Made in America

Ted Danson's run on "Cheers" was about over and it looked like he might go exclusively to the big-screen, but "Made in America" ended those hopes pretty quick. African-American high school senior Nia Long learns that she was conceived through artificial means and tries to find out who her real father is. Of course it turns out to be obnoxious car salesman Danson and this is when the comedy starts. Long's mother (Whoopi Goldberg) is really upset with the data, but actually begins to fall for Danson to Long's dismay as she wants Danson to be the father she has never had. The movie goes for comedy for the most part, but then turns dramatically in the final act and this makes the film uneven in many important respects. Everyone is adequate, but the screenplay struggles to succeed and never does really accomplish its goal. Will Smith is particularly good as Long's best friend. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

This was so funny. It was fabulous. You laugh straight through, except for the part in every movie when the going gets tough. Really, Whoopi is a crazy-in-traffic mother with an attitude. After her husbands death she went to a sperm bank. But oh, how could this happen, they mix it up. She asked for a tall, intelligent black man. Now she's clashed together with "Hal" ('s your pal), the actual sperm donor. But he's not black and he's a car salesman. He is tall, and we withhold judgment on the intelligence scale. The only match is their traffic skills (or lack thereof, depending on how you look at it) and their sensible daughter. Her pal, T-cake (Will Smith), is a gem. You should watch the movie just to see him swing his butt pretending to be an angry girl.

An intelligent, black teenage girl is shocked to discover from her strong, independent mother that she was the product of artificial insemination. Determined to track her biological father down, she looks up the records to find that not only is he a white man, but he's also an obnoxious and pompous car salesman. Naturally, complications ensue when her mother makes it clear that she requested a black donor. Cast is talented and enthusiastic, setup is very clever and has the makings of a really enjoyable comedy, but unfortunately they're wasted on a sorry script that repeatedly resorts to dumb, sitcom-style humor. A real shame. **

The movie seems to work better than the premise might suggest. The three leads - Goldberg, Danson and Nia Long, have a nice chemistry between them. Nia Long being particularly lovable as 'their' daughter. There are some good gags in it, although the movie is not overstuffed with them. The decent, heartwarming plot (just the right amount of twists) handles the race aspects with an exemplary ease.

Jennifer Tilly's bit-part was funnier and more successful than Will Smith's.

Made in America is hardly a classic but is worth watching if you like a little maturity in your comedy.

I really like this film. It's been on British T.V. almost as many times as Mary Poppins and I'm always glad to see it. There is a chaotic comic chemistry between Goldberg and Danson, but they don't egotistically dominate the film, allowing the charming and funny performances by Nora Long, Jennifer Tilly, Will Smith, Peggy Rea and others to shine. I particularly like Tilly's character, a new age airhead, and her new boyfriend, played by Fred Mancuso, who between them, make stupidity lovable. Everyone gets a fair chance, and they all make the best of it.

Formulaic as it is, Made in America is about racial identity, which is a difficult subject to address in such a frivolous form as romantic comedy, but it manages to more or less avoid cringes and concentrates on the laughs, only giving as much time to story as is necessary to keep everything moving on. Against the odds and thanks to the superb cast this is a good natured film. It harks back to the optimism of the early nineties, and seems strangely innocent, eleven years on.