Spikeopath Made in America is directed by Richard Benjamin and collectively written by Marcia Brandwynne, Nadine Schiff and Holly Goldberg Sloan. It stars Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Danson, Nia Long, Will Smith and Jennifer Tilly.When doing a biology project at school, Zora (Long) notices that her blood group is different from her mothers, Sarah (Goldberg). Having never known her father, Zora learns that she was the product of artificial insemination. Quickly setting off to find out who her father is, it comes as a big shock when it turns out he's tall white car salesman Hal Jackson (Danson), a surprise since Zora and Sarah are black! Not the most powerful of set ups it has to be said, but in spite of the lowly rating afforded it by many critics and film lovers, it's a sweet and honest affair. Film pins its hopes on the central comedy premise of a white man somehow fathering a black daughter from a black mother. From there it follows a familiar course from the shock and horror born out by the reveal, to opposites at war and on to maybe opposites attracting? This of course only works if the viewer has a soft spot for Danson and Goldberg in the first place, but with them giving it complete gusto, and being a real off screen couple as well, their play off of each other is very easy to warm too. Sure it's contrived, and very treacle based once we land in the final quarter, but the mixing of races aspect has been well handled by the makers and there's some decent comedy moments. It may not be laugh out loud funny, unless you be the type of person who finds Danson astride a runaway elephant funny? But it has its moments and director Richard Benjamin is also enough of a pro to not let the pace sag. Good support comes from Long and Smith, while Tilly is wonderfully memorable as the fitness freak bimbo girlfriend of Danson.Slight but never less than charming, it's safely recommended to fans of the two principal stars. 6/10

Brigid O Sullivan (wisewebwoman) Richard Benjamin directed this. Ted Danson plays a lead as Hal the auto salesman. Whoopi Goldberg plays a lead as Sarah. Will Smith plays a lead as occasional boyfriend. Jennifer Tilley, oh dear.What a mess of a movie and completely uneven, wavering all over the place from outrageous slapstick (a racing elephant!!!) to frequent attempts at poignancy. Too huge and sudden swerves in characterization by the leads matching the swerves of their vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles.What ever happened to the wit of Richard Benjamin? How did he sink to trite and formulaic? This coulda been a really interesting movie as the premise is intriguing - an adult seeking her sperm donor father.BUT: instead we have this simplistic plot with very few laughs.Only good point is a white-black romance without any eyebrow raising or racism (made in 1993) and we still (2008) haven't had many of those in theatres). Whoopi chews the scenery all through it. But the (lack of decent)script is 100% responsible. Avoid. 4 out of 10.

peter-856 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.

katekingswood Despite mixed reviews and obnoxious comments about this film from several aquaintences this movie proved to be funny,heartwarming and entertaining.Whoopi Goldberg plays Sarah Matthews,the mother of a seventeen year old - Zora (Nia Long). Their seemingly perfect life is changed dramatically when Zora finds that her father was not Mr Matthews - her apparently deceased father.Zora finds that she is in fact the product of an artificial insemination and that her father is unknown by her mother.Upset and curious about the whereabouts of her real father, Zora searches through the computer files for her Mother and finds that her father is in fact Hal Jackson (Ted Danson), a dumb used car dealer who is famous for his crass and stupid commercial on the local TV station.The traumas and dramas of the whole situation begin to simmer down and so do the hard feelings between Hal and Sarah. They fall in love and as you've probably already guessed, there is a very happy ending!! Awwwwww.