Norbit

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Norbit

Theatrical one-sheet poster for Norbit.
Directed by Brian Robbins
Produced by John Davis
Michael Tollin
Eddie Murphy
Written by Eddie Murphy (also story)
Charlie Murphy (also story)
Jay Scherick
David Ronn
Starring Eddie Murphy
Thandie Newton
Terry Crews
Clifton Powell
Lester "Rasta" Speight
Eddie Griffin
Katt Williams
Marlon Wayans
Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Music by David Newman
Cinematography J. Clark Mathis
Editing by Ned Bastille
Distributed by DreamWorks
through:
Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) United States:
February 9, 2007
EU:
March 9, 2007
Running time 102 minutes
Country USA
Language English
Budget $65 million
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Norbit is a 2007 Academy Award nominated and Golden Raspberry Awards winning comedy film directed by Brian Robbins and starring its co-writer, Eddie Murphy, in three leading roles. Produced by Davis Entertainment and Tollin/Robbins Productions, the film also stars Thandie Newton, Terry Crews, Clifton Powell, Lester "Rasta" Speight, Eddie Griffin, Katt Williams, Marlon Wayans, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. It was released by DreamWorks Pictures through Paramount Pictures on February 9, 2007.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Norbit Albert Rice (Eddie Murphy) was abandoned as a baby by being tossed from a moving car and left in front of the Chinese Golden Wonton Restaurant and Orphanage in Boiling Springs, Tennessee. Mr. Wong (Eddie Murphy), a Chinese man, brought the baby into his orphanage. As a child, Norbit met Kate Thomas (Thandie Newton), another orphan, and they became best of friends (they "got married" under the oak tree in the orphanage's back yard) and were always together until Kate was adopted two weeks later. They kissed and fell in love.

Norbit was now alone until Rasputia Latimore (Eddie Murphy) rescued him from two school bullies on the school playground. The huge Rasputia made Norbit her boyfriend. When they became adults, Norbit was intimidated into marrying the gigantic Rasputia, but they don't live happily. Rasputia maltreats Norbit, insulting and dominating him, and making sure she keeps him all to herself. Although Norbit comes home from shopping to find Rasputia with her tap dance guru Buster (Marlon Wayans). Buster is completely naked, yet nonchalantly tries to deny any form of adultery. When Norbit demands why Buster is naked (and making no attempt to hide it), Buster merely replies he is constantly naked to show off his various tap dance move. He also maintains that he has an erection because he is "real passionate about dance. You could say the word "dance" and he just jump right up." But Norbit does not fall for it and sends Buster packing. Buster, annoyed, storms out but not without mooning Norbit. Norbit is horrified at Rasputia and the two argue bitterly.

Norbit was compelled to work for Rasputia's three mean and sleazy brothers: Big Black Jack (Terry Crews), Blue (Lester "Rasta" Speight) and Earl (Clifton Powell), at the Latimore Construction Company. The whole town lives in fear of Rasputia and the three brothers, who bully and use extortion tactics in order to wield control. A new day comes for Norbit when Kate returns from Atlanta to buy the orphanage from Mr. Wong. His life suddenly feels better for him; however, it all goes away when he finds out that Kate is getting married to Deion Hughes (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), a smooth-talking, charismatic, charming man who is quickly revealed to be a heartless villain, unbeknownst to her. She is still happy to spend time with Norbit though.

At a carnival, the Latimores find out that Kate is buying Wong's orphanage. This surprises them, as when they attempted to buy the place, Wong flatulated on the check offering, and slammed it on the table. The three had tried to attack him, but Wong threatened them with a harpoon. They later confront Deion, who is mysteriously on the verge of leaving town. He tells them that he has his own "problems" to deal with. They tell him that if he married Kate, the orphanage would be as much his as it would be hers, and that they plan on turning it into a strip-club called "The Nipplopolis." Deion agrees to become part of an evil scheme to trick Kate and claim the orphanage.

Kate invites Norbit to the waterpark with the orphans, where Rasputia makes a spectacle of herself by hurtling down a waterslide, shooting off the end, and landing in the toddler's pool, emptying it. Meanwhile, the Latimores have a problem: the orphanage's liquor license won't pass over with the property when Kate buys it, unless she signs a form that would transfer it. As obtaining a new license would take ages, they intimidate Norbit into doing their bidding by having him become an accomplice and getting Kate to endorse the transfer papers.

Later, Kate invites Norbit to help her pick food for the wedding, however, it's essentially a date. This is emphasized by two ex-pimps: Pope Sweet Jesus (Eddie Griffin) and Lord Have Mercy (Katt Williams), who prepare Norbit for the event. Blue reluctantly informs Rasputia of Norbit's date with Kate, and she gets in her car to run after him. Norbit and Kate then have a wedding rehearsal, where they end up kissing. Rasputia witnesses this and faints, crashing her car. Kate runs sobbing and Norbit goes after her, catching her at her doorstep. Norbit apologizes for kissing her, but she tells him that she wanted him to kiss her. When he gets back, he hands the Latimores the transfer papers, which he got Kate to sign during the date. Rasputia threatens to pour a dangerous chemical on Kate if Norbit should associate with her again.

Next day, Friday, Kate questions Norbit about the papers she signed the night before after Deion tells her about the unknown clause. Remembering Rasputia's threat, Norbit claims that he doesn't care about the orphanage, that he was happier with Rasputia and that he was merely trying to "score" with Kate last night. She runs away upset. That night, Norbit prepares to leave town, and has a talk with Mr. Wong, who tells him not to run from his own problems, and that mail always arrives late on Fridays. He checks his letterbox, and finds the results of a background check he had sent a few days earlier. He is shocked about what he finds out.

Upon returning home, Norbit tries to call Kate, but she doesn't want to talk to him. To make things worse, the Latimores and Rasputia lock Norbit in the cellar, to stop him interfering with the wedding. He escapes, and makes his way to Deion and Kate's wedding. Mr. Wong finds out about this, and urges Pope Sweet Jesus and Lord Have Mercy to stall the wedding, which they do to great effect; seconds after they finish, Norbit arrives.

It is revealed that the background check was on Deion, as Norbit tells everyone that Deion had cheated his 3 ex-wives out of $300,000 in divorce settlements. He also reveals the Latimores' plot to take over the orphanage. Kate doesn't believe him at first, as the papers were ruined when Norbit fell into the pond during his escape. But when Norbit reveals he called each of Deion's ex-wives and told them to come to the wedding, Deion does a runner, and the Latimores advance on Norbit. The townspeople take up arms against them, in order to protect Norbit and get their revenge on them.

Rasputia grabs a spade and fights her way through the crowd towards Norbit. Before she can finish him off however, Wong throws a harpoon into her rear causing her to run around screaming, followed out of town by her brothers, who are being chased by the mob of townspeople. Later, Kate and Norbit buy the orphanage and get married, while the Latimores set up "El Nipplopolis" in Mexico, with Rasputia working as one of the main strippers.

[edit] Reception and controversy

[edit] Critical reception

Reviews for the movie were overwhelmingly negative. A National Public Radio (NPR) film critic denigrated the film as "crass" and that it stereotypes black overweight women. Some see the Murphy character as being close to the mammy stereotype that once prevailed in American popular culture in the early decades of the twentieth century.[1] Also, Murphy's portrayal of an overweight, bossy, mean black woman has enraged many African-American women black rights activist groups.[2]

Robert Entman, author of "The Black Image In The White Mind: Media And Race In America,"[3] slams Murphy for letting the black community down. He says, "There is no excuse for him to lend his prestige to something like this. African American stars have to take some responsibility for their actions."[4] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone declared the film the year's Worst Comedy on his list of the Worst Movies of 2007.[5] The film received eight Razzie nominations, with most of the "honors" directed at Eddie Murphy. His five nominations are a new single-year Razzie record.[6] The film would end up receiving three of the awards; Worst Actor for Eddie Murphy as Norbit, Worst Supporting Actress for Eddie Murphy as Rasputia and Worst Supporting Actor for Eddie Murphy as Mr. Wong.

The movie was also criticized for its depiction of a Chinese-American man.[7]

In the UK, film critic Mark Kermode said : "If you paid to see Norbit, look deep inside yourself. Look deep inside yourself and take the same amount of money you paid to see that movie and give it to a good cause because believe me, you're karmically unbalanced if you paid to see that film."

Despite the controversy, negative reviews, and Razzie nominations, the film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup.[8]

[edit] Box office results

The movie opened to $34.2 million in the United States and was Murphy's 14th #1 box office opener.[9] Norbit has grossed $95.7 million in North America and $63.6 million overseas for a total of $159.3 million worldwide, in comparison to its $65 million production cost.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Soundtrack

The soundtrack for the film was released on February 6, 2007.

  1. Standing in the Safety Zone - The Fairfield Four
  2. It's Goin' Down - Yung Joc
  3. You Did - Kate Earl featuring The Designated Hitters
  4. I Only Want To Be With You - Dusty Springfield
  5. Milkshake - Kelis
  6. Shoppin' For Clothes - The Coasters
  7. Walk It Out - Unk
  8. Looking For You - Kirk Franklin
  9. Sweet Honey - Slightly Stoopid
  10. The Hands Of Time - Perfect Circle
  11. Young Norbit - David Newman
  12. Queen Of Whores - David Newman
  13. Kate Returns/Tuesday, Tuesday - David Newman
  14. Norbit Sneaks Out - David Newman
  15. Rasputia's Fury - David Newman
  16. Norbit And Kate - David Newman
  17. Don't Cha-The Pussy Cat Dolls

[edit] References

  1. ^ Neary, Lynn (2007-02-26). Rasputia: A Comic Type, or a Racial Stereotype? (Audio). All Things Considered. NPR. Retrieved on 2007-10-10. “Too Much? Tyler Perry and Eddie Murphy in their costumes.”
  2. ^ Zook, Kristal (2007-02-16). All Women Are Laughing at 'Norbit' (Audio). All Things Considered. NPR. Retrieved on 2007-10-10.
  3. ^ Entman, Robert (December 2001). The Black Image in the White Mind: Media and Race in America, Lecture notes in mathematics 1358. University of Chicago Press, 340. ISBN ISBN 978-0226210766. 
  4. ^ Black Activist Slams Eddie Murphy's Role in 'Norbit'. Starpulse.com (2007-02-14). Retrieved on 2007-10-10.
  5. ^ Travers, Peter, (December 19, 2007) "Peter Travers' Best and Worst Movies of 2007" Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-12-20
  6. ^ [1] 2007 Razzie Nominations Retrieved 2008-01-21
  7. ^ angry asian man
  8. ^ Academy Award Nominations
  9. ^ The Hollywood Reporter Nicole Sperling, February 12, 2007

[edit] External links


Preceded by
The Messengers		 Box office number-one films of 2007 (USA)
February 11, 2007		 Succeeded by
Ghost Rider