Norbit


Norbit is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Brian Robbins, and co-written by, co-produced by, and starring Eddie Murphy. The film co-stars Thandie Newton, Terry Crews, Cuba Gooding Jr., Eddie Griffin, Katt Williams, Marlon Wayans, and Charlie Murphy. It was released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures on February 9, 2007. It has developed a cult following among audiences in the years since its release.
The film was negatively received by critics and earned Murphy three Golden Raspberry Awards, out of the film's eight total nominations. However, it received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Makeup. The movie grossed $159 million worldwide, against a production budget of $60 million.

Plot

Childhood friends Norbit Albert Rice and Kate Thomas, living at an orphanage doubling as a Chinese restaurant called The Golden Wonton owned by Mr. Wong, are separated when Kate is adopted. Five years later, Norbit is rescued from playground bullies by a tough, overweight girl named Rasputia Latimore, who becomes his protector from the other bullies and best friend. Rasputia grows into an arrogant and tyrannical woman who eventually marries Norbit. After a while, she begins insulting and controlling him. Norbit is also belittled by Rasputia's older brothers Big Black Jack, Blue, and Earl, working as a bookkeeper at their construction company. The Latimore brothers also run a "security business" and instill fear in the entire community except Mr. Wong, who refuses to sell them his business.
Norbit discovers Rasputia is cheating on him with her dance instructor Buster Perkin, throwing away his wedding ring and venting his anger at a puppet show for the orphans. He is stunned to see Kate for the first time since childhood, and his affection for her reignites as he learns she is buying Mr. Wong's orphanage, but he is disappointed to learn she is engaged to Deion Hughes.
With help from ex-pimp friends Pope Sweet Jesus and Lord Have Mercy and other townspeople, Norbit meets Kate without Rasputia's knowledge. Deion is revealed to be helping the Latimore brothers in their plan to turn the orphanage into a strip club. The brothers dupe Norbit into getting Kate to sign papers to renew the restaurant's liquor license in the Latimores' name. Norbit's meeting with Kate leads to helping rehearse her wedding, where a kiss between them makes her reconsider marrying Deion. Norbit returns home to learn Rasputia witnessed their kiss, and she threatens violence against Kate if Norbit ever sees her again.
Kate goes to confront Norbit about the deal, and sees him being held prisoner by Rasputia, in their house’s basement. Norbit reluctantly insults Kate, deliberately driving her away so Rasputia will not hurt her. Satisfied, Rasputia lies that Norbit has manipulated Kate since she came back to town. Heartbroken, Kate runs away, and Norbit decides to leave town for good when he finds a letter from a private investigator he hired revealing that Deion is rich from various divorce settlements.
The Latimores reveal their plan to Norbit, and lock him in the basement again. Norbit escapes, reaching the wedding just in time to inform Kate of Deion's schemes. Though his proof of Deion's divorce settlements was destroyed after falling into a pond, Norbit presents Deion's ex-wives and his children. Deion flees, and the Latimores attack Norbit for ruining their plans, but the townspeople take up arms to protect Norbit. Rasputia fights her way through the crowd and prepares to kill Norbit, but Mr. Wong harpoons her in the rear. Rasputia and her brothers are chased out of town, and Norbit and Kate buy the orphanage and marry under the same tree where they played as children. The Latimores move to Mexico and open up their strip club "El Nipplopolis", where Rasputia becomes their most popular and lucrative stripper.

Cast

Production

Norbit was the first of three films where director Brian Robbins and Eddie Murphy worked together. They later collaborated for Meet Dave and A Thousand Words. In the case of the first two movies he starred in working with Robbins, Murphy did multiple characters and worked in body costumes. The fatsuit, that Murphy wore as Rasputia, was created by Rick Baker and Matthew W. Mungle.

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 9% based on 123 reviews, with the site's consensus reading, "Coming off his Oscar-nominated performance in Dreamgirls, the talented-but-inconsistent Eddie Murphy plays three roles in Norbit, a cruel, crass, stereotype-filled comedy that's more depressing than funny." Metacritic gave the movie a score of 27 out of 100, based on reviews from 26 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a B grade, with under eighteens giving it a B+ grade.
Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the movie a positive review, suggesting that Norbit might help Murphy's chances of winning an Oscar for his role in Dreamgirls, saying that his work playing three distinct characters in Norbit is more impressive than anything he did in Dreamgirls. Others suggested it might hurt his chances. Ultimately, Alan Arkin won the award for Best Supporting Actor.
Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club gave the film a grade of "F" and wrote: "It probably isn't possible for a single movie to reverse all social progress made since the civil-rights era, but Norbit, the latest broadside from Eddie Murphy, does its best to turn back the clock" and "hideously offensive black stereotypes are merely the tip of the iceberg." Josh Tyler of Cinemablend.com gave the movie a mostly negative review, in which he described parts of the film as "pretty despicable" and stated that "the plot relies on the idea that being fat also means you're a horrible bitch." However, he pointed out that "some of it's also kind of sweet. Eddie's really quite good as Norbit, the character is sympathetic and funny. He has a strange sort of perfect chemistry with Thandie Newton, and that's just not something I would have expected."
Liz Braun of Jam! Movies described Norbit as "mostly blubber jokes about how fat Rasputia really is" but said that "the movie is not without genuine laughs. Most of those laughs are generated by the other actors." In regard to the "terrifying" character Rasputia, she went so far as to say that the film "tends to confirm one's worst suspicions about Murphy and what appears to be his general fear and loathing of women. The Rasputia gag gets a little freaky if you think about it too much. And you wouldn't want to dwell on how much Thandie Newton looks like a slender boy in her role as Norbit's true love, either. So don't."
Black activists took issue with Eddie Murphy's portrayal of the character Rasputia, calling Norbit "just the latest around a black man dressing up as an unsophisticated, overweight black woman."
Musician Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys called Norbit his favourite movie in a 2007 interview with the Asbury Park Press.

Box office

Norbit was a success at the box office. It opened to $34.2 million in the United States, and was Eddie Murphy's 14th #1 box office opener. The film earned $95,673,607 at the North American domestic box office, and $63,639,954 in other markets, for a total of $159,313,561 worldwide. The film was released in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2007, and topped the country's box office for the next two weekends, before being overtaken by 300.

Accolades

Norbit was nominated for eight Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture, and won three awards, all for Eddie Murphy as three different characters.
The film was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Makeup.
AwardCategorySubjectResult
Academy AwardBest MakeupRick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
Golden Raspberry AwardWorst PictureJohn Davis, Mike Tollin and Eddie Murphy
Golden Raspberry AwardWorst DirectorBrian Robbins
Golden Raspberry AwardWorst ScreenplayJay Scherick, David Ronn, Charlie Murphy, Eddie Murphy
Golden Raspberry AwardWorst ActorCuba Gooding Jr.
Golden Raspberry AwardWorst ActorEddie Murphy
Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Supporting ActorEddie Murphy
Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Supporting ActressEddie Murphy
Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Screen CoupleEddie Murphy

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Norbit was released on February 6, 2007 by Lakeshore Records.
  1. "Standing in the Safety Zone" – The Fairfield Four
  2. "It's Goin' Down" – Yung Joc
  3. "You Did" – Kate Earl feat. The Designated Hitters
  4. "Sexual Healing" – Marvin Gaye
  5. "I Only Want to Be with You" – Dusty Springfield
  6. "Milkshake" – Kelis
  7. "Shoppin' for Clothes" – The Coasters
  8. "Walk It Out" – Unk
  9. "Looking for You" – Kirk Franklin
  10. "Sweet Honey" – Slightly Stoopid
  11. "The Hands of Time" – Perfect Circle
  12. "Young Norbit" – David Newman
  13. "Queen of Whores" – David Newman
  14. "Kate Returns"/"Tuesday, Tuesday" – David Newman
  15. "Norbit Sneaks Out" – David Newman
  16. "Rasputia's Fury" – David Newman
  17. "Norbit and Kate" – David Newman
Several songs were used in the film which do not appear on the soundtrack album, in order of appearance:
The song "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" is sung at Norbit and Rasputia's wedding party, but likewise does not appear on the soundtrack album.

Home media

Norbit was released on Blu-ray Disc, DVD, and HD DVD on June 5, 2007. Since HD DVD was discontinued, Norbit has remained available on Blu-ray and DVD.