When a rich white corporate executive finds out that he has an illegitimate black son, things start falling apart for him at home, at work and in his social circles.
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Title: Carbon Copy (1981)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| George Segal | ... | Walter Whitney | |
| Susan Saint James | ... | Vivian Whitney | |
| Jack Warden | ... | Nelson Longhurst | |
| Dick Martin | ... | Victor Bard | |
| Denzel Washington | ... | Roger Porter | |
| Paul Winfield | ... | Bob Garvey | |
| Macon McCalman | ... | Tubby Wederholt | |
| Vicky Dawson | ... | Mary Ann | |
| Parley Baer | ... | Dr. Bristol | |
 |
Vernon Weddle | ... | Wardlow |
|
|
Edward Marshall | ... | Freddie |
|
|
Ed Call | ... | Basketball Father |
|
|
Angelina Estrada | ... | Bianca |
| Carmen Filpi | ... | Wino | |
| Warren Munson | ... | 2nd Guard | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
A white corporate executive is surprised to discover that he has a black teen-age son who can't wait to be adopted into the almost exclusively white community of San Marino, California. Written by K. Rose <rcs@texas.net> and horrendous punctuation corrected by Brooks
Taglines:
" I lost my job, my house and my Rolls Royce; My family left me...What else can possibly go wrong?" "Hi, Dad!" See more »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Release Date:
25 September 1981 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
A Cara do Pai See more »Filming Locations:
Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$6,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend USA:
$1,451,286, 27 September 1981, Limited ReleaseGross USA:
$9,566,593Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Edit
Roger Porter: 14 dollars and a record player.
Walter Whitney: You were robbed!
See more »
Music by Bill Conti
Lyrics by Paul Williams
Performed by Dan Seals (as England Dan Seals)
See more »
Did You Know?
Goofs
When Walter pulls in to park and hits the parking meter, he reverses and parks. The car is visibly outside of the parking lane lines. After the cut, he gets out of the car and the car is within the parking lane lines. See more »Quotes
Walter Whitney: How much did you pay for this car?Roger Porter: 14 dollars and a record player.
Walter Whitney: You were robbed!
See more »
Soundtracks
I'm Gonna Get Closer to YouMusic by Bill Conti
Lyrics by Paul Williams
Performed by Dan Seals (as England Dan Seals)
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
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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.