Mr. Church

I read Richard Brody of the New Yorker opinion of the movie Mr. Church, "It's repugnant for its dehumanizing view (however unintentionally so) of a black man, and repugnant for its emptying- out of one of the great black performers of the time into a sanitized symbol of acceptable blackness. I watched the movie and never thought of Eddie Murphy's character as an Afro-American, but a man hired to cook for a dying woman and her child. Acceptable blackness! What the hell is that? Who decides what is acceptable blackness and unacceptable blackness? Is there a Committee on Acceptable Blackness? I subscribe to Morgan Freemans view in an interview with Mike Wallace, "Stop talking about it. I'm going to stop calling you a white man, and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man. I know you as Mike Wallace. You know me as Morgan Freeman. You want to say, 'Well, I know this white guy named Mike Wallace.' You know what I'm saying?"

If you are tempted to bypass this movie because Eddie Murphy is the "headliner" or because "Church" is in the title, dig deeper and you will find gold. After watching this movie with my wife, I was tempted to say, "Why don't they make movies like that anymore", as if it was a movie from days gone by. I feel strongly the casting was great, the acting was great, the story is moving and inspiring. Even the "featurettes" on the DVD we rented were a great addition. They are short and to the point. They gave us just the amount of additional information we were looking for that we would have missed out on had we gone to the theater or streamed online. But regardless, that was just icing on a very classy and lovingly created cake.

Normally, I criticize movie previews for either spoiling the story or misrepresenting the genre, but if you watch the preview for Mr. Church, you'll get a pretty good idea of what it's about. You'll see teenager Britt Robinson and her mother, Natascha McElhone living alone in California in the 1960s. You'll see Britt's shocked reaction when she wakes up one morning to find Eddie Murphy, a total stranger, cooking breakfast in the kitchen. You'll find out he was hired to be their cook, and you'll guess that he eventually wins Britt's trust and affection. If you like the preview, you'll like the movie. I remember reviewers being unduly harsh (as they usually are on Eddie Murphy movies) on this film, claiming it used the "magical Negro" trope and offended audiences. However, their claim held no water. This movie was based on a true story, and was told from the point of view of Britt Robinson's character. She was a teenager, and like most teenagers, didn't really understand or pay attention to other people besides herself. And, the entire point of the story (don't worry, no spoilers) was that she didn't get to know Mr. Church. He was an important fixture in her life, but he didn't let Britt get too close to him. That was the point! It wasn't a cinematic trope. With those limitations, it would have been easy for the actor portraying Mr. Church to walk through the part without giving him humanity or realism. Eddie Murphy gave a wonderful performance full of layers and subtleties. He fed the audience little tidbits of a mysterious character, making us wonder and guess as to what was really inside him. The more we wondered, the more we cared. He was extremely real - not "magical" without any purpose besides helping out the white protagonist. There are so many subtleties in this movie, from Eddie's character to his relationship with Natascha, that contrast beautifully with the loud setting of the 1960s and 1970s. Director Bruce Beresford and screenwriter Susan McMartin (who adopted her own true story to the screen) seemed to know exactly what the audience and when they needed it. Laughs, drama, a funky song, and silliness all show up at the right time. I saw this movie on opening weekend, and it was a treat to see all the details on the big screen. But if you missed this one in the theaters, which unfortunately quite a few people did, rent it on a weekend when you're in the mood for a complex, heartwarming drama.

One of the trivia says: "This is the first film Eddie Murphy has done in 4 years." He has done an amazing job! It was worth waiting that long. I have not seen a movie like this, in a while. I was all around, lookin', but it found me instead, I guess. We all have our secrets and mysteries, and a reason behind it, which is why you should just leave it, as is, sometimes. Respect that people do not want you to dig deep. As humans, we are predestined to cross the boundaries, and break rules... but it is forgiveness that makes us greater. It is about an open heart. A lot of things to learn from this story. Give it a try!