Skip to content
MovieCove
The Nutty Professor

The Nutty Professor

Inside Sherman Klump, a party animal is about to break out.

199695 minPG-13Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Director
Tom Shadyac
Starring
Eddie Murphy, Jada Pinkett Smith, James Coburn, Larry Miller

When beautiful Carla Purty joins the university faculty, genetic professor Dr. Sherman Klump grows desperate to whittle his 400-pound frame down to size and win her heart. So, with one swig of his experimental fat-reducing serum, Sherman becomes 'Buddy Love', a fast-talking, pumped-up, plumped down Don Juan.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Nutty Professor?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Nutty Professor to rent or buy on Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Nutty Professor?

The Nutty Professor earns 10 badges, led by Oscar Winner and Word-of-mouth hit.

Show 2 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Nutty Professor worth watching?

The Nutty Professor's Midcredits score is the 30th percentile of all films, from 264K ratings across 6 sources. 32% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

30th percentile

Better received than 30% of films

33rd percentile among Comedy33rd percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)36th
Approval (how many liked it)26th

57 /100

36th percentile of all films

40th percentile among Comedy38th percentile among 1990s

Critics 64 · Audience 57

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.8 — solid but not unanimous.

32% liked it

26th percentile of all films

26th percentile among Comedy27th percentile among 1990s
32% rated it 7–1068% rated it 1–6

Critics 64% · Audience 44%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

1 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 9 wins / 12 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Makeup
  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

97th percentile

264K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Comedy96th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 29% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$54M
Opening weekend$25M
Domestic gross$129M
Worldwide gross$274M

Returned 5.1× its budget — 99th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A showcase for Eddie Murphy playing multiple characters through transformative makeup and physical comedy.

Fans praised

  • Murphy's multiple-character tour de force (seven roles)
  • Sherman Klump as a sweet, sympathetic protagonist
  • Klump family dinner scenes as comedic peak

Detractors panned

  • Relentless fat and fart jokes as lowbrow and cruel
  • Buddy Love character over-the-top and tiresome
  • Crude humor undermines the film's heart

What stands out

ActingDivisive86

Murphy's multi-role performance praised as a tour de force; detractors call it overacting

Effects and spectacleDivisive70

Oscar-winning Rick Baker makeup; dated CGI in dream sequence

CharactersDivisive68

Sherman Klump likable and sympathetic; Buddy Love seen as obnoxious caricature

Emotional impactDivisive65

Poignant fat shaming scene; self-acceptance message

HumorDivisive62

Warm laughs from family antics vs. excessive fart and fat jokes

EndingDivisive62

Resolution of self-acceptance satisfying for fans; contrived for detractors

Plot and storyDivisive50

Jekyll-and-Hyde premise familiar; thin story for some

DialogueDivisive42

Crude, juvenile wordplay; quotable insults in club scene

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 13 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 14 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Nutty Professor like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Easy laugh: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something light that makes you laugh and does not take itself seriously.

It takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Easy laugh.

Moods
WarmHopefulMelancholic
Heaviest: middle
Slapstick humor
Register
Sentimental · 8% of filmsPlayful
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its emotional core completely straight—Sherman's pain and his longing for acceptance are sincere—but wraps it in broad, often gross-out physical comedy, of which the film is entirely aware and which it delivers with exuberant energy.
The rideThe film mixes slapstick comedy with moments of sadness about Sherman's self-loathing, with the emotional core surfacing in the middle and resolving warmly.
StructureThe story follows a conventional three-act structure: Sherman's insecurity and invention, the rise and chaos of Buddy Love, and Sherman's final confrontation and acceptance of himself.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetFeel-good
Why it leaves you this waySherman's triumph is genuine and heartwarming, but the memory of his painful humiliation—and the cruel jokes that fuel his transformation—lingers, making the happy ending feel earned rather than cheap.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rebirth
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% (this title) · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Redemption: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).

13% of films fit this archetype

with Comedy underneath

Why this archetypeSherman Klump, hurt by his own insecurity, creates Buddy Love as a desperate escape, but his real journey is learning to accept himself and reclaim his gentle soul, which is the classic redemption arc. The comedy of errors and farcical situations that arise from Buddy's antics keeps the film firmly in comic territory as well.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSelf-worth
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Self-worth · 7% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores Sherman's struggle to accept himself, his reliance on an external transformation to feel worthy, and the tension between inner kindness and outer appearance.
StanceThe film ultimately celebrates self-acceptance and inner beauty over external appearance, despite satirising academic politics and body stereotypes.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalUrbanRealistic
PopRockSupportive music · licensed compilation
SettingA college campus where Sherman teaches and hosts a TV exercise show.

Content guide

Is The Nutty Professor okay for kids?

PG-13

The Nutty Professor is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for crude humor and sexual references” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (26/100), sexual content at moderate (44/100), language at intense (64/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (27/100) and frightening material at minimal (14/100). Overall it is heavier than 48% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 11 other countries
  • UK12
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • South Korea15
  • CzechiaU
  • Denmark7
  • ItalyT
  • Netherlands6
  • PortugalM/12
  • SpainAPTA
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 31% of all filmsHeavier than 48% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 20%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 81%
Profanity
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 94%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 30%
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 14%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Nutty Professor have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Nutty Professor?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Eddie Murphy
as Sherman Klump
Globe nominee: Golden Globe nomination — Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or MusicalTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jada Pinkett Smith
as Carla Purty
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
James Coburn
as Harlan Hartley
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Larry Miller
as Dean Richmond
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Dave Chappelle
as Reggie Warrington
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
John Ales
as Jason
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Patricia Wilson
as Dean's Secretary
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jamal Mixon
as Ernie Klump Jr.
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Nichole McAuley
as Fit Woman
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Hamilton von Watts
as Health Instructor
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Nutty Professor?

Movies like The Nutty Professor include The Nutty Professor (1963), Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000) and Shallow Hal (2001). Of the 9 closest matches, two are films written by Steve Oedekerk, and most are redemption stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Nutty Professor?

2.2K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: scientist. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.