Eddie Murphy is one of the greatest comedic actors of all time. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s, he was one of the most bankable stars out there. With films like Beverly Hills Cop, 48 Hours, Trading Places, Coming to America, The Nutty Professor, and more, he’s earned his place in cinema history.
Despite his legacy, Murphy has struggled to maintain the same popularity past the 2000’s. Any successes he’s had seem more like exceptions, rather than the rule. Over the last few years, what few appearances he’s made on film have not garnered the audience reaction he was hoping for. 2011’s Tower Heist barely broke even at the worldwide box office, while his last effort on the silver screen A Thousand Words failed to recoup its 40 million dollar budget worldwide.
Due to his recent stumbles, there’s an element of anticipation to the upcoming Mr. Church. Eddie Murphy stars as the titular character, a devoted family cook that cares for Charlotte (Britt Robertson) after her mother dies. The trailer for the film, released by production company Cinelou Films, shows two well-mannered performances by both Murphy and Robertson. However, it does feel quite heavy on plot and does not make any attempts at hiding how the story is likely to unfold. While that is not a big issue for family-friendly drama movies, it does still feel like a bit much.
The film, which is directed by Academy Award-nominated director Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Tender Mercies), from a script by Susan McMartin (Mom, Two & a Half Men), is set to debut nationwide on September 16th.
