The Coronation and the Crumbling

When was Morgan Freeman crowned as Earth's official narrator? Was there a ceremony? Where was I? When I saw "Million Dollar Baby," all I could think of was "The Shawshank Redemption" because that same voice was carrying us through the story, serving as the modern equivalent of the play's chorus. It was a year or two later that I saw "March of the Penguins" which, while touching, was distinguished from any television nature special only by....? That's right! The smooth, folksy, and wise voice of one Morgan Freeman telling us, once again, those parts of the story that our own eyes, alone, could not. I thought, then, how interesting his popularity in that role had become, and how strange that Hollywood was beginning to seem incapable of finding other voices that could do what his can. As I marveled, I also thought - or maybe just felt somewhere deep down - that he would surely have to hang it up for a while lest the possibility and eventually necessity of his narrating every single motion picture become real.

Time passed and, indeed, I did not hear Morgan Freeman's voice without seeing his face, complete with mouth making the words he spoke. Until now. I just finished watching "War of the Worlds" - the new version, starring Tom Cruise. The movie begins and ends with a voice that I thought sounded like Freeman's, but not exactly like it. I thought, "Funny! Every movie maker now thinks he needs a Morgan Freeman-esque narration to make a good film." I was wrong. It was him. Every movie maker actually thinks he needs Morgan Freeman to talk off-screen at some point or the project is doomed to fail. I look forward to seeing other recent movies I have missed and hearing Morgan's words. If I don't see his name on a cast listing I'll know... "crap." Congratulations to Mr. Freeman, and to our planet on selecting a fine voice. I might have voted, had I been asked, for the adult voice of Kevin Arnold of "The Wonder Years" or possibly for Bill Livingston, the voice of the now-defunct TEX (the Telephone Enrollment eXchange of The University of Texas at Austin). They would have been great, too.

This post is getting long, so I'll end soon, but first... the Crumbling. I was reduced to tears twice during a book I finished the other day. I cried. Wept. I might have even sobbed. I don't really know. I don't cry much. I get choked up occasionally. Sometimes I tear up a little at a Bar Mitzvah, but I don't think I've really cried since Alex P. Keaton moved out of the Keaton home to begin his life anew on Wall Street.* Congratulations to Dean Koontz on tugging at my heart strings**, and in the midst of what I would classify as a suspense novel, no less. I recommend "From The Corner Of His Eye" to any reader. His book "Odd Thomas" is excellent, as well.

Good bye and good luck. ***

* on the final episode of hit series "Family Ties." In the 80's. See, I don't cry much.
** I don't know what these are, but I've heard of them. I'll ask a doctor.
*** The words with which TEX ended every phone "conversation" with every Texas student.