The Nutty Professor | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Tom Shadyac |
Produced by | |
Screenplay by |
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Based on |
The Nutty Professor by Jerry Lewis Bill Richmond |
Starring | |
Music by | David Newman |
Cinematography | Julio Macat |
Edited by | Don Zimmerman |
Production
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Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
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95 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $54 million |
Box office | $274 million |
The Nutty Professor is a 1996 American comedy science fiction film starring Eddie Murphy. It is a remake of the 1963 film of the same name, which starred Jerry Lewis, and was itself based on Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The film co-stars Jada Pinkett, James Coburn, Larry Miller, Dave Chappelle and John Ales. The original music score was composed by David Newman. The film won Best Makeup at the 69th Academy Awards.
Murphy portrays a university professor, Sherman Klump, a kind-hearted professor who is morbidly obese. A research scientist, academic, and lecturer, Klump develops a miraculous, but experimental, weight-loss pharmaceutical, and, hoping to win the affection of the girl of his dreams, tests it upon himself. Like the original film's Julius Kelp, Klump's vigorous, charismatic, but evil alter ego takes the name "Buddy Love". Murphy plays a total of seven characters in the film, including Sherman, most of Sherman's family (except for his nephew, Ernie Klump Jr. played by actor Jamal Mixon), and an over-the-top parody of Richard Simmons.
The film received positive reviews, with critics particularly praising the makeup and Murphy's performance. The film's success spawned a sequel, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, which was released in 2000. The film was re-released on Blu-ray combo pack on March 6, 2012, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Universal Studios.