Wesley Morris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wesley Morris
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Wesley Morris in 2013
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| Born | 1975 (age 49–50) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Education | Yale University (BA) |
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| Years active | 1993–present |
| Employer | The New York Times |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize for Criticism (2012 and 2021) |
Wesley Morris (born 1975) is an American film critic and podcast host. A film critic watches movies and shares their thoughts about them. He currently works as a critic-at-large for The New York Times. He also co-hosts a podcast called Still Processing with J Wortham.
Before joining The New York Times, Morris wrote for The Boston Globe and Grantland. He has won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism twice. He won in 2012 for his work with The Boston Globe. He won again in 2021 for his articles in The New York Times about how race affects culture in America. This makes him the only writer to win this award more than once.
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Early Life and Education
Wesley Morris was born and grew up in Philadelphia. He went to high school at Girard College and finished in 1993. While in high school, he wrote for a teen section of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In 1997, he graduated from Yale University. During his four years at Yale, he was a film critic for The Yale Daily News.
Career as a Film Critic
Morris joined The Boston Globe in 2002. There, he reviewed movies alongside another critic, Ty Burr. Morris and Burr also appeared on TV to talk about new films. They also had a weekly video series called Take Two on Boston.com.
Before working at The Boston Globe, he wrote movie reviews for the San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Chronicle. He also appeared in a 2009 documentary film. This film, called For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism, talked about how film criticism changed over time.
In 1999, Morris was one of several film critics who reviewed movies with Roger Ebert. This was for Ebert's TV show, At the Movies.
Working at Grantland and The New York Times
From 2013 to 2015, Wesley Morris wrote for ESPN's website, Grantland.
In October 2015, Morris started working for The New York Times. He became a critic-at-large. This means he writes for the newspaper and The New York Times Magazine.
In September 2016, Morris and his colleague J Wortham started a podcast. It is called Still Processing. The New York Times and Pineapple Street Media produce it. Many people enjoyed the podcast. It was named one of the best podcasts of 2016.
Favorite Films
In 2022, Wesley Morris shared his favorite films in a poll by Sight & Sound magazine. Here are his top ten:
- Au hasard Balthazar (France, 1966)
- Beau Travail (France, 1999)
- Do the Right Thing (USA, 1989)
- Metropolis (German, 1927)
- Moonlight (USA, 2016)
- O.J.: Made in America (USA, 2016)
- Taxi Driver (USA, 1976)
- There Will Be Blood (USA, 2007)
- Yi Yi (Taiwan, 1999)
Awards and Recognition
In 2011, Morris won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. This award was for his work at The Boston Globe. The judges said his film criticism was "smart" and "inventive." They also praised his clear writing and how he could talk about both art house films and big box office movies.
In 2015, Morris was a finalist for the National Magazine Award. This was for his columns in Grantland from 2014.
In 2021, Morris won his second Pulitzer Prize for criticism. This was for a series of essays in The New York Times. The Pulitzer committee praised his "relevant and deeply engaged criticism" about race and culture in America. They noted his unique writing style, which was both "playful and profound."
Personal Life
Wesley Morris lives in Brooklyn, New York.
