MADE IN AMERICA
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Rating: 7.8 out of 10 (B, **1/2 out of ****)
Date Released: 5/28/93 Running Length: 1:50 Rated: PG-13 (Language, mature themes, sexual situations, brief nudity)
Starring: Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Danson, Nia Long, Will Smith, Jennifer Tilly Director: Richard Benjamin Producers: Arnon Milchan, Rick Bieber, and Michael Douglas Screenplay: Holly Goldberg Sloan Music: Mark Isham Released by Warner Brothers
As a result of a simple science class blood test, Zora Matthews (Nia Long) discovers that the man she had long thought of as her father couldn't be. After confronting her mother with this disarming truth, Sarah Matthews (Whoopi Goldberg) confesses to Zora that she is a product of artificial insemination. This sparks a quest for Zora to discover her real father. After getting the information from the sperm bank's records, she goes to meet Hal Jackson (Ted Danson), and finds out that the man whose sperm her mother used is rude, crude, and, worst of all, white.
Yeah, there are a lot of implausibilities in this script, but the story moves along snappily enough that most of them are easily overlooked. More difficult to miss is Richard Benjamin's occasionally inadequate direction. There are numerous scenes that could have been a whole lot funnier had Benjamin been more deft in choreographing them. Too often, he is heavy-handed, but the film survives in spite of him.
The first half of MADE IN AMERICA is highly amusing. Comedy is divided nicely between the outrageous and the subtle (although Bejamin likes to "point out" the less obvious moments by using tricks such as slow-motion). Unfortunately, the comic momentum fades as the film moves to a climax, with the big "plot twist" near the end seeming like something out of bad television melodrama. There are a lot of different ways that the story could have gone; the route it chooses is less-than-satisfying.
Surprisingly, although this is billed as a romantic comedy, I didn't find the romance between Sarah and Hal of particular note. Despite the rumors linking Goldberg and Danson together off-screen, there doesn't seem to be much chemistry between them. Far better are the interactions between mother and daughter, and father and daughter. I could believe these, which are at times touching and sweet, and on other occasions laced with bitterness.
There's no question that the best performance is given by Nia Long. Goldberg and Danson don't have to stretch much to keep in character. Hal is little more than a southern extension of CHEERS' Sam Malone and Sarah Matthews echoes roles that Goldberg has played in the past (a politically correct African-American single mother). Jennifer Tilly has a minor role as Hal's blond, airheaded, helium-voiced girlfriend. This seems to be a part that she was born to play. Never have I been more impressed with Ms. Tilly's acting than when she stares into the camera with that vacuous expression.
One of the failures of MADE IN AMERICA is in the way it introduces the two main characters. At the outset of the film, both Sarah and Hal are portrayed as irresponsible, arrogant, and thoroughly dislikeable. Although they soften as the story progresses, and the audience gradually warms to them, this is not a positive way to start a movie. It's typical in a romantic comedy for one of the partners to be acerbic and unpleasant, but it's unusual for this to be true of both of them. Had the comedy been less fresh, MADE IN AMERICA might have lost me early on.
As far as comedies go, this one is above-average, primarily because there aren't many clunkers among its jokes. Character development is so-so, and there are number of problems, some of which are significant, about the way the story progresses during the last half-hour. Overall, however, MADE IN AMERICA is enjoyable. It handles the issue of a mixed-race relationship sensitively (instead of sensationalistically) and presents an intriguing look at a very different family dynamic.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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