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
and
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

Norbit is a romantic 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.

Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji received an Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup[1], though garnering many nominations and wins at the 2007 Golden Raspberry Awards[2].

Contents

[edit] Plot

 The plot summary in this article is too long or detailed compared to the rest of the content. Please edit the article to focus on discussing the work rather than merely reiterating the plot. (July 2008)

Norbit Albert Rice (Eddie Murphy) was brought up in the Golden Wonton Chinese Restaurant and Orphanage in Boiling Springs, Tennessee after being abandoned as a baby. Mr. Wong (Eddie Murphy), a Chinese whaling enthusiast, owns the restaurant and orphanage. As a child, Norbit meets Kate Thomas ([[]]), another orphan, and they became the best of friends (they "got married" under the oak tree with candy rings in the orphanage's backyard) and were always together... until Kate was adopted 2 weeks later.

Norbit is slightly older when he meets Rasputia Latimore (Murphy), a morbidly obese, overbearing, vain bully of a girl, who makes Norbit her boyfriend. As they both grow up, they become closer and eventually get married. Rasputia, whose catch phrase is "How you doin'?", mistreats Norbit, insulting and dominating him, and making sure that she keeps him all to herself. Rasputia fancies herself as a sexy stripper-type and is crazy about having sex and repeatedly launches herself onto Norbit while "in the mood", often injuring her husband in the process.

Norbit works for Rasputia's three brothers: Big Black Jack (Terry Crews), Blue (Lester "Rasta" Speight) and Earl (Clifton Powell), as the company clerk / secretary at the Latimore Construction Company. Although the brothers run a legitimate business, they also, unbeknownst to Norbit, run the local extortions racket, and have spent years "shaking down" Norbit's friends and neighbors. Rasputia is an unfaithful wife to Norbit. After discovering Rasputia's affair with her dance teacher, Buster Perkin (Marlon Wayans), Norbit decides to finish their marriage. She invites Buster over for a "private lesson," and they end up sleeping together. Norbit comes home and catches them having sex, but they both continue to deny it. Norbit calls Rasputia "The Queen of Whores," and she becomes angered and chases him a couple of blocks. He escapes her and throws away his wedding ring, due to her deception.

Norbit is performing a puppet show for the children at the orphange when he sees Kate. She tells him of her plans to buy the orphanage from Mr. Wong. Kate and Norbit agree to meet up and catch up with each other on Tuesday.

Norbit is performing a puppet show for the children at the orphanage when he sees Kate (Thandie Newton) for the first time in years. Stunned by her, his affection for her returns. However, he finds out that she is engaged to Deion Hughes (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), a sneaky, slick-talking businessman.

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, Mr. Wong (the only one in the town not afraid of the Latimores) sternly refused, and chased them off 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. Deion agrees to marry Kate, so that he can have a share in the club.

The Latimores need Kate to sign papers to have the liquor license in the restaurant transferred over when she buys it. To do this, they intimidate Norbit into giving Kate the papers to sign. Later, Kate invites Norbit to help her pick food for the wedding. However, according to two ex-pimps, Pope Sweet Jesus (Eddie Griffin) and Lord Have Mercy (Katt Williams), the event is a date.

Rasputia finds out about Norbit and Kate's date, and she drives around town to find them. Norbit and Kate then have a wedding rehearsal, where they end up kissing. Rasputia witnesses this and faints, crashing her car. Kate runs off, 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 hydrochloric acid on Kate if Norbit should associate with her again.

Next day, Friday, Kate questions Norbit about the papers, that 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 for good, and has a talk with Mr. Wong, who tells him not to run from his own problems. He checks his letterbox, and finds the results of a background check for Deion, that he had sent a few days earlier.

Upon returning home, Norbit tries to call Kate, but she doesn't want to talk to him. To make things worse, Rasputia and the Latimores lock Norbit in the cellar to stop him from interfering with the wedding and their inevitable evil plan, but not before making a few calls on the phone. On the day of the wedding, all but one of the Latimores (Blue stays behind to keep an eye on Norbit) heads to the church. Norbit manages to escape out of the cellar and rides his bike to the wedding. On the way, Norbit is being chased by Big Black Jack, Earl and Rasputia. Pope Sweet Jesus and Lord Have Mercy managed to stall the wedding for as long as possible by preaching about love and condoms to the congregation, and even having the choir perform a gospel song (Marchin' Up to Zion). Deion, impatiently, stops the ruckus, quiets the congregation down, and orders Pope Sweet Jesus and Lord Have Mercy to shut their mouths, so that the wedding can commence. Norbit finally bursts in and reveals the background check on Deion: He had cheated his three 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 a pond, during his escape and the chase. But when Norbit reveals that he called each of Deion's ex-wives and told them to come to the wedding, and they all reveal that he has cheated them out of thousands of dollars and got them all pregnant. He has also being lying about his name and orientation, by using fake names such as "Antoine" and "Luther." He tries to cover it up by telling them that the women has him confused with his "gay twin brother, Antoine-Luther". The women become angered and threaten to kill him. Deion runs out of the church and the Latimores, enraged that their plans for a strip club have now been permanently ruined, advance on Norbit.

Outside the church, the townspeople take up arms against the Latimores in defense of Norbit, who attempts to run away, but is tackled by Blue. Rasputia grabs a spade and fights her way through the crowd towards him. Before she can finish him off, however, from the church steps, Mr. Wong throws a curtain rod as a harpoon at her. The tip of it enters her body through her butt. This causes her to run away from the crowd, screaming in pain. She is followed out of town by her brothers, who are now being chased by the mob of townspeople, never to be seen or heard from again.

Kate apologizes Norbit for not believing him and give him a kiss. Later, Kate and Norbit buy the orphanage and get married, while the Latimores set up "El Nipplopolis" in Mexico with Rasputia, who has become their most popular and lucrative stripper. However, Norbit has changed her: She now only has sex with rich men. She still dresses in revealing outfits and is still sex crazy.


[edit] Reception

[edit] Critical Reception

Reviews are overwhelmingly negative. Free forum review Websites such as RottenTomatoes gave the film mainly negative reviews. The film was mainly bashed for its uncreative nature, being similar to the Big Mama's House movie series. However, the film was a success at the box office and received positive feedback from viewers.

[edit] Box Office Performance

The movie opened to $34.2 million in the United States and was Murphy's 14th #1 box office opener.[3] 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] Home media

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

[edit] MPAA Rating

The MPAA originally gave the film an R rating. Shortly after, the film was given a PG-13 on appeal.

[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 Pussycat Dolls

[edit] Awards

The film was nominated for 8 Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture, and won 3 awards all for Eddie Murphy as three different characters.

[edit] Golden Raspberry Awards

  • Worst Picture
  • Worst Director
  • Worst Actor (Eddie Murphy; as Norbit)
  • Worst Actor (Cuba Gooding, Jr.)
  • Worst Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy; as Mr. Wong)
  • Worst Supporting Actress (Eddie Murphy; as Rasputia)
  • Worst Screenplay
  • Worst Screen Couple (Eddie Murphy and either Eddie Murphy or Eddie Murphy)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Academy Award Nominations
  2. ^ http://www.razzies.com/history/07winners.asp Norbit gains 3 wins at Razzies
  3. ^ 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		 Succeeded by
Ghost Rider
Preceded by
Hot Fuzz		 Box office number-one films of 2007 (UK)
March 11 - March 18		 Succeeded by
300
v • d • e
Films directed by Brian Robbins

Good Burger (1997) · Varsity Blues (1999) · Ready to Rumble (2000) · Hardball (2001) · The Perfect Score (2004) · The Shaggy Dog (2006) · Norbit (2007) · Meet Dave (2008)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norbit"
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