As Cherot reveals in one of the film's late scenes, his goal with Hav Plenty is not to break new cinematic ground, but to tell a story that is likely to find favor in multiplexes as well as in the art houses that typically show Miramax fare. She's rich, haughty, and cursed with a mercurial temperament. He's broke, humble to the point of self- deprecation, and affable. Regardless of how attracted he is to the women, Lee rebuffs their advances, arguing that it's not the right occasion. This is probably the most color-blind of all the black romantic comedies currently available in theaters or on video.
Race is almost entirely irrelevant.
It would be possible to use white actors in all of the parts with only minimal changes to the script. The result is that, while Hav Plenty is pleasant enough, it's also generic. Obviously put together with more enthusiasm than technique, Hav Plenty is not a polished production. Many scenes, especially early in the film, are characterized by stilted, unnatural dialogue and strained performances. Lee and Havilland's on-screen meeting, when he arrives in D.C., is especially painful to observe due to bad timing from both actors.