TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

Abegail Noëlle While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

deetya Walter Whitney, a White executive, got the news that he has a Black son. Being at heart a good person, he decided to adopt him. His wife and father-in-law said no, and fired him, took away his rolls, his credit cards, and even black-listed him so he can't get any job. The film is the story of his development from a person desperate to fit into White society, to a "free" person. He was so desperate to fit in that he changed his last name to conceal the fact that he was Jewish. Although he was in love with his Black son's mother, he dropped her like a bad habit so he could fit into the top society. As he endured travails and adventures with his son, his innate goodness slowly resurfaced. George Segal is a great underrated actor, the more so here as he managed to walk that tightrope between funny and insulting in this movie, where no stereotype is left exploited. In his first major movie role, there's a glimmer of stardom already peeping through Denzel Washington's performance. Susan St. James and Jack Warden did the best with what little they were given. Perhaps it's just a sign of the movie's time, or perhaps the filmmaker wanted to accentuate the issue of racism, the White characters are so easy and so generous in their racism. From Walter himself; immediately assuming that his Black son would be a great basketball player; to his wife, father-in-law, to his minister, even. Of course, we get a saccharin-y happy ending. A good movie to see on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

mozli I can't give it a ten because they could have gotten someone better than Susan St. James but I enjoyed this film when I saw it in theaters many moons ago. Michael Schultz has never gotten his due as a director and this is another example of that. The surface story of an absentee father finally owing up to his son is quite good and rings true. I find the subplot of a affluent guy brought down to earth through circumstance prophetic of how America has went through similar change over the last 25 years. This movie wasn't very well liked when it came out I believe because it didn't pull punches in that regard. There was no magic bullet to solve their problems. It took time and work for the father and son to come to an understanding. I've always kinda wished Denzel and George would work together again. They had good chemistry together.

vchimpanzee Walter Whitney has a mansion in San Marino and a great job that comes with a Rolls Royce and numerous credit cards. Hisd life isn't quite perfect, since his uptight wife Vivian won't let him touch her or even let him see her without her clothes on. And her daughter Mary Ann won't accept Walter as her father, even though he adopted her when he married her mother. Mary Ann considers herself to be engaged to her boyfriend, but apparently this isn't important enough to tell Walter.Nelson, Vivian's father and Walter's boss, has a talk with Walter because he is concerned that his daughter isn't happy. But this is the least of Walter's problems. It seems that when he was in college at Northwestern, Walter lived with a black woman. And that woman's son Roger is here to see him. His mother is now deceased, and Roger feels the need to find his father. Guess who it is!The opening credits said "Introducing Denzel Washington". This respected and usually serious actor comes across more like Will Smith in TV's "Fresh Prince of Bel Air"--appealing, smart-alecky, intelligent though apparently not book-smart (and we know Smith progressed from that image to a career similar to Washington's, though in less serious roles). Washington does show potential here, though it's not immediately obvious he will someday win an Oscar. He does comedy well, but he also has at least one fine dramatic scene. But this is not "Fresh Prince". On that show, only Carlton and Hilary thought they were better than everyone else. Their parents never forgot where they came from. In this movie, Vivian, Mary Ann, Nelson, and even the family doctor and pastor think blacks are inferior, and that Walter has done something unthinkable. And wait until you find out the hilarious consequences!Most of the leading actors here give good performances. Dick Martin is funny as Walter's pot-smoking best friend and lawyer, and Paul Winfield does a good job as another lawyer.One of the many highlights: Roger's '59 Chevy, which makes Al Bundy's Dodge Dart look like a BMW. The only movie car more pathetic that I can remember was one of the cop cars in "Smokey and the Bandit", but that was only after numerous wrecks.And you have to see how Walter and Vivian solved their difficulties in the bedroom!Eventually, lessons about prejudice are learned, but not by all. Those who don't think there should be racial prejudice should keep in mind what was said about Archie Bunker. We learn prejudice is wrong by making fun of it.The ending was not neat and tidy, but it showed promise. This was very good.

Mister-6 Racism is a serious issue in the world: it was in 1981 and it still is today. That this movie makes it its central issue isn't the bad thing. What's bad is that no one cared to think about what was being said."Carbon Copy" is aptly named; it's the same story that was used in a million other movies about fathers finding out they had sons that were a different race/impoverished/radicals/whatever was the hot topic issue of the day. What is different this time around is that things are supposed to funny.Funny. Yes, you read that right.I guess that any subject can be made funny, in theory, but RACISM? The Hollywood suits must have felt they had to take yet another serious issue and sugar-coat it with slapstick, one-liners and stereotypes (white ones, for a change). Segal, Warden, Washington and Winfield should have known this was a doomed project from the start. Nothing works, even the "humor" is blunted since it grates so against the real subject matter. But since it was directed by Schultz (not known for his subtlety) I guess no one should really be surprised.No great strides in the bridging of the races were made with "Carbon Copy", I'd guess since no one took it seriously. No stars. Fortunately, the actors recovered and went on. After seeing this mess, I wish I could.