Every actor has their share of bad movies, and Eddie Murphy - despite making some really great ones - is no exception. The 2000's were not kind to the actor, as he went through a phase of family friendly films that didn't have anywhere close to the bite as some of his most well-known movies. It sounds like the comedian is aware of this problem, because he's revealed that three films still make him cry in anguish to this day.
Eddie Murphy hasn't made a movie in four years and his newest release, Mr. Church, focuses on the dramatic side of the actor. The film follows a young girl who falls under the tutelage of Murphy's chef after her mother dies of cancer; there aren't going to be any pratfalls in this one. Because the movie is a bit of a tear jerker, Yahoo! Movies asked Murphy what movies he would watch if he needed a cry. The actor took the answer in an unexpected direction and brought up some of his own less than stellar work.
Pluto Nash, that breaks me down, that breaks me all the way down. Then I put on Meet Dave. That tears me apart. ... And then if I really want to cry, I'll put on Imagine That.
Eddie Murphy is being pretty tongue in cheek here (he later admitted that a scene in Spike Lee's Crooklyn brings him to real tears), because there's no way he actually sits down to watch any of these movies. Those films are a bit of a far cry from his Trading Places or Beverly Hills Cop days.
You've got to hand it to Murphy, though. It's refreshing to see anyone so willing to point out a dud in their resume - let alone three.
The three films in question certainly have their share of faults. The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002) was a science fiction comedy set in a future where cloning was easy and legal and humanity had built several cities on the moon. The film is said to be one of the biggest bombs in film history; on a budget of $100 million, the film made roughly $7 million. Meet Dave (2008) featured Murphy as a tiny man piloting a human-sized version of himself. Imagine That (2009) was about a work-obsessed father who spends time with his daughter after he learns her imagination can predict business. Both of those films were brought to task by critics, though they weren't quite the tragedy that Pluto Nash was.
Check out the trailer for Meet Dave below and see if it brings you to Eddie Murphy level tears.
Well, the past is in the past, so here's hoping that Murphy's future has fewer tears in store. Mr. Church is directed by Bruce Beresford and hits theaters on September 16, 2016.
