Soul Man (1986)

Synopsis: Harvard Law freshman Mark Watson, having been cut off by his millionaire dad, tries to fund his education by tinting his skin with tanning pills and passing as African-American. But after being nearly evicted by his landlord, arrested by the police, and subjected to an endless barrage of "no... Harvard Law freshman Mark Watson, having been cut off by his millionaire dad, tries to fund his education by tinting his skin with tanning pills and passing as African-American. But after being nearly evicted by his landlord, arrested by the police, and subjected to an endless barrage of "no offense" racist jokes, he learns that being black isn't the easy way out by far. But he must face the real repercussions of his ruse when he falls in love with a hardworking black single mother, who is the rightful recipient of the scholarship he received. A surprisingly effective treatment of race and affirmative action issues, comfortably ensconced in conventional "campus comedy" fluff. [More]