Norbit

Norbit, starring Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Eddie Griffin, Katt Williams, Marlon Wayans, and Cuba Gooding Jr, is a Dreamworks / Paramount Pictures 2007 co-production. The film was directed by Brian Robbins, half of the Tollin/Robbins equation.

The film follows Albert Rice (played by Eddie Murphy) and Kate Thomas (played by Thandie Newton) who were childhood best friends in an orphanage owned by their father figure (again, played by Eddie Murphy). Kate was adopted and the two friends were separated. Norbit meets Rasputia Latimore (once again, Eddie Murphy), an obese, overbearing, uber-vain girl and the two become BF/GF, only to eventually marry. However, the overdominating Rasputia becomes a bit overbearing. When Norbit sees Kate again suddenly, those old feelings of affection come back – dampened by the fact that she’s now engaged to Deion Hughes (played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.), a slick businessman.

Norbit and Kate fall in love, hampered by Rasputia – who wants none of it – and Deion, who has made plans to buy the orphanage and reopen it as a strip club.

This film was not warmly received by critics, who by and large called it cruel, crass, depressing and stereotypical. However the film was a box office success, opening to the tune of $34.2 million in the US. This film serves as Eddie Murphy’s 14 number one box office opener.

I’m surprised there isn’t a Norbit slot machine out there. Then again, I haven’t check all of the US player friendly online casinos yet…