One stranger changes the lives of a desperate family with some rough days ahead. In “Mr Church”, we get a story set in 1965 Los Angeles, with Mr. Church (Eddie Murphy) begins with the title character arriving on the doorstep of 10-year-old Charlotte “Charlie” Brody (Natalie Coughlin) and her single mother Marie Brody (Natasha McElhone), who is battling breast cancer. They soon learn that the quiet man, Henry Church , has been hired by Marie’s recently deceased former lover to cook for them and help maintain the daily household chores. As Mr. Church’s time with the Brodys extends from months into years, he becomes a father figure for Charlie (Britt Robertson) during her formative years, nurturing her love of literature and making a lasting impact on her life. Even as Mr. Church tries to keep his own life separate from the Brodys, he eventually learns that the connection he feels to Charlie is what he has been seeking for a long time. “Mr Church” is directed by Bruce Beresford, and is rated PG-13 for thematic elements.

Eddie Murphy has always been someone known for his comedic talents. Surprisingly, a lot of people forget that he is an Oscar winning actor, and has a strong emotional resonance within him that grants him the capability to succeed in any role he takes on. Even the worst Eddie Murphy movies still presents us with a fully-invested performance from the 52 year old star, and that is probably the best way to explain “Mr Church”. Upon my first trailer view of this movie more than two months ago, I welcomed it with open arms for the ability to restore Murphy back to top shelf as one of the most imposing figures on screen in any genre. The comedy will always be there, yes, but Murphy’s ability to razzle us with heartfelt compassion for the characters he takes on, is fun to watch for every person in the audience who need a little something more to get by a problem filled script. “Mr Church” might not be the Murphy movie that we deserve, but it does give us the chance at seeing a rare side of Murphy that few even realized he had. The rest of the movie however doesn’t quite measure up to par.

For the first act of this movie, there is a strong chemistry bond between the trio of characters in this movie. So much so that even your favorite critic was on the edge of tears for the first time this year. You really do feel for this Mother and child who had everything ripped from their lives and now struggle to find the energy to carry on. Murphy’s Church is a prophet of sorts that is sent to them to save their household, while saving himself at the same time. I loved that in the opening half hour of this movie that a lot was guarded about our characters, specifically Church, who is played off as more of an employee than a loving member of the family. What this slow progression offers us is a chance to see the bond between these people grow as this family of sorts that turns into much more than just a daily routine. Screenwriter Susan McMartin sees a lot of compassion in the characters she pens. This movie very much feels like a Hallmark movie of sorts without the terrible acting or sqeaky clean material within its boundaries. During this period of the movie, I struggled to find a single thing that offended me to the point of matching the 18% that this movie currently holds on Rotten Tomatoes. Then the inevitable happens with McElhone’s character and everything feels like a shell of what it once was.

From here, the movie presents us with a couple of new subplots for the movie that dive heavily into Church’s tortured and abusive past. There’s also a great sadness presented within the eyes of Murphy after someone he knew for only a few years passes away, giving us a glimpse at a possible romantic link between Murphy and McElhone. What left me dumbfounded is how neither of these issues really delve into the endless amount of possibilities that their tone shifts can bring for this movie. McMartin would rather play everything at face value without rocking the boat too much, and this lack of bravery leaves this script feeling hollow inside. Their resolutions just kind of die out before the remaining minutes of the 99 minute presentation, but those problems feel miniscule when compared to the jumps in time frames for the characters stories. On more than one occasion, this movie transitions into jumping a few years, and nothing ever feels smooth or cohesive with where the last scene just left off. It pushes the second half of this movie along, feeling impatient for the many subplots that it got itself into in the first place.

Then there’s the predictability. Within this movie, there are only so many places that these conflicts and resolutions can go, and by halfway in you can already start to see the bigger picture that is as painfully obvious as a stop sign that is approaching a freeway. The emotional register is still there in the heartfelt finale, but a lot of that is more about the performances themselves and less about the painfully dull narrative that misfires on nearly every cylinder. Everything just kind of wraps itself into this neatly little tucked package without ever reaching for a sampling of surprise that is perfect for this kind of melancholy audience. For something that felt wonderfully honest during the first act, I found myself laughing at the cheesy and obvious outcomes of the finale to such a strange blend between the contrasting styles in this script. It’s all a sloppy mess that could’ve worked had it slowed down to answer some of the questions that this movie got us into in the first place.

If you are going to see this movie for just Murphy though, you’re in the right place. His performance as this friendly figure will tug at your heartstrings for the kind of believability in range that Murphy exerts with ease. It’s kind of appropriate that the movie and the family alike relies on the strength of Murphy to carry both because his delivery is what kept me invested into the movie between every scene of contrived plot allowances. I would go as far as to say this is Murphy’s best performance in twenty years, and the reason for that is in his generous offerings of edible love for the souls that he feeds this family day after day. Eddie’s quiet demeanor go a long way in relating the kinds of tragedies that his character has endured. It’s very rare that we get what feels like honest, heartfelt love in a movie between its characters, but Murphy relishes in the opportunity to be great one more time. Britt Robertson is also a nice opposite female protagonist to play against the brilliance of Murphy. Robertson is the actress who spends the most time with the title character in this movie, and it’s in that chemistry between the duo where we get a healthy offering of dual complimentary. This is the best that I have seen out of Robertson so far, and the decision to make her the narrator of sorts for the movie is a welcome one.

Overall, “Mr. Church” is held above water by a masterful performance by Murphy, as well as a first act that lays the groundwork for a tear-jerker that won’t leave a single eye dry in the house. The careless script is what spoils everything around it, opting for a few select scenes of brilliance instead of a sum of parts that simply doesn’t blend well together. Decent tastes, but no desire for seconds with this main course.

5/10