer.

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey, Richard Roundtree, and Leland Orser. Written by Andrew Kevin Walker. Directed by David Fincher.

Lean on Me: Based on the true story of Joe Clark, a real-life educator who was assigned to take over the once-successful Eastside High School which is now a haven for gangsters and drug dealers. Appointed by the mayor to save the school from takeover by the state unless it reaches 75% competency on the minimum skills test, Clark (Freeman) institutes draconian measures like immediately expelling three hundred troublemakers, replacing staff, cleaning up the school, and even chaining the doors. Freeman’s Clark is tough, strict, and unrelenting, but it is obvious that his ultimate concern is for the welfare of his students. Notable for outstanding supporting performances.

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Lynne Thigpen, Richard Guillaume, Ethan Phillips, Michael Beach, and Jermain “Huggy” Hopkins. Written by Michael Schiffer. Directed by John G. Avildsen.

Amistad: Based on the true story of La Amistad, a Spanish slave ship taken over by its captives, Africans destined for slavery. After being captured, theAfricans are put on trial for their lives. In a case that came to involve the highest levels of American government, including President van Buren and John Quincy Adams, the case was finally heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. Even though Freeman has a relatively small part as Theodore Joadson, abolitionist Lewis Tappan’s assistant, he still commands attention during his limited screen time. Notable for an incredible cast.

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou, Nigel Hawthorne, Pete Postlethwaite, Anna Paquin, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Written by David Franzoni. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Glory: A biopic about the Civil War’s 54^th Massachusetts, the first all-black regiment assembled and deployed during the war. A motley group of freed men, escaped slaves, and others, eager to fight, join up. Colonel Shaw, their commander, must fight to ensure his men are properly clothed, equipped, and trained before heading into battle. When they finally are allowed to fight the Confederacy, the 54^th displays profound courage and suffers devastating losses in the attack on Charleston Harbor. Even though Freeman is cast in a relatively minor role in this talented ensemble, he shines as a reassuring paternal presence to the men. Notable for an outstanding ensemble cast, especially the enlisted men.

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Cary Elwes, Denzel Washington, Andre Braugher, Morgan Freeman, and Alan North. Written by Kevin Jarre and directed by Edward Zwick.

March of the Penguins: A feature-length nature documentary which follows a colony of Emperor penguins as they set out on their grueling inland journey to their breeding grounds. After mating, the male penguins must protect the eggs by holding them on their feet above the ice for months while the females go consume enough food to be able to provide for the chicks. Surprisingly gripping, the film details the incredible hardships including sub-zero temperatures, polar storms, and starvation, that these animals go through to simply raise a family. Some just don’t make it. A sterling example of Freeman’s voice work. His narration lends authenticity and pathos to these epic events. Notable for incredible cinematography.

Starring: Morgan Freeman (voice). Written by Luc Jaqcuet and Jordan Roberts. Directed by Luc Jacquet.

Unforgiven: A reformed outlaw Will Munny (Clint Eastwood) is persuaded by a young man (The Schofield Kid) to assist in the assassination of two cowboys accused of mutilating a prostitute. They head out, picking up Will’s friend Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) along the way. Once they get to town, they encounter the sheriff, “Little Bill” Daggett, (Hackman) who beats up Will. Undeterred, the group hunts down the cowboys. Along the way, Ned is captured and tortured by Little Bill. Will, intent on revenge, returns to town, and, alone, confronts Little Bill and his deputies. Freeman’s performance as Ned, Will’s only friend, is as compelling as it is accessible. He is a decent man caught up in an indecent situation, and his conscience proves to be his undoing. Notable for Saul Rubinek’s portrayal of W.W. Beauchamp, a writer (letters and such?) who gloms onto gunfighters to cull the gory details of their conquests.

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris, and James Woolvet. Written by David Webb Peoples. Directed by Clint Eastwood.

Million Dollar Baby: Another Eastwood gem about Frankie Dunn, (Eastwood) a boxing trainer and the owner of a decrepit gym. A young woman, Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank), shows up, asking Dunn to train her. He refuses initially but is eventually persuaded by his friend and employee Scrap-Iron Dupris, (Freeman) a washed-up ex-boxer, to take her on. Maggie quickly rises through the amateur ranks, cultivating a reputation for quick K.O.s. Against his better judgement, Dunn starts booking Maggie out of her weight class and then against more serious competition, finally arranging a title fight with the ruthless German boxer “Blue Bear”. After Maggie is seriously injured, Frankie must make the most difficult decision of his life. Freeman’s performance as the sympathetic and wily Scrap is outstanding, as is his fight with one of the gym’s young boxers—and bullies—Shawrelle Berry.

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Hillary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Jay Baruchel, and Mike Colter. Written by Paul Haggis from the stories of F.X. Toole. Directed by Clint Eastwood.

Driving Miss Daisy: After Daisy (Jessica Tandy) a cantankerous 72-year-old woman crashes her car, her son Boolie (Dan Ackroyd) hires Hoke (Freeman) an African American, as her chauffeur. Resistant to the arrangement at first, Daisy eventually warms to Hoke and starts to appreciate him as a person. When Daisy’s housekeeper dies, Hoke takes on the cooking for the household. After her synagogue is bombed, Daisy gains a new understanding of the discrimination Hoke suffers daily. The two become friends and grow old together. Eventually, suffering from dementia, Daisy is committed to a retirement home where she is visited by Hoke, whom she calls her only friend. Freeman strikes a tone of irony and gentle rebuke when dealing with Daisy’s implicit racist attitudes. Notable for the chemistry between Tandy and Freeman.

Starring: Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, Dan Ackroyd, Patti LuPone, and William Hall, Jr.

Invictus: After his election in post-apartheid South Africa, President Nelson Mandela is faced with a severely racially divided country plagued with poverty, crime, and internal strife. Seeking to unite his country, Mandela turns to Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), captain of the national rugby team, the Springboks, as a means to rally all South African citizens to a common cause. At first, players on the integrated team resist each but then eventually become a real team, advancing in the tournament until they reach the finals against New Zealand. Notable for Freeman’s outstanding performance as a world leader adept at walking the international stage and displaying the human touch.

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge, Adjoa Andoh, Julian Lewis Jones, and Leleti Khumalo. Written by Anthony Peckham. Directed by Clint Eastwood.

The Shawshank Redemption: Former banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is unjustly convicted of murdering his wife and is sentenced to life at Shawshank Penitentiary. While there, he meets the prison procurer, Red (Morgan Freeman) whom he eventually befriends. Through ingenious innovations, including building a prison library, Andy makes life a little easier for the Shawshank inmates. The warden, however, puts Andy to work manipulating the prison books in order to hide his corrupt practices. Andy gets the better of him however, eventually outing him to the authorities. Notable for Freeman’s performance as Red as well as his outstanding voice-over work for the film.

Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows, and James Whitmore. Written and directed by Frank Darabont