The Magic of Belle Isle

Morgan Freeman is grandfatherly curmudgeon Monte Wildhorn, a Western novelist who has more passion for drinking than writing these days.  Rob Reiner’s The Magic of Belle Isle opens as Monte moves into a bungalow for the summer, adjacent to a single mother (Virginia Madsen) and her three kids.

Does the family inspire ornery, wheelchair bound Monte to write again? Does he develop a romance with the young lady next door? You won’t find many surprises in this family-friendly film, just some sweet moments between Morgan and a young girl who wants to learn how to “imagine”.

And be warned, the creators lazily utilize Freemans fabulous voice to narrate the story, including many of the scenes he’s actually on screen for. 

The Magic of Belle Isle opens July 6, 2012

Simply put:  This is a movie about imagination, created with anything but.

Award potential:  Freeman’s voice alone deserves an award, but not for this.

The ten buck review: Not worth ten bucks. Fine as a simple family rental, nothing more.