Carbon Copy (1981)

I love this movie so much

Sorry, this movie sucks

Memorable, crazy movie

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

I was very surprised to see this movie today on a channel that plays lots of familiar movies. I had never heard of this one before, but I figured with Denzel Washington how could I go wrong? Yes, Carbon Copy is over-the-top in its depiction of snooty racists, and some of the comedy borders on slapstick. But if you concentrate on the relationship between the Denzel Washington and George Segal characters, you're in for a real treat. They are truly wonderful together and Denzel, especially considering this is one of his earliest roles, has all the charisma, polish, and depth we have come to expect from him. Bonus points for some really funny lines and a serious point that is made with heart.

A white corporate executive is surprised to discover that he has a black teenage son The son was born as a result of a relationship the exec had many years ago, and now his new found son can't wait to be adopted into the, almost-exclusively-white community of, San Marino, California......Oh Denzel, if you have any skeletons in your closet,this has to be the icing on the cake.It's one of the most offensive films I have ever had the displeasure to have seen, it should have been called Racism: A Kooky Comedy...The writers think that things like sexual abuse, oppression, casual racism, and typecasting is the height of hilarity.Segal spends the majority of the film double taking every five minutes, with a look on his face more or less saying 'My son is B-b-b-b-b-black???' and looking embarrassed.Jack Warden appears as the one who has the big office, and he has a face of disgust throughout the whole shambles.It's disgusting. There are jokes about chicken, Washington spends the film as the subliminal innocent party, but if you look a little deeper into the film, he is depicted as nothing more than a metaphorical slave, living in a garage, and then showing the rich white man, how the other half live.It's in my top ten worse films I have ever had the displeasure of seeing, only just pipped to the post by The Sweetest Thing.Should have been called Birth Of A Nation 2: Nothing's Changed folks!!!Vomit inducing.

I liked this movie and found it to be very funny. I watched it as a kid and have looked for it ever since. I first found the VHS tape in Savons and later the DVD in Circuit City.The movie demonstrated that even though society supposedly changed their view on Blacks, there were still racial undertones. These racial undertones were a reminder that being Black or labeled as family or friend of Blacks wasn't acceptable on an equal level. The film tells the story of a predominately wealthy White man who rose to wealth because he married into it. Then his quick demise because he chose to accept an illegitimate Black son. He was supposedly very much in love with the mother of his son but didn't want to marry her because she was black and it would be bad for business. The film showed how he had to adjust to the lack of support from family, friend and viewed things from the other side of the tracks. It was funny that through out most of the movie he was being a wimp and suffered for it. Then towards the end learns some things about himself.Denzel Washington's character was funny because of his quick witty responses and view point of the real world even before the father realized things. Also, towards the end his character had more depth than at first realized.The movie was very informative about the 1980s racial and social environment. The comedy presented things in a funny manner in which to explain the stereotypes and their effects on the characters. It was funny to the audience and will create dialog and discussions long afterwords.

I first saw one scene of this largely forgotten movie on TV in the early '80s. A white man told his white wife that the black teenage boy with them was his son. She became hysterical and told her husband that God would never forgive him. He responded by saying "How do you know? Maybe he's pleased? Maybe God is black!" As a white kid about 12 years old, somehow I found "Maybe God is black" to be one of the funniest things I'd ever heard! Over the years, I quoted that line many times, mostly in arguments with my mother and maternal grandmother about inter-racial marriage. I supported it and they opposed it, though their opposition was out of fear of the social stigma rather than hatred for other races.That scene was all that I ever saw of "Carbon Copy" until I was 19, when I saw it in a video store and rented it. I loved it but didn't see it again until getting the newly released DVD for Christmas last month. Now 34 and in an inter-racial marriage, I find the movie funnier than ever!Now for my synopsis of the movie! Walter Whitney (played by George Segal) is a wealthy businessman who lives a high society lifestyle with his snobbish wife Vivian (Susan St. James) and his equally snobbish step-daughter Mary Ann (Vicky Dawson). That changes one day when a 17-year old black boy named Roger Porter (Denzel Washington in his first movie) arrives at Walter's office and, after an extensive display of crude behavior, cheerfully says "Hi, Daddy!"It turns out that Roger was the product of Walter's relationship with a black woman, now dead, who he loved. But he left her when his longtime employer and now father-in-law Nelson Longhurst (Jack Warden) advised him that it would be harmful to his career to be with a black woman. It's also revealed that Walter changed his last name from Weisenthal to hide his Jewish ethnicity.Walter is shocked to learn that he has a son and nervous about the way it might disrupt his life. But he attempts to help Roger by telling Vivian that he wants to adopt a poor child for the Summer to show him a better way of life. Vivian reluctantly agrees, then changes her mind shortly after meeting Roger, which leads to the scene that I mentioned to start this review.Vivian proceeds to kick out Walter and her father fires him, takes his company Rolls Royce and his many job benefits. Walter learns that his total worth is the $68 in his wallet.So Walter and Roger, the day after meeting, seek shelter together. They first check into a cheap motel and later move into an apartment in Watts while Walter looks for a new job. But in the town of San Marino, his reputation turns out to be ruined and out of desperation to make some quick cash, he ends up shoveling horse manure.As the movie progresses, it's obvious that Walter regrets leaving Roger's mother. And now he must decide whether to keep Roger at a distance for the sake of social acceptance or try to make up for the mistakes of his past by attempting to build a close relationship with his son.Throughout the movie, the interaction between Walter and Roger is fabulous. Though they are father and son, their lives have been radically different. Their cultures often clash and this results in many hilarious situations. The movie does a great job striking the very difficult balance between having fun with racial stereotypes but still condemning racism.And during the last 15 minutes, when the movie makes the transition from comedy to drama, it does so surprisingly smoothly.In conclusion, "Carbon Copy" gets my vote as the best culture clash comedy ever. I also consider it to be one of the most underrated movies ever. It's a great movie to watch for lots of big laughs. 9/10.