hilarious, in how bad it is

“Made in America” held itself out as the quintessential racial comedy of the summer, made all the more unique for the off-screen romance that developed between its two stars, Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson. It made headlines, but also felt like a stunt, a stunt that the movie also seems to be pulling. For all its ambitious intentions, this is not “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner”, hell, it’s barely even “Bringing Down the House.” It’s a gimmicky dud that goes safe on racial comedy and even lamer on romance.

Goldberg is an African book store owner named Sarah and Danson is a white, corny cowboy car salesman named Hal, both of which shocked to discover a connection when Sarah’s daughter Zora (Nia Long) figures out that Hal is the sperm donor that helped produce her, much to Sarah’s chagrin because she wanted a black donor.

The film follows a certain formula- that both Goldberg and Danson seem so far apart in every way is meant to be the hook but it never leads to observations, just over-reactionary scenes. We expect Goldberg and Danson to cool on each other eventually but we never believe it. This is a movie that stays far away from touching on any of the conflicts an interracial couple might face in the 90’s, but even on a lesser level, the Danson character is a dope. His idea of courtship is the line “You know, my sperm has been in your body.” That Goldberg seems so angry through the first half only makes it more contrived when she starts to soften in the second.

They’re not helped by all the broad, juvenile comedy- thanks to Hal’s TV commercials- there are more forced slapstick jokes about bears and elephants than really honest conversations in the entire film. The ending is a crock- an unbelievable coming together, featuring a tediously simple-minded love song called “Love is the Only Color”, that doesn’t work because the script hasn’t created characters, but cartoons.

Will Smith, in his second movie role, improvises like hell to add some comedy to this as Zora’s friend and baby-voiced Jennifer Tilly gets some good laughs. Long comes off as the only one here who’s in any way real. But the rest? “Made in America” feels like it was made by AI in a soulless, out-of-touch Hollywood lab.