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 starred in the lead role. The film also costars 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 African crown prince, Akeem Joffer, from the fictional nation of Zamunda, who comes to the United States in the hopes of finding a woman he can marry. The film spawned a brief U.S. television spinoff series.

Akeem soon falls in love with Lisa, who possesses all the qualities that the prince is looking for in a woman, as first seen by Akeem at a rally where she makes a strong plea to renovate a playground. The rest of the film centers on Akeems attempts to win Lisas hand in marriage, which is complicated by Lisas lazy and obnoxious boyfriend, Darryl Jenks, whose father owns Soul Glo a Jheri Curllike hairstyling aid. Lisa eventually breaks up with Darryl and starts dating Akeem. Although Akeem thrives on hard work and learning how commoners live, Semmi is not comfortable with living the life of a poor man. When Akeem donates their travel money to the homeless Randolph and Mortimer Duke characters in the previous Eddie Murphy film Trading Places, Semmi transmits a plea to the King of Zamunda for financial help. This causes Akeems parents to travel to Queens and expose Akeems identity as a prince to the McDowells.Mr. McDowell, initially disapproving of the match as he did not want to see his daughter with a man of poor means, is ecstatic that she has in fact attracted the interest of an extremely wealthy prince, but Lisa becomes angry and confused as to why Akeem lied to her about his identity, as he had told her before that he was actually a Zamundan goat herder. Still hurt and angry that Akeem lied to her, she refuses to marry him, even after he offers to renounce his throne, and he returns home with a broken heart, resigned to marry the woman chosen for him by his parents. On the way to the airport, King Jaffe remarks that Akeem cant marry Lisa anyway because of tradition, and tries defending himself by saying Who am I to change it?, with Queen Aeoleon curtly responding, I thought you were the King . ........

Source: Wikipedia