Carbon Copy

"Any resemblance between father and son is purely hysterical."

1981 1h 32m EN

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 70

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“Any resemblance between father and son is purely hysterical.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Denzel Washington
Roger Porter
George Segal
Walter Whitney
Susan Saint James
Vivian Whitney
Jack Warden
Nelson Longhurst
Paul Winfield
Bob Garvey
Macon McCalman
Tubby Wederholt
Vicky Dawson
Mary Ann
Parley Baer
Dr. Bristol

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michael Schultz
Writers: Stanley Shapiro
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

45 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Michael Schultz, shot by Fred J. Koenekamp. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bill Conti. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Marion Segal shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Denzel Washington and George Segal and Susan Saint James carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Any resemblance between father and son is purely hysterical.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0082138 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 70 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michael Schultz directs. Fred J. Koenekamp behind the camera. Bill Conti scores. Marion Segal cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

145 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Michael Schultz, shot by Fred J. Koenekamp. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Bill Conti. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Marion Segal shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Denzel Washington and George Segal and Susan Saint James carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Any resemblance between father and son is purely hysterical.".
7IMDB entry: tt0082138 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 70 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Fred J. Koenekamp
Original score: Bill Conti
Editing: Marion Segal
Production design: Ted Haworth
Costume design: Moss Mabry
Makeup / hair: Robin Dee LaVigne
Runtime: 92 min · 1h 32m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $6,000,000
Box office: $9,566,593
Return: 159% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Carbon Copy (1981)

Also by

Michael Schultz

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Community reviews

What people are saying

r96sk2025-07-23
★ 7/10
<em>'Carbon Copy'</em> 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 <em>'Trading Places'</em> 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.

Production companies