In his first major role since 2012's unfortunate A Thousand Words, Eddie Murphy isn't jumping into another comedy. He's saving that for the equally-unfortunate Beverly Hills Cop 4 which is a thing again. No, he's going dead serious in the new drama Mr. Church, and the trailer reminds us that he can actually act when called upon to do so.
Directed by Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy) and co-starring Britt Robertson, Natascha McElhone, Lucy Fry, McKenna Grace, and Xavier Samuel, the film stars Murphy as a talented cook hired as the chef for a family with a mother who is dying. What was meant to be temporary position lasts fifteen years as he forms a lifelong bond with the woman's daughter. We haven't seen Murphy in dramatic mode since Dreamgirls and as a big fan of his I find it refreshing, and hope it's the start of a career resurgence. That said, I don't recall hearing too many good things said about it coming out of Tribeca.
Mr. Church opens September 16th.
