Mazur, P. & Tisch, S. (Producers), & Nelson, J. (Director).  (1990).

Corrina, Corrina.  [Film].  Hollywood: New Line Cinema. 

        This movie is about a Caucasian man played by Ray Liotta who has
just lost his wife.  He has a young daughter named Molly to care for and a
career to continue.  He is in need of a nanny/housekeeper.  Corrina,
played by Whoopi Goldberg, applies for the position and is hired for the
job.  Throughout the movie, Manny (the father) and Corrina begin to take
an interest to one another.  Corrina's sister is against the relationship
because Manny is white and from a different class than Corrina's family.
Manny's neighbor and parents disapprove as well.  Throughout the movie,
Molly plays with Corrina's niece and nephews with no concern of what color
skin they have.  Along the way there are only a couple instances that
shows their curiosity as to why their skin color is different.  Molly asks
the African-American girl if she tastes like chocolate and the girl asks
Molly if she tastes like vanilla.  They lick each other and realize they
don't taste different than one another and continue playing.  In the end,
Manny and Corrina establish a relationship and Molly is happy as can be.
        I chose this movie because it shows that love should have no
boundaries.  Although both families did not completely agree with the
relationship between a Caucasian man and an African-American woman, Manny
and Corrina did not let that stand in their way.

5 questions...

1. Was it common for only white children to attend school at the time of
the movie?

2. Why was Corrina's sister Geneva able to read and was educated while
Corrina was not educated?  What did women have to do to become educated
during the time frame of the movie?

3. What was the most common job for African-American women during the time
frame of the movie?

4. Was being a housekeeper/nanny a prestigious job for African-American
women during the time frame of the movie?

5. Why did you choose to have an interracial couple in the movie?  You
could have chosen a plot with an African-American couple or Caucasian
couple?

Submitted by Jaimers Alspach. 


        I chose the movie, Corrina Corrina, because I was told that it was
a good movie to watch if looking for multicultural issues.  It is
definitely that.  The movie is about a father and his little girl, Molly,
who recently lost her mother.  The father interviews people looking for a
nanny for Molly.  The person they hire is Corrina (Whoopi Goldberg).
Corrina and Molly get along very well, and Corrina helps Molly accept her
mother's death.
        There are many multicultural issues in this movie.  Corrina takes
Molly to her family's house to play with her nieces and nephew.  At first,
the children don't quite know what to do.  But they become the best of
friends and while at Corrina's church, Molly leans over to one of the
nieces and says, "I am a nigger lover!" and seems very proud of herself.
The niece first gets upset, but then realizes that she didn't mean it in a
mean way and explains to her that that is not a nice thing to say.  Molly
doesn't understand why though.  She had overheard it at a restaurant and
thought it was okay to say.  During the movie, one of the nieces asks
Molly, "Do you taste like vanilla?" and Molly asks her, "Do you taste like
chocolate?". They end up giggling and licking each other.
        Molly's father and Corrina begin to have feelings for each other
that are stronger than just friends.  But the neighbors and his parents do
not approve of this.  The neighbors watch way too closely and report back
to the father's parents.  Corrina's family doesn't approve of her liking
him either.  But by showing everyone that they are serious about each
other, both families end up being okay with it.

Five Questions

1.      Why was it that Molly's neighbors, family members and friends all
        had problems with the fact that her father was in love with an
        African American, but it didn't have any affect on Molly?
        (You would think that her family would rub off on her more.)

2.      Why did Corrina not make Molly go to school at all?

3.      Why didn't Molly have more of a difficult time with her father
        dating another woman so soon after her mother died?

4.      Why didn't the teacher at school explain that it was okay what
        Molly drew (the picture of her family, including Corrina)?

5.      How did the director select the actors?

Submitted by Kathryn Giustina.

 
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