Netflix's Lavish Murphy Portrait Misses Crucial Depth
Netflix has released Being Eddie, a new documentary about comedy legend Eddie Murphy that arrives as part of the streaming giant's massive $70 million production deal with the 64-year-old star. While the film provides unprecedented access to Murphy and his inner circle, critics argue it paints a surprisingly limited portrait of one of comedy's most influential figures.
What Being Eddie Gets Right About Murphy's Life
The documentary opens with indulgent shots of Murphy's gothic mansion and its retractable roof, showcasing the spoils of his 40-plus year career. Yet Murphy insists his daily routine remains remarkably ordinary: work, family time, and falling asleep to MTV's Ridiculousness, which he describes as the funniest show on television.
Director Angus Wall, the Oscar-winning editor behind The Social Network, secures interviews with comedy heavyweights including Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, and Jerry Seinfeld, all recipients of major Netflix deals themselves. Their unanimous reverence for Murphy's talent forms a central pillar of the documentary's narrative.
More revealing moments emerge when Murphy discusses his troubled childhood on Long Island, where his first memory involves his parents fighting. The film also explores the media's attempts to pit him against comedy idol Richard Pryor, despite Murphy actually directing Pryor in the star-studded caper comedy Harlem Nights.
The Significant Gaps in Murphy's Story
Being Eddie employs some armchair psychology, exploring Murphy's habit of paying for funeral arrangements of famous friends like Redd Foxx and Rick James. Wall connects this to Murphy's difficulties accepting the deaths of his father and stepfather, which created an aversion to funerals so strong he didn't attend his brother Charlie Murphy's 2017 service after the comedian died suddenly of leukemia.
The documentary shrewdly repurposes less comedic outtakes from Charlie's famous Chappelle Show appearances to round out Eddie's portrait. Murphy generally shrugs off these legendary stories about Rick James and Prince as just another night in my life.
However, the film notably omits several significant milestones in Murphy's public life:
- The 1997 arrest of a trans prostitute during a traffic stop while in Murphy's car
- His 14-day media marriage to producer Tracey Edmonds
- His initial rejection of the daughter he fathered with ex-Spice Girl Mel B
Most glaringly, the documentary extensively covers Murphy's return to SNL after decades away due to jokes made at his expense, yet fails to include perspectives from anyone involved in that episode, either then (David Spade) or now (Lorne Michaels).
Murphy's Career Pivot and Netflix's Standup Hopes
The film presents Murphy's SNL estrangement as a career low point, though Murphy himself credits that moment for prompting his shift toward more serious projects. This period produced:
- Dreamgirls, which earned him an Oscar nomination
- Shrek, one of history's highest-grossing animation franchises
- The Nutty Professor, where he raised character acting standards
Revealingly, Universal remained so skeptical about Murphy's ability to play multiple Klump family roles that he was required to audition for each supporting character separately.
The documentary's 103-minute runtime culminates with filmmakers presenting Murphy with ventriloquist dolls resembling Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby, sparking speculation about a potential return to standup. This moment underscores Netflix's apparent hope that their massive investment might finally persuade Murphy to deliver the long-anticipated follow-up to his seminal 1987 special Raw.
Being Eddie ultimately serves as both tribute and teaser, offering fascinating glimpses into Murphy's life while leaving audiences wondering what a more critically engaged documentary might have revealed about one of comedy's most enduring icons. The film is available for streaming now on Netflix.
