Editing Morgan Freeman (section)

=== 1989–1996: Hollywood breakthrough ===
[[File:Morgan Freeman bw (49491947271).jpg|thumb|left|180px|Freeman in 1998]]
Freeman had four film releases in 1989. In the first, he starred as Sergeant Major John Rawlins in ''[[Glory (1989 film)|Glory]]'', directed by [[Edward Zwick]], about the [[54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment]], the [[Union Army]]'s second [[African-American]] regiment in the [[American Civil War]]. Writing for ''[[The Washington Post]]'', [[Desson Thomson]] praised Freeman and co-star [[Denzel Washington]] for their "warming sense of fraternity".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Howe|first=Desson|date=January 12, 1990|title=Glory (R)|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/gloryrhowe_a0b24a.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190914091100/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/gloryrhowe_a0b24a.htm|archive-date=September 14, 2019|access-date=July 25, 2020 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url-access=subscription}}</ref> ''Glory'' was nominated for five Academy Awards and won three: Best Supporting Actor for Washington, [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]], and [[Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing|Best Sound]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=The 62nd Academy Awards {{!}} 1990|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1990|access-date=July 25, 2020|website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=October 5, 2014 |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411113423/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1990|archive-date=April 11, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Next, Freeman starred in the comedy-drama ''[[Driving Miss Daisy]]'', alongside [[Jessica Tandy]] and [[Dan Aykroyd]]. Based on [[Alfred Uhry]]'s [[Driving Miss Daisy (play)|play of the same name]] in which Freeman had appeared previously, he reprises his role of Hoke Colburn, chauffeur for a Jewish widow. The film was a commercial success and grossed US$145 million worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Driving Miss Daisy|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2790163969/weekend/|access-date=July 25, 2020|website=Box Office Mojo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803064522/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2790163969/weekend/|archive-date=August 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Film critics were mainly positive; Henry Sheehan from ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' opined that Freeman and Tandy's performances complemented each other while retaining their "individual star-quality".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sheehan|first=Henry|date=December 11, 1989|title='Driving Miss Daisy': THR's 1989 Review|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/driving-miss-daisy-review-1989-movie-1067241|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728235230/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/driving-miss-daisy-review-1989-movie-1067241|archive-date=July 28, 2020|access-date=July 25, 2020|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en}}</ref> The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards (and received four, Best Picture being one of them), including [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] for Freeman.<ref name=":1" />

His third release was the biographical drama ''[[Lean on Me (film)|Lean on Me]]'', in which he portrays the principal of an under-performing and drug- and crime-ridden New Jersey high school. Jane Galbraith of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' magazine thought Freeman's casting was "wonderful".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Galbraith|first=Jane|date=February 1, 1989|title=Lean on Me|url=https://variety.com/1989/film/reviews/lean-on-me-1200428084/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509104952/https://variety.com/1989/film/reviews/lean-on-me-1200428084/|archive-date=May 9, 2019|access-date=July 25, 2020|website=Variety|language=en}}</ref> Lastly in 1989, he starred in [[Walter Hill]]'s ''[[Johnny Handsome]]'', a crime drama in which he plays a New Orleans police officer.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|title=Johnny Handsome movie review & film summary (1989) {{!}} Roger Ebert|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/johnny-handsome-1989|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029210123/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/johnny-handsome-1989|archive-date=October 29, 2014|access-date=July 29, 2020|website=Roger Ebert|language=en}}</ref> In a 1990 interview, Freeman said that ''Glory'' was one of his favorite releases—"The Black legacy is as noble, is as heroic, is as filled with adventure and conquest and discovery as anybody else's. It's just that nobody knows it."<ref name=":6" /> In 1990, Freeman provided the voice of [[Frederick Douglass]] in ''[[The Civil War (TV series)|The Civil War]]'', a [[Television documentary|television]] [[miniseries]] about the American Civil War.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lee-Wright, Peter.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/562170243|title=The documentary handbook|date=2010|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-203-86719-8|location=London|pages=185|oclc=562170243|access-date=August 1, 2020|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320141719/https://www.worldcat.org/title/documentary-handbook/oclc/562170243|url-status=live}}</ref> In the same year he starred in the critically panned ''[[The Bonfire of the Vanities (film)|The Bonfire of the Vanities]].'' According to the [[review aggregate]] site [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 16% based on 51 reviews.<ref>{{Cite web|website=Rotten Tomatoes|title=The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)|date=August 10, 2010 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bonfire_of_the_vanities|language=en|access-date=July 25, 2020|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320141724/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bonfire_of_the_vanities|url-status=live}}</ref> In the summer of 1990, he played Petruchio, a role he had been thinking about for six years, in Shakespeare's ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'', which opened at [[Delacorte Theater|Delacorte theater]] in New York City. "[Petruchio] seems to have a lot of fun in life", he said.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Rothstein|first=Mervyn|date=June 19, 1990|title=Taking Shakespeare's Shrew To the Old West of the Late 1800's|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/19/theater/taking-shakespeare-s-shrew-to-the-old-west-of-the-late-1800-s.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=July 29, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320141745/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/19/theater/taking-shakespeare-s-shrew-to-the-old-west-of-the-late-1800-s.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1991, Freeman had a supporting role in ''[[Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves]]'', an action-adventure starring [[Kevin Costner]]. The film was a commercial success,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1567393281/weekend/|access-date=July 25, 2020|website=Box Office Mojo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208193607/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1567393281/weekend/|archive-date=December 8, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> but garnered mixed reviews from critics; ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'}} [[Vincent Canby]] thought Freeman played Azeem with "wit and humor" despite the "muddled" plot.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Canby|first=Vincent |author-link=Vincent Canby |date=June 14, 1991|title=Review/Film; A Polite Robin Hood In a Legend Recast|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/14/movies/review-film-a-polite-robin-hood-in-a-legend-recast.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=July 25, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320141722/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/14/movies/review-film-a-polite-robin-hood-in-a-legend-recast.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Morgan Freeman (255277982) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|right|Freeman at the [[62nd Academy Awards]] in 1990]]
Freeman also narrated ''The True Story of Glory Continues'', a documentary about the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment.<ref>{{Cite news|date=June 21, 1991|title=Videos glorious news for civil war buffs|work=Arizona Republic}}</ref> In 1992, he appeared in [[Clint Eastwood]]'s western ''[[Unforgiven]]'', which won four Academy Awards including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The 65th Academy Awards {{!}} 1993|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1993|access-date=July 25, 2020|website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=October 4, 2014 |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200416091028/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1993|archive-date=April 16, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The film depicts William Munny (Eastwood), an aging [[outlaw]] and killer who takes on one more job with old friend Ned Logan (Freeman). ''Unforgiven'' was widely acclaimed, with one critic calling Freeman's performance "outstanding".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Byrge|first=Duane|date=July 31, 1992|title='Unforgiven': THR's 1992 Review|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/unforgiven-review-1992-movie-1026437|access-date=July 25, 2020|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320141802/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/unforgiven-review-1992-movie-1026437|url-status=live}}</ref> 
Also in 1992 Freeman starred in the [[John G. Avildsen]] directed drama ''[[The Power of One (film)|The Power of One]]'' acting opposite [[Stephen Dorf]] and [[John Gielgud]] in a loose adaptation of [[Bryce Courtenay]]'s 1989 [[The Power of One (novel)|novel of the same name]], in which he plays boxing coach Geel Piet.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Maslin|first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |date=March 27, 1992|title=Movie Review - The Power of One - Review/Film; A Youngster Against The Power of Apartheid |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0CE2DB1E3DF934A15750C0A964958260 |url-access=subscription |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325205904/https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0CE2DB1E3DF934A15750C0A964958260|archive-date=March 25, 2014|access-date=July 31, 2020|work=The New York Times}}</ref> In 1993, Freeman made his [[directorial debut]] with the drama ''[[Bopha!]]'', which tells the story of a black policeman ([[Danny Glover]]) during South Africa's [[apartheid]] era. ''Bopha!'' was well-received, in particular for Freeman's directing. [[Hal Hinson]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote: "Freeman lays out the father-son dynamics with great skill and very little fuss. There's no hysteria in his approach; instead, he sticks to the facts, relying on his cast to provide the emotion. The result is a surprisingly powerful, insightful film."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hinson|first=Hal|date=September 24, 1993|title=Bopha!|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/bophapg13hinson_a0a845.htm|access-date=July 26, 2020 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url-access=subscription |archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320141755/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/bophapg13hinson_a0a845.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Kenneth Turan]] from ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' also complimented Freeman's direction but thought the film was "more predictable than powerful".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Turan|first=Kenneth|date=September 24, 1993|title=Movie Review : 'Bopha!': Familiar Setting, Familiar Story|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-09-24-ca-38392-story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726095458/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-09-24-ca-38392-story.html|archive-date=July 26, 2020|access-date=July 26, 2020|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1994, Freeman portrayed Red, the redeemed convict in [[Frank Darabont]]'s acclaimed drama ''[[The Shawshank Redemption]]'', with co-star [[Tim Robbins]]. It is based on the 1982 [[Stephen King]] novella ''[[Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption]]''. Freeman was cast at the suggestion of producer Liz Glotzer, despite the novella's character of a white Irishman.<ref name=":2">{{Cite magazine|last=Heidenry|first=Margaret|date=September 22, 2014|title=The Little-Known Story of How The Shawshank Redemption Became One of the Most Beloved Films of All Time|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/09/shawshank-redemption-anniversary-story|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226150020/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/09/shawshank-redemption-anniversary-story|archive-date=February 26, 2019|access-date=July 26, 2020|magazine=Vanity Fair|language=en-us}}</ref> Filming proved to be challenging, mainly because of Darabont's need for multiple takes. Freeman said, "The answer [I'd give him] was no{{nbsp}}... having to do something again and again for no discernible reason tends to be a bit debilitating to the energy."<ref name=":2" /> Nevertheless, his performance was described as "quietly impressive" and "moving" by ''The New York Times''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Maslin|first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |date=September 23, 1994|title=Film Review; Prison Tale by Stephen King Told Gently, Believe It or Not|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/23/movies/film-review-prison-tale-by-stephen-king-told-gently-believe-it-or-not.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=July 26, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726115941/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/23/movies/film-review-prison-tale-by-stephen-king-told-gently-believe-it-or-not.html|archive-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref> At the [[67th Academy Awards]] the film received [[Academy Award]] nominations for [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and a nomination for Freeman for [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] losing to [[Tom Hanks]] in ''[[Forrest Gump]]'' (1994).<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title=The 67th Academy Awards {{!}} 1995|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1995|access-date=July 26, 2020|website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=October 5, 2014 |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510075255/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1995|archive-date=May 10, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Since its release, ''The Shawshank Redemption'' has remained popular among audiences.<ref name=":2" /> In 1994, Freeman served as a member of the jury at the [[44th Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Berlinale: 1994 Juries |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1994/04_jury_1994/04_Jury_1994.html |access-date=June 9, 2011 |website=berlinale.de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015121809/http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1994/04_jury_1994/04_Jury_1994.html |archive-date=October 15, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[Outbreak (1995 film)|Outbreak]]'' (1995), a [[Medical fiction|medical]] thriller directed by [[Wolfgang Petersen]], was Freeman's next film. He played General Billy Ford, a doctor dealing with an outbreak of a fictional virus in a small town. The film stars [[Dustin Hoffman]], [[Rene Russo]], and [[Donald Sutherland]]. ''Outbreak'' was a box-office success, grossing $189.8 million worldwide,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Outbreak|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl392791553/weekend/|access-date=July 26, 2020|website=Box Office Mojo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726105803/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl392791553/weekend/|archive-date=July 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> but gained a mixed critics' response.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Outbreak (1995)|date=August 27, 1997 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/outbreak|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|language=en|access-date=July 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708055529/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/outbreak|archive-date=July 8, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Mick LaSalle|Mick LaSelle]] of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' credited Freeman for his performance which may have been unappreciated by viewers.<ref>{{Cite web|last=LaSalle|first=Mick|date=March 10, 1995|title=Dustin Hoffman Thriller Nothing to Sneeze At|url=https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Dustin-Hoffman-Thriller-Nothing-to-Sneeze-At-3041381.php|access-date=July 26, 2020|website=SFGate|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320141722/https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Dustin-Hoffman-Thriller-Nothing-to-Sneeze-At-3041381.php|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1995, Freeman starred with [[Brad Pitt]] in [[David Fincher]]'s crime thriller ''[[Seven (1995 film)|Seven]]'', the story of two detectives who attempt to identify a [[serial killer]] who bases his murders on the Christian [[seven deadly sins]]. Freeman's performance generated a positive response; Owen Gleiberman of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' wrote: "Freeman plays nearly every scene in a doleful hush; he makes you lean in to hear his words, to ferret out the hints of anger and regret that haunt this weary knight."<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Gleiberman|first=Owen|date=September 29, 1995|title=Seven|url=https://ew.com/article/1995/09/29/seven-3/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726120851/https://ew.com/article/1995/09/29/seven-3/|archive-date=July 26, 2020|access-date=July 26, 2020|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|language=EN}}</ref> The critic from ''Variety'' magazine called Freeman's acting "supremely nuanced".<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 1, 1995|title=Se7en Review|url=http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=review&reviewid=VE1117794764&categoryid=31&cs=1|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090526110902/http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=review&reviewid=VE1117794764&categoryid=31&cs=1|archive-date=May 26, 2009|access-date=November 18, 2020|website=Variety}}</ref>

While filming ''Outbreak'', Freeman expressed an interest in starting a film production company. He turned to [[Lori McCreary|McCreary]], the producer of ''Bopha!'', to be his business partner. Freeman explained that he wanted to achieve [[African-American representation in Hollywood|representation]] on screen, explore challenging issues and reveal hidden truths, so they chose to name their firm [[Revelations Entertainment]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Longwell|first=Todd|date=December 7, 2017|title=Morgan Freeman's Biggest Revelation: He Could Shape His Own Destiny|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/features/morgan-freemans-biggest-revelation-he-could-shape-his-own-destiny-lori-mccreary-1202631663/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804111156/https://variety.com/2017/film/features/morgan-freemans-biggest-revelation-he-could-shape-his-own-destiny-lori-mccreary-1202631663/|archive-date=August 4, 2019|access-date=July 31, 2020|website=Variety|language=en}}</ref> A year later, he appeared in ''[[Chain Reaction (1996 film)|Chain Reaction]]'' as Paul Shannon, a science-fiction thriller co-starring [[Keanu Reeves]] and [[Rachel Weisz]]. The film was a critical and commercial disappointment.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chain Reaction (1996)|date=August 2, 1996 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1072457-chain_reaction|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|language=en|access-date=July 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727191644/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1072457-chain_reaction|archive-date=July 27, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Chain Reaction|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3595077121/weekend/|access-date=July 26, 2020|website=Box Office Mojo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804171642/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3595077121/weekend/|archive-date=August 4, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Next, he was cast opposite [[Robin Wright]] in 1996's ''[[Moll Flanders (1996 film)|Moll Flanders]]'', a period drama based on the [[Moll Flanders|novel of the same name]]. The film received a mixed reception; Greg Evans from ''Variety'' magazine said Freeman gave a "sweet" performance,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Evans|first=Greg|date=May 24, 1996|title=Moll Flanders|url=https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/moll-flanders-1200445744/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726131759/https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/moll-flanders-1200445744/|archive-date=July 26, 2020|access-date=July 26, 2020|website=Variety|language=en}}</ref> while ''The New York Times'' critic thought he was miscast.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Holden|first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Holden |date=June 14, 1996|title=Film Review;Complicated Life Redeemed by Love (Published 1996)|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/14/movies/film-review-complicated-life-redeemed-by-love.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 18, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320141722/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/14/movies/film-review-complicated-life-redeemed-by-love.html|url-status=live}}</ref>