The Morgan Freeman movie he believes is underrated | CPT PPP Coverage

The Bonfire of the Vanities, which Freeman appeared in in the early 1990s, performed poorly both commercially and critically. Under Suspicion, which also starred Gene Hackman, lost millions at the box office. In fact, even The Shawshank Redemption didn’t receive particularly impressive box office numbers when it was first released, although it’s now considered a classic.

Despite his overarching success, even an actor as acclaimed and established as Freeman isn’t protected from the occasional critical or commercial flop. However, there is one underperforming film, in particular, that Freeman believes deserves a better reception. When asked to name his favourite movie that deserves more recognition during a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, Freeman chose to shout out his 2012 film, The Magic of Belle Isle. 

The dramedy was directed by beloved director Rob Reiner, who had previously worked on wildly successful films such as Stand By Me, A Few Good Men and When Harry Met Sally… Reiner was more than used to attracting his own commercial and critical success, so the marriage of director and actor seemed guaranteed to pull in audiences at the box office.

The film followed Freeman as Monte Wildhorn, a once-successful author who turned to alcohol after the death of his wife. He takes a trip to the titular isle for the summer, where a series of events inspire Wildhorn to pick up his pen once more. Freeman was by far the biggest name on the call sheet, while the supporting cast included Madeline Carroll and Kenan Thompson. 

Despite the previous successes of both the star of the film and the man in the director’s seat, The Magic of Belle Isle performed poorly when it hit cinemas in the summer of 2012. Reviews panned the film, which took in just over $100,000 at the box office. Given the numbers Freeman and Reiner were used to seeing upon release and the $5million budget, this was a disappointing reception.

Still, the negative reviews and failed box office numbers didn’t change Freeman’s opinion on the film. He still believed in it a year later, while promoting Oblivion, and considered it to be the film in his catalogue most deserving of more recognition. A decade on, the fate of The Magic of Belle Isle is yet to change; it’s yet to garner a cult following or for reviews to be revised, but perhaps one day, Freeman’s hopes will come to fruition.

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