Coming to America
Coming to America is a 1988 American romantic comedy film directed by John Landis and based on a story originally created by Eddie Murphy, who also stars in the lead role. The film also co-stars Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Shari Headley, and John Amos. The film was released in the United States on June 29, 1988. Eddie Murphy plays Akeem Joffer, the crown prince of the fictional African nation of Zamunda, who travels to the United States in the hopes of finding a woman he can marry and will love him for who he is, not for his status or for having been trained to please him.
Plot
In the wealthy African nation of Zamunda, crown prince Akeem Joffer grows weary of his pampered lifestyle on his 21st birthday and wishes to do more for himself. When his parents, King Jaffe and Queen Aoleon, present him with an arranged bride-to-be, Akeem takes action. Seeking an independent woman who loves him for himself and not his social status, Akeem and his best friend/personal aide, Semmi, travel to the New York City borough of Queens and rent a squalid tenement in the neighborhood of Long Island City under the guise of poor foreign students.
Cast
- Calvin Lockhart
- Carlos Arsenio Mendez Hall
- Cuba Gooding Jr.
- Don Ameche
- Eddie Murphy
- Eriq La Salle
- Frankie Faison
- Garcelle Beauvais
- Helen Hanft
- James Earl Jones
- Jim Abrahams
- John Amos
- Louie Anderson
- Madge Sinclair
- Ralph Bellamy
- Ruben Santiago-Hudson
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Shari Headley
- Vanessa Bell Calloway
- Victoria Dillard
- Vondie Curtis-Hall
More details
| author | Barry W. Blaustein David Sheffield Eddie Murphy |
|---|---|
| contentLocation | New York City Queens Zamunda |
| director | John Landis |
| editor | Malcolm Campbell |
| genre | comedy romance |
| keywords | an arranged bride-to-be arranged marriage best friend crown prince date dinner date hard work hot tub jheri curl learn long island mcdonald's meet raising money social status think trading places two homeless men want wed |
| musicBy | Nile Rodgers |
| nomination | Academy Award for Best Costume Design Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling |
| productionCompany | Eddie Murphy Productions |
| publisher | Paramount Pictures |
| recordedAt | New York City |
| theme | buddy comedy romantic comedy |