Corrina, Corrina

Ray Liotta a typical ad man from the Eisenhower 50s has just lost his wife and his daughter Tina Majorino her mother. He's needing a housekeeper and babysitter very badly. He starts interviewing a variety of candidates not all of them women. But Whoopi Goldberg playing the title role sort of ingratiates herself with both father and daughter.

Soon enough there's an attraction between the two of them, but this is not 2019 it is the 50s and before the Civil Rights Act. They get a lot of fisheyed stares and a racial crack or two. And that is both of them as Goldberg's own family says to stick to her own kind.

Whoopi's scenes with Tina are really special they're what drive the film. It also makes it a family film in every sense of the word.

Two movie oldtimers, K.T. Stevens and Don Ameche make their farewell appearances. Ameche has only a few scenes and you can see how the ravages of cancer are killing him slowly. A lot like Edward G. Robinson and Soylent Green.

There's also a nice performance by Erica Yohn as Liotta's mom and what a Yiddishe Mama she is. Ameche is his father.

This is a wonderful film and with interracial couples far more accepted now it's a look back on some brave people.

This is a wonderful film with wonderful Christian values. Whoopie Goldberg plays a good woman who is sent to help a family deal with the horrible reality of death. She not only brings love back into the household, but also magic.

This is a great movie for all ages. My kids loved it. They wanted to watch it again and again.

Enjoy!

Corrina, Corrina

Manny Singer (Ray Liotta) is a struggling songwriter for a company that makes television commercials, who also has a loving wife and a daughter, Molly (Tina Majorino). When his wife dies, Manny's whole life falls apart, his daughter stops speaking, and he develops a creative block on his jingle-writing skills that threatens to get him fired. To solve one of these problems, he starts looking for a nanny for Molly, reluctantly settling on Corrina Washington (Whoopi Goldberg), a woman who has recently moved into town to stay with her sister, and who also happens to be black. Though far from the most efficient housekeeper in the town, Corrina clicks instantly with Molly, who eventually starts to speak again. Manny also takes a shine to Corrina, and a friendship soon forms between the two widows, but they can't seem to agree on what is best for Molly.

As easy as it may be to classify 'Corrina, Corrina' as a fifties-set drama, I'm inclined to resist this temptation, for two main reasons. Firstly, aside from the underlying comments about race, the fifties setting is used only as a backdrop, with the focus on a very heartfelt dramedy, which leads me to my second point. 'Corrina, Corrina' is certainly moving, and there are times when you may feel the need to reach for a box of tissues. But it's also quite hilarious as well, and writer/director Jessie Nelson finds a fine balance between the dramatic and comedic beats to make a remarkable motion picture. Liotta, Goldberg and Majorino give wonderful performances, and these really do feel like real characters. A real winner.

~ 8/10 ~

This is a very endearing and heartwarming movie, I readily feel that it captures the delicate issue of mixed race relations during the 1950's with the right amount of poignancy and humor. Whoopi Goldberg is a delight and the whole cast works very well together. The film's setting had an added impact to me as it was filmed in my old neighborhood in Long Beach, California where i grew up and even though i grew up in the seventies i could easily identify with the events and characters. I fully recommend this as a film for the whole family.

A captivating drama / comedy that casts Ray Liotta as 'Manny Singer', a man who recently lost his wife and has his daughter Molly (Tina Majorino) to take care of, who was too sad and heartbroken to talk to anyone after her mother's death. As Manny tries to find a suitable 'nurse maid' for Molly so he can go back to work, Corrina Washington (in the form of Whoopi Goldberg) comes into the picture and eventually gets hired by Manny to take care of the little girl. The funny thing is, what the Singers weren't expecting was for Corrina to bring magic back into their lives. An endearing little treasure, 'Corrina, Corrina' is a motion picture filled with heart and laughter, that's sure to send your spirits soaring. Wendy Crewson is great in her supporting role as the not-so-nice and aggressive 'Jenny Davis'. Goldberg is absolutely terrific in the title role. A highly-recommended motion picture. Rating: Three 1/2 out of Five Stars (Very Good).