The Color of Friendship (2000)

A white South African girl finds herself in a difficult situation when she is sent to spend a term with a black family in America.

Director:

Kevin Hooks

Writer:

Paris Qualles

Stars:

Lindsey Haun, Shadia Simmons, Carl Lumbly

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lindsey Haun	...	Mahree Bok
Shadia Simmons	...	Piper Dellums
Carl Lumbly	...	Ron Dellums
Penny Johnson Jerald	...	Roscoe Dellums (as Penny Johnson)
Anthony Burnett	...	Brandy Dellums
Travis Kyle Davis	...	Erik Dellums (as Travis Davis)
Melanie Nicholls-King	...	Flora
Susan Danford	...	Merle Bok
Stephen Jennings	...	Pieter Bok
Michael Kanevsky	...	Rian Bok (as Michael Kanev)
Ahmad Stoner	...	Daniel
Ryan Cooley	...	Billy
David Rosser	...	Reporter #1
Michelyn Emelle	...	Reporter #2
Erik Kilpatrick	...	Turner

Storyline

Mahree Bok lives on a farm in South Africa. Her father is a policeman who cannot hide his joy when activist Steve Biko is caught by the South African authorities. Piper Dellums is the daughter of a US congressman from California and who lives in a nice home in Washington DC. When Mahree is chosen to spend a semester at the Dellums' house, she doesn't expect that her host family would be black. Nor do her hosts suspect that she is not a black South African.

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Plot Keywords:

exchange student | cape town south africa | white african | gift | watching television | 

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Taglines:

Look beyond black and white and you'll find...The Color of Friendship

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Family

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Certificate:

TV-G

Did You Know?

Trivia

The real Erik Dellums, son of former Congressman Ron Dellums, appears in a cameo.

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Goofs

Throughout the film, there are vehicles of the 1980's and 1990's in the film.

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Quotes

[Mahree just found out that her host family is black]
Mahree Bok: [to Roscoe and Piper] You're the family?
Roscoe Dellums: [nodding] Yes.
Mahree Bok: [to Congressman Dellums] And you're the Congressman?
Ron Dellums: [forcing a smile] Welcome to America.

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Connections

References Freaky Friday (1976)

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Soundtracks

Sing a Song
Written by Maurice White and Al McKay
Performed by Earth Wind & Fire
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

enjoyable, educational

Ok I don't normally watch Disney channel movies, but lately some of them have not been that bad. The Color of Friendship was one of these. It showed real problems in an atmosphere that was understandable to younger audiences and yet not wholly uninteresting to adults. The two teenage girls provided a great dichotomy, and though some of their arguments were unrealistic, for the most part the issues were clearly and logically presented. Even as an educated young adult, the movie still was delightfully surprising to me in that it opened my eyes and made me see more than a history book lesson, but instead real people with real feelings. It is noted in the movie, and important to remember in life, that it is not the people of the oppressive country that are inherently bad, but rather the system of beliefs that has been imposed upon them, often for generations.

Enjoyable and educational, I give it an 8 out of 10.

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 February 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Color of Friendship

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alan Sacks Productions, Friendly Cat Productions Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD