CORINNA, CORINNA

.US, 1994, 118 minutes, Colour.
Whoopi Goldberg, Ray Liotta, Tina Majorino, Don Ameche, Wendy Crewson, Joan Cusack, Larry Miller.
Directed by Jessie Nelson.


Whoopi Goldberg must be a workaholic and/or enjoy making movies. She appears in so many. This is a genial family film that many find a bit too sentimental, but Whoopi is enjoyable as usual. She is a clever comic and she can sustain serious roles. Here she is Corinna, who gets a job looking after a little girl who has lost her mother (Tina Majorino who is cornering the market on this kind of role - When a Man Loves a Woman, Andre, Waterworld). The setting is the 1950s.

Ray Liotta, who usually plays psychotic characters or gangsters (Goodfellas, Unlawful Entry, Something Wild), is rather surprising as the nice but grieving and harrassed father. You will not be surprised at what happens.

1. A family film about family? Grief, how to cope with grief? A film of sentiment, pleasing?

2. The 1950s, life in the United States in the Eisenhower era? The film’s focus on race issues? Segregation, changing attitudes, prejudices, black characters being wary, insensitivity of whites? Romance between black and white? As persons? Young children, not having prejudices, being together and overcoming any prejudice beforehand? The background of Manny’s Jewish parents and his mother’s attitude towards African- Americans?

3. The initial situation, the death, grief, the aftermath of the funeral, Molly under the table? The father’s response? grandfather and grandmother? not talking, being bewildered, her father and his atheism, no angels, no heaven?

4. Manny, his age, the loss, his job, meetings with the board, composing the jingles? Yet depressed? Sid and his friendship, at the office?

5. Manny his mother, the setup, Jenny, social connections, her flirtatious manner, her boys, the visits, Molly not responding well to her?

6. The auditions for the range of nannies, appearances, manner, discipline…? Joan Cusack as Jonesy and her making advances?

7. Whoopi Goldberg as Corrina, the look, style, comedy, seriousness? Her being well-educated, her wanting to write the sleeves of albums, her submissions and their rejections?

8. Molly, her age, remembrance of her mother, with her father, not speaking, reticent? The interview with Corrina, throwing the ball, Corrina’s response, her looking at Molly? Her father seeing this? Corrina employed, going to the drive-through, the attendant getting in the car, the suggestion about touching the nose for consent, Molly pondering, and acting on it, the beginning of the breakthrough?

9. Corrina sharing with Molly, taking her to school, but Molly’s experience of being bullied, Corinna telling her to say that she was the best? Corinna taking Molly to her family, playing with the children, no racial issues? In the choir? Corrina taking her to clean the wealthy mansions, the activity, the sloppy houses, going into the pool? And Molly later able to tell her grandmother about the better cleanser?

10. Manny, becoming happier, Corrina not being skilled as a cook, the meals, the personal interactions with Corrina, his gratitude, the dinner and the invitation to stay, the accidents? The jingle and the rhyme and Corrina’s advice? His success? Taking Corrina and Molly out – and Corrina being taken as the waitress and the racist attitudes? The success, the flowers, Jenny coming, her attitude towards Corrina as the maid? Molly and her phoning her father to interrupt her?

11. Her grandfather and grandmother, the visits, the grandmother and her racial prejudice, the comparison between birds and fish and their incompatibility? The response to her grandfather?

12. At home, Corrina and her sister, her sister’s narrow outlook, some jealousy of her sister’s achievement, the family sequences, criticism, the letter and the rejection?

13. The accidental kiss, the busybody neighbour phoning Manny’s mother? Their being together, their dancing?

14. Manny discovering that Molly missed school, his blaming Molly, attacking her and firing her?

15. Grandfather’s death and the effect on everyone? Jenny interfering and Manny rejecting her? His mother’s grief?

16. Molly calling out for Corinna? Manny coming to apologise? Coming to her house, invited in, Corinna’s sister? A future?