This is the signature line of used car salesman Hal Jackson (Ted Danson) who's known for his banal T.V. ads, and whose placid, carefree life is about to be shattered by a nice girl named Zora Matthews (Nia Long), who's strong, independent mother Sara (Whoopi Goldberg) conceived her through artificial insemination after the death of her husband.
The movie opens with Zora storming out of the class room, after a blood test confirms that the man Sara was married to couldn't possibly be her father.
And after a sobbing accusation in Sara's shop
("Mom, before dad died, you had an affair!" To which Sara's employee replies: "Thank goodness this happened on one of MY work days!"), the truth is revealed to the agitated Zora.
Though Sara wants the matter of Zora's father closed, her daughter's curiosity is awakened.
And in the company of her friend Tea Cake Walters (Will Smith), she begins a relentless pursuit to discover the identity of her mother's donor.
When she finds Hal Jackson's name in the sperm banks computer, she is overjoyed, but there's one little problem... Hal is white.
Moreover, he has absolutely no interest in having a relationship with Zora.
But he soon finds himself having no choice, as a furious Sara (who's devastated about her child's father being white), storms in to the used car lot to yell at him, and an unlikely attraction sparks between them.
Whoopi Goldberg, and Ted Danson are terrific.
I have rarely seen better chemistry between two people.
Nia Long is perfect, and Will Smith is -as always- great, as is a surprising Jennifer Tilly, who does an outstanding job as Hal's girlfriend Stacy.
This is a movie which restores one's faith in the inherent goodness of people. And in humanity as a whole.
It's a real rarity. One I hope will be appreciated as time goes on.
Originally, Review #144
Posted On:
November 26, 2011
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