As someone who has spent countless hours watching films and analyzing performances, I must say that the movie “Norbit” left me feeling rather disheartened. It’s not often that I witness such a talented actor like Eddie Murphy, whose work I’ve greatly admired over the years, get lost in a sea of stereotypes and cliches.
In the movie titled “Norbit“, Eddie Murphy took on three distinct roles. Known for his ability to play several characters within one film, “Norbit” delivered a similar dose of the humorous entertainment that audiences had come to anticipate from Murphy. Following his critically acclaimed performance in the 2006 movie “Dreamgirls“, “Norbit” marked a significant shift in tone, ultimately earning Murphy several nominations for Razzie Awards due to the multiple characters he portrayed. The film was not well-received, leading to these awards’ recognition of his performance.
In just a brief span, Murphy transitioned from receiving rave reviews for his role in Dreamgirls to facing heavy criticism for Norbit. Here’s the story behind this shift, as well as the perspective of the creators of Norbit.
Eddie Murphy and DreamWorks Pictures Were Excited to Make Norbit
DreamWorks executive Jeffrey Katzenberg proposed a live-action movie to Eddie Murphy, building on the studio’s success with Shrek. Katzenberg aimed to leverage Murphy’s talent for portraying multiple characters in a single film, a skill he had demonstrated in The Nutty Professor and Dr. Doolittle.
Thandiwe Newton, who starred alongside Eddie Murphy in the film Norbit, mentioned that it was Murphy himself, the scriptwriter for the movie, who came up with the idea. This inspiration struck him after watching online videos featuring large African-American women playfully overpowering their smaller husbands. According to Newton, Murphy found these videos amusing, and though the initial plan was for a darker tone, she believed the film was intended to be comedic from the start.
Brian Robbins expressed his strong affection for the script of Norbit, leading him to eagerly accept the opportunity to collaborate with Eddie Murphy. Initially, there were some jitters when they started working together, but Robbins noted that a sense of trust quickly formed between him and Murphy during the filming process.
Norbit Had a Strong Cast but Eddie Murphy (or His Stand-Ins) Overpowered the Movie
In the movie titled “Norbit“, Eddie Murphy portrayed the main character, Norbit Allen Rice. A humble and diminutive individual, Norbit got married to the cruel and overweight Rasputia Latimore, a role also taken up by Murphy. In an even more extraordinary casting decision, Murphy assumed the role of Mr. Wong, the Chinese administrator of the orphanage where Norbit encounters Kate (Thandie Newton), who turns out to be the genuine love interest for whom he harbors affection.
Initially, Norbit and Kate become separated when the former is adopted. In the ensuing years, Norbit develops a relationship with Rasputia, who, along with her three brothers – “Big Black” Jack Latimore, Blue Latimore, and Earl Latimore – exhibits unkind and domineering behavior. The only companions that Norbit has in this difficult situation are Pope Sweet Jesus and Lord Have Mercy, both portrayed by Eddie Griffin and Katt Williams respectively.
The extra performances by Cuba Gooding Jr., portraying Kate’s fiancé Deion Hughes, and Maron Wayans as Buster “Bust-A-Move” Perkin, Rasputia’s lover, significantly bolstered the humor in the ensemble cast. Since Eddie Murphy took on multiple roles, particularly Norbit and Rasputia, he naturally received more on-screen moments compared to other actors in the show.
Thandiwe Newton disclosed that Eddie Murphy appeared less frequently in the movie Norbit than viewers might assume. She stated, “Eddie wasn’t around much, which was quite unfortunate. He had some incredible stand-ins who looked just like him from a few feet away. It felt like I spent most of the film working with his stand-ins.” The movie’s plot was contrived and, in the opinion of Peter Howell from The Toronto Star, “there was no apparent intelligence guiding this production at all.
Norbit May Have Cost Eddie Murphy an Academy Award
The film was overflowing with stereotypes, worn-out phrases, and humor that fell flat. However, it received some praise from notable critics such as A.O. Scott from The New York Times who saw it more as a platform for Eddie Murphy’s talents, and makeup artist extraordinaire Rick Baker. Despite the fact that Murphy was able to transform broad stereotypes into something unique and intriguing, the negative aspects of the movie overshadowed any positive responses it received.
The Hollywood Reporter‘s Luke Sader called Norbit,
“The show is racially offensive, politically inappropriate, and shockingly crude, making it difficult to imagine what Newton might have been thinking. The production quality is so weak that no two studio sets could possibly look less authentic.
The film Norbit garnered such unfavorable reviews from critics and viewers that it led the pack in Razzie Award nominations during 2007, showcasing just how poorly it was received. Eddie Murphy earned Razzie Award nominations for Worst Actor, Worst Supporting Actor, Worst Actress, and Worst Couple due to his multiple roles within the movie. Additionally, he was nominated for Worst Screenplay as a co-writer of Norbit.
It’s worth considering that the film “Norbit” might have played a crucial role in Murphy not winning the Academy Award, as it was screened during the voting period for the Oscars. Murphy had been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in “Dreamgirls,” but he ended up losing to Alan Arkin who was nominated for “Little Miss Sunshine.” The impact of “Norbit” on Murphy’s career has since become quite significant, earning the term “Norbit Effect.” This phenomenon refers to how a less-than-successful movie released during awards season could potentially cost an actor an Oscar. However, whether or not this idea holds true is still debated among industry insiders. Stream it on Prime Video.
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2024-10-22 01:31