, but it has also evolved into a specific industry term used during award seasons. The Film: Norbit (2007) Directed by Brian Robbins , the movie follows the life of Norbit Albert Rice
, a shy, mild-mannered orphan raised in a Chinese restaurant/orphanage by Mr. Wong.
Released in 2007, remains one of the most polarizing entries in Eddie Murphy's filmography. While critics largely panned it as a "cesspool of tasteless crassness," it was a commercial success that grossed nearly $160 million and earned an Academy Award nomination for its makeup. 🎭 The Triple Performance
Eddie Murphy utilizes his signature multi-character approach, playing three distinct roles:
Norbit Albert Rice: A mild-mannered, "ingenue" orphan who is highly intelligent but socially timid.
Rasputia Latimore: Norbit’s overbearing, physically abusive, and gluttonous wife.
Mr. Wong: Norbit’s cynical, racist Chinese-American adoptive father. ⚖️ Critical vs. Audience Reception
The film is a textbook example of a "critic-proof" movie, where professional reviews and public enjoyment diverged sharply. The Case Against (Critics) Norbit - Movies - Review - The New York Times
On Stereotypes:
“Though widely panned, Norbit offers a critical, if problematic, lens onto the persistence of racial and gender caricatures in mainstream comedy, reflecting post-Civil Rights era tensions in Black representation.”
On Body Politics:
“The film’s exaggerated treatment of bodies (Rasputia’s size, Mr. Wong’s age) reveals Hollywood’s reliance on physical grotesquerie as a substitute for character development, yet inadvertently exposes societal anxieties about fatness, femininity, and desire.” Norbit
On Eddie Murphy’s Career:
“Norbit sits at a crossroads in Eddie Murphy’s filmography, where virtuoso character comedy collides with regressive humor, illustrating the trade-off between mainstream success and critical respect.”
| Theme | Description | Examples from Film | |-------|-------------|--------------------| | The “Magical Negro” trope | Subverted? Perpetuated? | The orphanage owner (Eddie Murphy in makeup) who offers wisdom. | | Fatphobia & gender | Rasputia as villainous, grotesque, controlling. | Physical humor: breaking furniture, loud eating, violent outbursts. | | Colorism | Light-skinned Kate vs. dark-skinned Rasputia. | Moral alignment: good = thin/light, bad = fat/dark. | | Cross-racial performance | Eddie Murphy in Asian (Mr. Wong) & Black (Rasputia) makeup. | Historical link to minstrelsy and racial masquerade. |
We cannot write about Norbit without addressing the elephant (or the woman in the leopard print) in the room. In 2007, the NAACP criticized the film for its portrayal of Rasputia, arguing it reinforced negative stereotypes of Black women as loud, aggressive, and sexually voracious.
Looking at it today, the critique holds weight. While Murphy famously uses fat suits to liberate his inner id (think Sherman Klump in The Nutty Professor), Rasputia lacks the redeeming sweetness of Mama Klump. Rasputia is purely a monster. She is an abusive spouse—physically, emotionally, and financially controlling Norbit. The joke is always her size and her appetite.
However, a modern re-evaluation might argue that Norbit is a stealth drama about domestic abuse. Norbit is a male victim of a female abuser, a story rarely told in mainstream comedy. The film never glorifies Rasputia; it holds her up as a force of destruction. The fact that the character is played by a man in a suit highlights the absurdity of the power imbalance, but it also complicates the racial and gender politics in ways the filmmakers likely never intended.
For a real paper, you would cite:
Released on February 9, 2007, Norbit is a high-energy romantic comedy that remains one of the most polarizing entries in Eddie Murphy’s filmography. Directed by Brian Robbins, the film is a showcase of physical comedy and heavy prosthetics, continuing Murphy's tradition of playing multiple distinct roles in a single feature. Plot and Characters
The story follows Norbit Albert Rice (Murphy), a shy, mild-mannered orphan raised in a Chinese restaurant-orphanage by the gruff but kind-hearted Mr. Wong (also played by Murphy). As a child, Norbit is separated from his soulmate, Kate Thomas (played by Thandiwe Newton). He is eventually "rescued" on the playground by Rasputia Latimore (Murphy’s third role), a domineering and abusive girl who grows up to be his tyrannical, morbidly obese wife.
The conflict arises when Kate returns to town with plans to buy the old orphanage. Norbit sees a chance for true love but must first summon the courage to stand up to Rasputia and her three intimidating brothers—Big Black Jack (Terry Crews), Blue (Lester Speight), and Earl (Clifton Powell)—who plan to turn the orphanage into a strip club. Technical Achievement: The Makeup of Norbit , but it has also evolved into a
A defining element of the film is the intensive use of practical effects. Legendary makeup artist Rick Baker and his team at Cinovation designed the prosthetics and silicone bodysuits that transformed Murphy into his various characters.
"Norbit's a hilarious comedy about a man who was severely bullied as a kid. As an adult, he's still dealing with the aftermath. The twist? He's actually three people - himself, his childhood bully, and a seductive woman. When his childhood bully comes back into the picture, Norbit's life gets turned upside down."
Would you like more information about the movie?
Throwback to 2007!
Who else remembers the hilarious movie #Norbit starring Eddie Murphy?
In this comedy classic, Eddie Murphy plays Norbit, a nerdy and awkward man who was raised by his grandparents (played by Richard Dreyfuss and Cloris Leachman) after being abandoned by his parents.
As an adult, Norbit falls in love with a beautiful woman named Rasputia (also played by Eddie Murphy), who turns out to be super mean and controlling.
But things get even crazier when Norbit's childhood sweetheart, Astrid (played by Thandie Newton), comes back into his life and helps him to see Rasputia for who she really is.
This movie is full of laugh-out-loud moments, and Eddie Murphy's multiple roles are pure comedic genius! Potential Thesis Statements
So, who's ready for a nostalgic movie night with #Norbit?
Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite scene or quote from the movie!
What makes Norbit technically fascinating is that Eddie Murphy doesn't just play two roles; he plays three primary characters, often interacting with himself via groundbreaking (for 2007) split-screen and body-double technology.
The sheer athleticism of Murphy playing all three against each other is staggering. Watching Rasputia slap Norbit, then cutting to Murphy in a different costume reacting to the slap, is a masterclass in comedic timing and physical acting.
While critics saw a vulgar, offensive mess, the internet saw a goldmine. Norbit is arguably the most quotable and meme-able Eddie Murphy movie since Coming to America.
In the age of irony, Norbit is the perfect film. You don't watch it sincerely; you watch it to quote it. You don't defend its politics; you defend its audacity.
The legend of Norbit took its most dramatic turn in February 2008. Eddie Murphy was considered the frontrunner to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his devastatingly dramatic turn in Dreamgirls. He had won the Golden Globe, the SAG Award, and the Critics' Choice Award.
Then, the Academy voters watched Norbit.
Norbit was released during the voting period. The narrative is undisputed: the visual of Eddie Murphy in a fat suit, playing the crass, vomit-inducing Rasputia, was so fresh in the minds of older, conservative Academy members that they could not take his serious performance seriously. Murphy lost the Oscar to Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine). In Hollywood history, no single movie has ever torpedoed an actor’s Oscar chances quite like Norbit torpedoed Eddie Murphy’s.