Walter Whitney, a White executive, got the news that he has a Black son. Being at heart a good person, he decided to adopt him. His wife and father-in-law said no, and fired him, took away his rolls, his credit cards, and even black-listed him so he can't get any job. The film is the story of his development from a person desperate to fit into White society, to a "free" person. He was so desperate to fit in that he changed his last name to conceal the fact that he was Jewish. Although he was in love with his Black son's mother, he dropped her like a bad habit so he could fit into the top society. As he endured travails and adventures with his son, his innate goodness slowly resurfaced. George Segal is a great underrated actor, the more so here as he managed to walk that tightrope between funny and insulting in this movie, where no stereotype is left exploited. In his first major movie role, there's a glimmer of stardom already peeping through Denzel Washington's performance. Susan St. James and Jack Warden did the best with what little they were given. Perhaps it's just a sign of the movie's time, or perhaps the filmmaker wanted to accentuate the issue of racism, the White characters are so easy and so generous in their racism. From Walter himself; immediately assuming that his Black son would be a great basketball player; to his wife, father-in-law, to his minister, even. Of course, we get a saccharin-y happy ending. A good movie to see on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

George Segal plays Walter Whitney, a man who has changed his name from Wisenthal to Whitney to fit in with his new life in California. He is married to Vivian (played by Susan Saint James) and works for his father-in-law Nelson (played by Jack Warden). Dick Martin is hysterical as his pot-smoking attorney and friend. Tom Poston has a small role as the minister. This film is about a lot of things. For starters, Walter learns that his ex-girlfriend Lorraine Porter had a son, Roger (played by Denzel Washington in one of his first roles). After all, Walter is shocked to learn that she and him have a son, Roger, a 17 year old African American. Anyway, this news doesn't go well for Walter's life. His father-in-law fires him. He loses his car, his wife, his adoptive daughter, and his place in San Marino society. He and Roger move into a motel and they get reaction regarding their relationship as father-son. Nobody believes him. Still the film has a lot of problems regarding script but a first rate cast also featuring Paul Whitfield as well. Still if you are truly a Denzel Washington fan, you will get through it. There is some negative humor though that it might be considered highly offensive but this film is nearly 30 years old. Walter and Roger take turns in each other's worlds and you wonder if they can ever fit in or find out who they really are. After all, Walter changed his name, his religion and ethnicity, and married Vivian instead of his true love, Lorraine in the 1960s.

This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I love Denzel Washington, but he must have been truly desperate to do this movie. I guess I'm especially sensitive because our next President will have a European-American parent. It wasn't even a little funny, it was insulting to everyone. I kept waiting for something funny to happen, but it just kept getting meaner and stupider, with what's-his-name treating this supposed son like dirt. Is that funny? Sorry, I don't get it. Yuck, so glad Washington moved on to better things. I'm only continuing to type because I need to put in 10 lines, and I really need to get this review off my chest. Are we done yet? Are we? Yeah!!

I saw this movie in the 1980s on German TV (in English). Fortunately, I taped it, because I never saw it again -- until 2006 on the MGM cable channel (and now I recorded it on DVD!). In the meantime, I wrote a thesis that dealt, among other things, with integration and denial issues (compare it to Woody Allen's "Zelig", for example!), and I found more quotable poignant and funny lines in this movie than in any other. On top of it, it has all those minor jokes that you probably won't catch the first time around and that make a comedy great. This movie is extremely funny, well written and has great actors, who should really be proud of it. The only thing that surprises me is that with all those big names attached the movie is so frequently overlooked and almost forgotten. If you haven't seen it and get a chance to, by all means, watch it and spread the word. By the way: I won't claim I saw Denzel's potential back then, but when I look back at this movie now, in hindsight, you can detect an Oscar winner in the making. Why didn't I give ten points? Well, I have to admit that the movie tapers off a bit at the end. If it had started more slowly, it would be OK, but the first half is just one funny line after another, and it just doesn't keep up its pace. And maybe the end is too unrealistic -- but then again, what do you expect from comedy? For me, it still works because it has a lot to say, and it does so in a brilliant way.