This was a movie that if you had the patience to see it through it could be worth it. After reading the synopsis this was not my kind of movie at all. The only thing that drew me in was Denzel Washington. I had no interest in watching a movie about a white businessman who gets a surprise visit from his black son after 17 years. An illegitimate son he knew nothing about. That conjures up some very raw feelings for me. Yet, Denzel was in the movie so I was willing to give it a try.
The first two thirds of this movie was hard to stomach. Naturally, Denzel plays the unknown son, Roger Porter. He is a sassy overbearing character portraying the image of black ineptitude. His father, Walter (George Segal), is immediately put off by the appearance of this socially unacceptable faux pas. Sure, he loved a black woman at one time but now he's a successful businessman and a black son would ruin everything. And if Walter's reservations had the stench of racism, then his wife, the priest, the lawyer, the doctor, et al were unabashed racists. All the stereotyping and fears came pouring out and it was ugly. I was watching this with a bristling disgust. There were fried chicken references, welfare references, criminal background references, and more. It was enough to make me ill. But, I was going to see it through. And I'm glad I did. The ending didn't make the movie great but it made the movie somewhat worthwhile.
The first two thirds of this movie was hard to stomach. Naturally, Denzel plays the unknown son, Roger Porter. He is a sassy overbearing character portraying the image of black ineptitude. His father, Walter (George Segal), is immediately put off by the appearance of this socially unacceptable faux pas. Sure, he loved a black woman at one time but now he's a successful businessman and a black son would ruin everything. And if Walter's reservations had the stench of racism, then his wife, the priest, the lawyer, the doctor, et al were unabashed racists. All the stereotyping and fears came pouring out and it was ugly. I was watching this with a bristling disgust. There were fried chicken references, welfare references, criminal background references, and more. It was enough to make me ill. But, I was going to see it through. And I'm glad I did. The ending didn't make the movie great but it made the movie somewhat worthwhile.