Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman has been in the business for over four decades, during which time he’s delighted youngsters on The Electric Company, driven Miss Daisy, led the White House vs. an asteroid, hunted serial killers, trained Hilary Swank, helped Batman, played God, fought apartheid, gunslinged his way through the Wild West, sent penguins along the circle of life with the power of his voice, and introduced the CBS Evening News. He’s earned that reputation for doling out movie wisdom with the best of ‘em. With so many great performances to choose from, what’s your favorite Freeman role?
I’d bet good money most folks would pick Freeman’s turn as Red in The Shawshank Redemption, but you know, I always thought that flick was a tad overrated. I’m sorry! (No I’m not. And seriously, why is it the number one favorite movie of every adult male of a certain generation?)
So I’m going to go out on a limb and share one of my favorite Freeman characters: Azeem in the oft-maligned Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Freeman’s dedicated Moor warrior was as compelling as Kevin Costner’s accent, or lack thereof, was ridiculous. Look, it was 1991. I was 10. He was my second-favorite thing about that movie after the hit single “Everything I Do (I Do It For You).” And just look at how he does with one speech what Costner’s Robin Hood can’t manage to do with ten times the number of forest pep talks!
If you would be freemen and women, so to speak, join me now! Leave your favorite Freeman roles in the comments below.
The five-time Oscar-winning (and 47-time Oscar-nominated) composer and conductor John Williams was born 80 years ago today in Flushing, Queens. Somewhere a concertmaster is no doubt preparing a 100-piece orchestra for a rousing, booming rendition of “Happy Birthday,” but for now, we can send our own regards with a discussion of his finest composition for the screen. You only have, oh, 130-something projects to choose from.
Williams will be back at the Oscars later this month, a double-nominee for both War Horse and The Adventures of Tintin — neither of which I’d put anywhere near the guy’s 10 best scores. Star Wars, Jaws, Superman and Raiders of the Lost Ark are iconic, obvious options for that distinction, though I’ll take Williams’s partnership with Oliver Stone to block — and the sweeping, churning, shocking and utterly evocative JFK for the win:
Born on the Fourth of July is up there, too:
Anyway, your turn! And happy 80th, Mr. Williams!
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Somewhere in Buckingham Palace, THE QUEEN! is pacing back and forth and is filled with so much worry that she’s about to order one of her maids to queef into her pocketbook over the rumor from The Daily Mail that the third in line to the throne is tapping his fiery scepter on the common pussy of an American (OFF!) cocktail waitress (‘ER!) who wears white Juicy Couture sweatsuits (‘EAD!).
A source tells the DM that two weeks ago, Prince Hot Ginge took a break from his helicopter training to guzzle down on the sweet nectar at the Andaz Hotel in San Diego. That’s where he met 26-year-old Jessica Donaldson, a “VIP cocktail waitress” at the Ivy Club who captured the royal loins of PHG with her vast knowledge of the American cinematic classic Laguna Beach and her ability to suck out a Jell-O shot from across a crowded room. The source says that since they met at the Andaz Hotel, they had lunch and went to see some jazz thing at The Belly Up Tavern.
I know I should be writing this on a Greyhound Bus as I make my way to San Diego to rip out that SoCal skank’s swap meet weave and force her to spit in my hand (Well, if she touched tongues
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Jeff Bridges is a busy dude. (Groan!) In addition to his planned appearance at the cast reunion of The Big Lebowski in New York on Tuesday night as part of Lebowski Fest (check back to Movieline for coverage of the event), the Oscar-winner released his self-titled country album on Tuesday. Bridges celebrated that event by performing selections from the record on SiriusXM’s ‘Outlaw Country’ channel on Monday afternoon, which meant only one thing: awesome Jeff Bridges guitar faces! Click through for a look.
Launch the felt-melting gallery here.
[Photos: Getty Images]
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On July 26, 1945, Helen Lydia Mironoff was born in a London hospital to parents Vasiliy and Kathleen Mironoff (or Mironov depending on the spelling). During the 1950s, Vasily changed the family last name to “Mirren,” and for his young daughter, the rest is history. From her breakout role in Michael Powell’s Age of Consent to her Oscar-winning turn as Queen Elizabeth in The Queen, Mirren has been one of Hollywood’s greatest — and seemingly ageless — actresses for five decades. As Liz Lemon once said in reaction to one of Mirren’s famous bikini pics, “Is she a wizard?”
She’s not — and she wasn’t even in Harry Potter — but you can understand the confusion. Throughout her 44 year career, Mirren has given dozens of amazing performances, so choosing just one seems like a fool’s errand. That said, you can’t really go wrong with Consent, Prime Suspect, The Queen, Gosford Park or The Madness of King George. Or, if you’re feeling frisky and/or trashy, Caligula. And, hey, she was even halfway decent — or at least having fun — in National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Perhaps she is otherworldly…
Watch a clip from The Queen below, and leave your favorite Mirren screen moment — or just a birthday salutation — in the comments section.
[Photo: Getty Images]
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