Made in America

IMDb RATING
5.1/10
18K
YOUR RATING
Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson in Made in America (1993)
Theatrical Trailer from Warner Bros. Pictures
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A young black woman discovers that her father was a sperm donor, and if that weren't bad enough, he's white.A young black woman discovers that her father was a sperm donor, and if that weren't bad enough, he's white.A young black woman discovers that her father was a sperm donor, and if that weren't bad enough, he's white.

    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Photos37

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    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      The character Hal Jackson was based onCal Worthington, owner of the Worthington Dealership Group, who often appeared in car dealership commercials with exotic animals.
    • Goofs
      Placement of fruit in bowl during the love scene. The fruit is kicked out by Sarah's foot, then is neatly back in place moments later.
    • Quotes

      Hal Jackson: Yeah, I read black literature. Wilt Chamberlain book. Changed my life.

    • Crazy credits
      Originally without extras, the end credits were restarted after Tea Cake tells viewers to stay in their seats before introducing a special performance from Y.T. Style that also saw Sarah, Hal, Zora and Tea Cake join in the fun on stage.
    Featured review
    7/10
    "Made in America" is a formulaic romantic comedy with a pretty noble premise. That premise is obviously a setup for racial (not racist) gags, but it never becomes a one-joke comedy. Ted Danson and Whoopi Goldberg are great leads. They light up the screen with their (sometimes sexual) tension. Goldberg is one of my favorite actresses, and she's wonderful in this role. It's hilarious to watch her spontaneous outbursts. Nobody does 'em like Whoopi.

    There are no real surprises in the plot. Danson is a conceited, self-indulgent used car salesman. He's married to a floozy wife (Jennifer Tilly). Whoopi is a single parent who owns an African-American antique shop. Her daughter finds out that her real father (whose sperm was artificially inseminated) turns out to be Danson, that white used car salesman who does those crazy ads on TV. It's pretty obvious what the punchlines will be and it's pretty obvious how this sometimes schmaltzy story will end up.

    However, it's lightweight entertainment that isn't meant to be thoroughly analyzed. Just enjoy it for its many laughs and endearing performances. It's an innocuous, feel-good comedy. Even when it takes a dramatic turn at the third act, I didn't feel the mood was ruined. I guess it's because I felt a respect for all these likeable characters and was somewhat manipulated. Just how I felt the humor in the first and second acts, I felt the sadness in the third.

    My score: 7 (out of 10)

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    Details

    Box office

    • Budget
      • $22,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $44,942,695
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $11,821,326
      • May 31, 1993
    • Gross worldwide
      • $104,942,695

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