Tell me a story, or atleast help it along...

December 1, 2007 2:35 AM

What are some examples of movies or TV shows where there is a fantasy style narrator?

I find myself fascinated by movies and TV shows where there is a narrator who moves the story along. Namely , the new show Pushing Daisies has a narrator that adds a wonderful element to the experience of watching it.

Can you recommend anything else like it? Shawshank has a wonderful narration that I like also, and the narrator in Stardust is excellent also, but I need more! Please help!

posted by petethered to media & arts (21 comments total)

I did read This Post but I am more interested in the fantasy style voice over/narration.
posted by petethered at 2:40 AM on December 1, 2007

This article identifies some recent TV shows with narrators, including "Arrested Development" and "Dexter."
posted by Soup at 3:10 AM on December 1, 2007

The Princess Bride has intermittent narration.
posted by missmagenta at 3:18 AM on December 1, 2007

Amélie, Pan's Labyrinth, Babe, Scrubs
posted by arruns at 3:29 AM on December 1, 2007

What do you mean by "fantasy style"?
The first movie that comes to mind is Little Children.
posted by cocoagirl at 3:57 AM on December 1, 2007

Veronica Mars has finished its run, but use narration.
It's not quite fantasy though, so I don't know if it counts.
posted by Iteki at 4:02 AM on December 1, 2007

I think Arrested Development has the kind of narrator you're looking for.
posted by thelongcon at 4:14 AM on December 1, 2007

Sex and the City, Six Feet Under (I think? I may be suffering from Dexter transference), Scrubs, Grey's Anatomy, and Desperate Housewives use narrators - in most of them, the series' protagonist.

Someone has a list at Amazon, but I've not seen all those shows so I can't speak to the full series/individual show element. I know that in Buffy, for example, a few eposodes are narrated but it is not the series norm. There are, however, loads listed here in an article about your exact question!
posted by DarlingBri at 4:51 AM on December 1, 2007

I don't know if this counts as enough of a fantasy, but the narration in "300" is pretty impressive. It goes all the way through and really is part of the story.
posted by galactain at 5:01 AM on December 1, 2007

The Wonder Years (although, no fantasy tie in)

DarlingBri...I don't recall Six Feet Under having a Narrator....
posted by HuronBob at 5:34 AM on December 1, 2007

Also, my favorite movie "Stand by Me"....
posted by HuronBob at 5:34 AM on December 1, 2007

Dead Like Me, also by the creator of Pushing Daisies.
posted by Ruki at 5:56 AM on December 1, 2007

The Age of Innocence
-based on a novel by Edith Wharton
posted by quentiniii at 6:53 AM on December 1, 2007

Barry Lyndon and Lemony Snicket. The narrator is somewhat omniscient in both.
posted by slimepuppy at 7:12 AM on December 1, 2007

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
posted by puritycontrol at 7:39 AM on December 1, 2007

The Butcher Boy and Breakfast On Pluto, both adapted from Patrick McCabe novels by Neil Jordan, feature absolutely wonderful narration. While not necessarily from the fantasy genre, they feature many fantasy sequences.

Lord of War has fine narration.
Blackmail Is My Life has, I think, IIRC, fine narration.

Seconding the recommendations for Dexter, Veronica Mars, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
posted by Sticherbeast at 8:35 AM on December 1, 2007

The Point
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:30 AM on December 1, 2007

A Man For All Seasons (which is merry olde England though not fantasy).
posted by Jahaza at 12:05 PM on December 1, 2007

The Rocky Horror Picture Show
posted by selton at 2:22 PM on December 1, 2007

Man! I clicked on this post to reccomend Pusing Daisies!
posted by thebrokenmuse at 9:02 PM on December 1, 2007

This is late, but I can't believe no one has pointed out Amélie which takes place in pretty much the same whimsical, semi-fantastical, color-boosted stylistic universe as Pushing Daisies.
posted by mhum at 3:10 PM on December 6, 2007