Coming to America (1988)

An extremely pampered African Prince travels to Queens, New York, and goes undercover to find a wife that he can respect for her intelligence and will.

Director:

John Landis

Writers:

Eddie Murphy (story), David Sheffield (screenplay)

Stars:

Eddie Murphy, Paul Bates, Garcelle Beauvais

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Bates	...	Oha
Eddie Murphy	...	Prince Akeem / Clarence / Saul / Randy Watson
Garcelle Beauvais	...	Rose Bearer
Feather	...	Rose Bearer
Stephanie Simon	...	Rose Bearer
Victoria Dillard	...	Bather / Dancer
Felicia Taylor	...	Bather
Midori	...	Bather (as Michele Watley)
James Earl Jones	...	King Jaffe Joffer
Madge Sinclair	...	Queen Aoleon
Sheila Johnson	...	Lady-in-Waiting
Arsenio Hall	...	Semmi / Morris / Extremely Ugly Girl / Reverend Brown
Raymond D. Turner	...	T-Shirt Hawker
Calvin Lockhart	...	Colonel Izzi
Billi Gordon	...	Large Woman

Storyline

Immersed in luxury and riches, the courteous blue blood and refined heir apparent to Africa's prosperous kingdom of Zamunda, Prince Akeem, summons up the courage to reject an arranged marriage proposal on his twenty-first birthday. Bent on finding true love, the young aristocrat along with his trusted valet, Semmi, find themselves in the strange and unknown urban jungle of New York City's Queens, trying to mingle with their neighbours by posing as humble exchange students. More than anything in the world, the noble prince yearns to be loved for what he is, and not for his title; however, can he find his soulmate in the bustling Big Apple?

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Plot Keywords:

janitor | robber | 1980s | new york city | wedding | 

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Taglines:

The Four Funniest Men in America are Eddie Murphy

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The working title of this film was "The Quest".

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Goofs

(at around 1h 30 mins) When Oha pays Cleo "for his trouble", the bill is crumpled when it is put on the counter. When Cleo picks it up for the close up, the bill is crisp and flat. This happens again when Cleo pulls the bill from his pocket to show to Lisa.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Rose Bearer: Good morning, Your Highness.
Rose Bearer: Good morning, Your Highness.
Rose Bearer: Good morning, Your Highness.
Oha: Happy birthday, Your Highness.
Prince Akeem: [thinks] Yes, it *is* my birthday.

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Crazy Credits

On conversion of the movie to HD digital format, Saul's credit has been omitted. When Saul interrupts the end credits with the soup joke, originally Eddie Murphy's name appears under Saul to indicate it's him (the name then disappears and reappears immediately under Clarence). This does not happen in modern digital versions of the movie, and Saul is left unidentified until the conventional credits list.

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Connections

Referenced in Honest Trailers: Black Panther (2018)

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Soundtracks

All Dressed Up (Ready To Hit The Town)
Written by Jonathan Moffett (as Jonathan Phillip Moffett)
Performed by Chico DeBarge
Produced by Jonathan Moffett (as Jonathan Phillip Moffett)
Executive Producer Maurice White
Chico DeBarge performs courtesy of Motown Record Corporation

User Reviews

Gotta love this off the wall comedy

Eddie Murphy is the Prince of Zamunda, he is very wealthy and very pampered. When he refuses to marry the bride his father has arranged for him, he goes to Queens to find his queen. With his closest companion (Arsenio Hall) they try to blend in with the everyday people of New York, taking jobs as cleaners in a local burger bar.

The entire film is packed with slick gags, hilarious characters and delightful parody. Coming to American is a romantic comedy that entertains you again and again, and Eddie Murphy is on top form throughout.

Recommended 7/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 June 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Quest

Filming Locations:

392 S 5th Street, Brooklyn, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$39,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$21,404,420, 4 July 1988

Gross USA:

$128,152,301

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$288,752,301

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Eddie Murphy Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo Dolby Atmos Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1