MR CHURCH

US, 2016, 104 minutes, Colour.

Eddie Murphy, Britt Robertson, Natascha McElhone, Xavier Samuel, Lucy Fry, Christian Madsen, McKenna Grace, Natalie Coughlin, Madison Wolfe, Lincoln Melcher.

Directed by Bruce Beresford.

Mr Church was released in 2016 and must have gone under the radar for many filmgoers and even for Eddie Murphy fans. While he made some items for television, he had not made a feature film for four years. And, this is a surprising choice for him.

His Mr Church is his most restrained film role, a gentle and kindly man, ageing over some decades, working as a cook for six months for a single mother (Natascha McElhone) and her young daughter, the mother with terminal cancer. At first, the daughter has tantrums against Mr Church but gradually accepts him, gets to like him.

Mr Church has a private life only gradually revealed in minimum detail, working for the family during the day, leaving for the night. Six years pass and Mr Church is still with the family. The focus is on Charlie, the young daughter, now played by Britt Robertson. Her mother has lived on, promises to live so that Charlie goes to the prom with a friend from school, played by Xavier Samuel. And then her mother dies.

There is a gap from some years while Charlie studies at college in Boston but, suddenly pregnant, she returns to her home town, taken in by Mr Church, but failing him as she is curious and enters his room and is caught by him. However, he relents, the baby is born, grows up, she works in a diner, and Mr Church lives his life.

When he becomes ill, the doctor turns out to be Xavier Samuel – with prospects for a happy ending there. When he dies, Charlie learns that his private life was playing the piano in the club in town.

This is a very nice film, has some edge, but is a story of love and friendship – and directed by Bruce Beresford.

1. The plain title? The focus on Mr Church? His story?
2. The American town, homes, school, clubs, donors – the ordinary town? The musical score?
3. The film based on a true friendship? A story of friendship and consequences?
4. Charlie and her voice-over? Her story and Mr Church? Her mother and Mr Church?
5. The opening situation, Marie and Charlie, the single mother, no father, the arrival of Mr Church to cook, six months payment? Charlie has an initially spoilt brat reaction, the breakfast, refusing to eat, tantrum, going to school, not wanting Mr Church in the house? But the gradual change, his excellent cooking, the food? Her discussions with Poppy at school? The meeting Mr Church, Poppy and her liking him? The change of situation?
6. Marie, love for her daughter, accepting Mr Church, his knowing about her breast cancer, secrecy from Charlie? Marie and her reliance on Mr Church? The six months? The diagnosis, prognosis, six months, the treatment? But her surviving?
7. Audience response to Mr Church? A different role for Eddie Murphy, restraint, kind (only the drinking sequences and his once losing his temper), gentle, caring, the quality of his cooking, housekeeping? Yet his private life, secrecy? Charlie’s curiosity?
8. Six years passing, the situation in the household, relying on Mr Church? His continuing his routines? His care for Charlie, at school, her friends, cooking?
9. Charlie at school, friendship with Poppy, friendship with Lincoln, the question of the Prom? Lincoln and inviting her, her surprise? Reluctance? Her mother’s support, Mr Church? The dress and the patterns, the Prom, Lincoln arriving, teaching him to dance at the prom? Marie and her illness, saying that she would live for the Prom? Her death in Charlie discovering her? Grief?
10. Charlie, the decision to go to college? Mr Church, the money he kept from the coupons and savings giving it to Charlie? Her going to Boston, time passing, her studies, friendships, roommates? Her pregnancy – a fling and no explanation?
11. The friendship with the young man, his drinking, the car accident and the death, his responsibility, AA? The chance encounter, Charlie being hit by the skateboarder, taken to hospital, and the later revelation that the young men had been contemplating suicide?
12. Her return home, her moods, meeting Mr Church, his taking her in? Her curiosity, going to his room, his temper, ousting her?
13. Sleeping in the car, nowhere to go? Mr Church relenting? Her living with him, the pregnancy, the birth of her daughter, the delight? Her getting the job in the diner? The chance of her seeing the Jelly Club and Mr Church going there, still curious, his returning drunk, leaving the matches and her taking hiding them? Mr Church growing older, playing the piano, Charlie and the daughter growing up, Mr Church and his devotion?
14. Charlie’s friendship with Poppy, at school, Poppy and her reaction against her parents, arriving back in the town, two marriages, wealthy, renewing her friendship, buying gifts for Charlie? Charlie interpreting her reactions as condescending? The break, the gift of reconciliation, Poppy supporting Charlie after Mr Church’s death?
15. His returning drinking, Charlie and the kitchen, the matches, Mr Church knowing that she knew where he had gone?
16. Mr Church, his illness, reluctance about the doctor, the discovering Lincoln was the doctor, his treatment for Mr Church?
17. Charlie, going out with Lincoln? The concern about Mr Church? Her daughter? And the discovery of Mr Church dead? The wake, the grief? The man coming from the Jelly Club, tribute to Mr Church, and the revelation of his playing the piano there for 30 years?
18. An emotional film – touching the heartstrings?