Movies We Watch

This film had such an ABC Family type of description that I was surprised to see that it was rated R. Now, why would this film be rated R? There was little to no sex in it, just some kissing and nothing more than you would see on a 10 pm television show as far as affection went.

Well, every single racical slur possible is used in this film. There are no survivors. Jews, African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Italians, the Irish, Middle Easterners, and us old white folk were all fair game when it came to stereotypes and insults.

Donald Faison as a baby found in Italy by an Italian family and raised in the US in Woodhaven Queens is amusing. He never wonders why he looks different than everyone else he grew up around or lives with. He learns Italian, has an Italian best friend (played quite Long Island Guido-ey by Joey Fatone), looks forward to taking over his father’s Italian Deli and cooks great Italian food.

His new Jewish girlfriend (played by Jamie Lynn Siegler) is worried that her mother will find out she is dating a Catholic.

Then the family lost the baby in Italy shows up. An African American family that had been in Italy on vacation and lost the baby when their gondola tipped over.

This is when you would assume wackiness ensues. But it doesn’t. It becomes an eye opening lesson for almost everyone involved on how people treat others different than they are. Oh, and the usual love conquers all thing.

Not a great film. Not a bad film. I wouldn’t seek it out again, but I am not disappointed I watched it. And it only played at a film festival before going straight to DVD.

imdb.com

All his life, African-American Renato has been raised in an Italian-American family. Completely unaware that he is Black, his life is upended when his birth parents materialize, causing Renato to examine what he true heritage is.