Coming to America (1988)

★★★★
Coming to America represents peak Eddie Murphy during his rise in the 1980s. A string of failures followed, resulting in critical and box office disappointments that would finally be reversed with 1995's The Nutty Professor, although Murphy reached peak form again with 1999's outstanding Bowfinger. Before all that, we got to witness a comic dynamo full of energy, whose rapid delivery of hilarious vulgarities was unmatched. His gut-busting concert films Delirious and Raw are some of the greatest stand-up performances ever. Working again with director John Landis after the role-reversing comedy Trading Places, Murphy gives us one of his most memorable roles. It's a fish-out-of-water story with some of the expected culture shock that goes with the territory, but it works because it's so well executed. The humor is great. The chemistry between the would-be couple is great. The dialogue is fun. There are subtleties everywhere that enrich the viewing experience. The leads are terrific, but the supporting cast is every bit up to the task. This is truly one of the '80s best comedies. It's a complete experience—a neat and tidy story wrapped in Murphy's boundless optimism and handed to us on a silver platter.

Murphy stars as Prince Akeem of the African country of Zamunda. He is next in line for the throne and set to marry his new bride soon after his 21st birthday. As is custom, it is an arranged marriage, with his bride chosen for him years in advance. Akeem is unsure of the arrangement. He would prefer to marry someone he loves, and he wants to ensure that his bride loves him back. He expresses his views to his father King Jaffe Joffer (James Earl Jones) and mother Queen Aoleon (Madge Sinclair), and they assure him that such feelings are normal before the big day. By this time, Akeem has grown tired of his pampered lifestyle. Everything is done for him. He has never left the country, never made his own food and never tied his own shoes, as he points out to his father. He tires of the rose bearers who leave a path of rose petals everywhere he walks. On the night of the wedding, he meets his bride and is disappointed that she will do anything he says. The King offers his son a deal. He will postpone the wedding and, for the next 40 days, Prince Akeem can go anywhere he wants to experience the world and fulfill every desire he has ever had. Upon returning, he will marry his bride. Akeem accepts but has another plan: He will find his own wife.

With manservant Semmi (Arsenio Hall) in tow, Akeem flies to New York City and sets his sights on Queens, thinking it the perfect place to find his mate. Much to Semmi's dismay, they end up in a poor neighborhood and live in a nasty apartment once occupied by a blind man who didn't mind that the window faced a brick wall. Akeem embraces his surroundings, as it gives him the perfect cover. He doesn't wish to disclose his royal heritage. His new bride, whoever she may be, should love him for who he is, not what he is. Their quest through Queens brings them up close with every sort of oddball in the borough. There's a trio of barbers (played by Murphy, Hall and Clint Smith) that constantly argue over mundane topics (mostly boxing). Akeem and Semmi go to a club, where the women are incompatible for a wide range of reasons. They finally land at a Black Awareness pageant, sponsored by a local restaurant named McDowell's, a McDonald's rip-off that serves the Big Mic and buns with no seeds. It is here that Akeem sees Lisa McDowell (Shari Headley), a lovely young lady who gives an impassioned speech about helping children in need. Convinced that this is the right person, Akeem applies for a job at McDowell's, run by Lisa's father Cleo (John Amos), who assures the "African students" that his feud with McDonald's is just a misunderstanding.

It's all a plot to get close to Lisa and see if she can return his feelings. That's going to be difficult because she's dating the boorish Darryl (Eriq La Salle), the son of the creator of a Jheri curl spray named Soul Glo. He's so full of himself that, like a professional wrestler, he gets his own entrance music: the commercial jingle to Soul Glo. Semmi resents doing manual labor, but Akeem embraces the opportunity. He gradually gets to know Lisa and presents himself as a poor student and goat herder from Zamunda. As the days and weeks pass, she grows tired of Darryl's selfish nature, with the final straw coming at a social gathering at the McDowell residence, where Cleo announces that she and Darryl are engaged. Akeem understands the concept of arranged marriages, and he consoles her with his wise words, learned after many years of tutelage as the son of a king. Complications follow. She will have to know the truth eventually, so how does he break the news? Until then, their courtship is well played. Murphy and Headley have amazing chemistry, convincingly coming across as this new couple with a possibly bright future. Her father disapproves. He wants her to marry the rich Darryl. She wants love. So does Akeem. His ruse only hides his background. His intellect is still intact, as are his princely virtues, so he is still largely himself. He isn't putting on a show, giving her the kind of man she wants. He is already the man she wants.

A few situations occur that threaten to blow Akeem's cover. An immigrant from Zamunda recognizes the prince. Akeem plays it off amusingly. He and Lisa pass a museum display that features a picture of the royal family. Lisa's sister Patrice (Allison Dean) likes Akeem and tries to get too close, at one point getting a glimpse of his wealth. For the most part, though, he conceals his roots and passes himself off as a poor man successfully. The story structure holds few surprises, yet the movie doesn't tempt us to worry about the future too much. It captures our attention and holds it in the moment. It does so in part with the supporting cast. Louie Anderson plays a hapless McDowell's employee who takes pride in washing lettuce. His excitement culminates with a speech about how he will one day climb the ladder to success, a monologue that pleases Akeem a great deal while leaving Semmi exasperated. The King's servant Oha (Paul Bates) belts out a wedding song sung at the top of his lungs, and this is after a show-stopping dance routine choreographed by Paula Abdul. There's a great crossover with Trading Places featuring two homeless guys who are overjoyed at the large donation they receive from Akeem. Murphy and Hall don't have to carry the load. Even when they appear as additional characters in heavy makeup (Murphy as an untalented singer and Hall as a minister), they are just doing their shtick because it's fun and not because there's a need to make up for the supporting cast's lack of presence.

Coming to America works because the gags are terrific and the two romantic leads are splendid. I've seen this movie many times; it never gets old. It's fun to watch, and it's even better to watch again to appreciate how well it holds up. Akeem and Semmi may look goofy while decked out in pins and New York City gear, but that stems from their lack of contact with the world outside of Zamunda. They overcompensate, but they're not overreaching. The movie never overreaches. Every gag has something to do with the character(s) involved or arise naturally from each situation. Darryl winds up in Patrice's room after receiving the boot from Cleo. Patrice, who values money more than Lisa does, finally gets a chance to bag her man, and does so while Darryl offers an expression of surprise. This is exactly what Patrice would do. This is exactly how Darryl would react, fully aware of who this person is unzipping his pants. Landis's career was uneven during the '80s. He began the decade with The Blues Brothers and ended it with this one, made a landmark horror movie and directed a surreal comedy about silent movie stars to the rescue, and in between displayed a tremendous lapse in judgement for his role in the death of actor Vic Morrow on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie. Plenty has been said and written about that incident. What a tragedy.

There have been reports of Eddie Murphy being difficult on the set of Coming to America. Landis and Murphy have discussed it. It does not come across on the screen. Whatever happened between them, it didn't get in the way. Coming to America is an outstanding movie. It's very funny. It's also sweet. Prince Akeem's quest to find the perfect bride and meeting all sorts of weird characters in his journey is filled with good humor. I missed the movie in theaters. I caught it on T.V. years ago. The first scene I saw was Akeem's morning greeting to his neighbors. A far off neighbor wasn't in the mood and characteristically responds. Akeem's own response was perfect. I watched the rest, then eventually caught the movie again and watched from the beginning. It's that kind of story. Romy and Michele's High School Reunion from 1997 is of the same vein. They're not incredibly deep, but the filmmakers find the right look, the right rhythm, the right delivery in every scene. Nothing is wasted. I've watched Romy and Michele many times too. That and Coming to America would make a great double feature.

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