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Carbon Copy main poster

Carbon Copy

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5.7/10 • 59

1981-08-061h 32m

ComedyDrama

Any resemblance between father and son is purely hysterical.

A middle-aged married wealthy white corporate executive is surprised to discover that he has a working-class black teen-age son who wants to be adopted into the almost-exclusively-white upper-middle-class community of San Marino, California.

Directors
Michael Schultz
Writters
Stanley Shapiro
Editors
Stanley Shapiro, Marion Segal

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Denzel Washington

    Denzel Washington

    Roger Porter

  2. George Segal

    George Segal

    Walter Whitney

  3. Susan Saint James

    Susan Saint James

    Vivian Whitney

  4. Jack Warden

    Jack Warden

    Nelson Longhurst

  5. Paul Winfield

    Paul Winfield

    Bob Garvey

  6. Macon McCalman

    Macon McCalman

    Tubby Wederholt

  7. Vicky Dawson

    Vicky Dawson

    Mary Ann

  8. Parley Baer

    Parley Baer

    Dr. Bristol

  9. Dick Martin

    Dick Martin

    Victor Bard

Reviews1

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r96sk Avatar

r96sk

Jul 23, 2025

7/10

'Carbon Copy' is a Denzel Washington flick that only a few have apparently seen; just 2.9k watched on Letterboxd, for example. That's a surprise, as is the film itself frankly. It's a bit of a trip. I knew it'd be to do with race due to the poster/title, but it's the entire plot. I was getting major vibes of 'Trading Places' throughout, there are plenty of differences, for sure, but the white guy's trajectory is fairly similar. That Landis flick came out just two years after this, curiously. As for how this deals with race, I think positively (albeit clumsily). Washington, in his proper movie debut, is standout. I wouldn't have predicted the phenomenal actor that he'd soon become based on this performance, but there is enough to show his acting prowess. George Segal is just as good as Denzel, the two share solid comedic chemistry. It is amusing, I found myself chuckling. The plot is ludicrous but it's never portrayed not to be just that, in fairness. I did enjoy it, as bizarre as it is (how about that opening scene!). It does have an old TV sitcom feel to it, largely thanks to a catchy score (by a certain Bill Conti). "Not aged the best"/"couldn't make it nowadays" and all that. Still, it did entertain me for (a well chosen run time of) 90 minutes.

Media

  • Carbon Copy poster
  • Carbon Copy poster
  • Carbon Copy poster
  • Carbon Copy poster
  • Carbon Copy poster
  • Carbon Copy poster
  • Carbon Copy poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$6,000,000.00
Revenue
$9,566,593.00
Keywords
californiaparent child relationshipillegitimate son