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| Customer Reviews |
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Powerful Drama
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner was a ground breaking film upon its release in 1967. The story revolves around a liberal San Francisco couple whose twenty-three year old daughter comes home from a trip to Hawaii and surprises them by announcing she's engaged to an older man who also happens to be black. The couple, Matt & Christina Drayton, is played by screen legends Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Sidney Poitier, Dr. John Prentice, is the fiancé and Katharine Houghton, Joey Drayton, (who is Ms. Hepburn's niece) is their daughter. Matt & Christina are obviously shaken by the news and concerned about the situation. It is not because they are prejudice against minorities as their daughter is marrying a black man, but it is against the struggles she will face in such a relationship. Also, the doctor has put it to them that if they do not approve and give their blessings, he will call the marriage off. They have less than twenty-four hours to make their decision and they struggle with it, especially Matt. He is a crusading newspaper publisher who has championed liberal causes all his life, but faced with this situation, his beliefs are shaken to their core. Throughout the day they get council from their best friend, Monsignor Ryan (a superb Cecil Kellaway, who provides them with guidance and a voice of reason. Joey invites John's parents (Roy Glenn & Beah Richards) up from Los Angeles to dinner. Upon finding out Joey is white his parents voice their displeasure with the situation as well. When the two sets of parents get together, the mothers agree that they will support their children because they love them, but the fathers take an opposing view. Mr. Poitier gives a powerful and forceful retribution to his father about the state of black men in the current day and it shows why he is such a brilliant actor. In the end, Matt gives an impassioned speech to John & Joey about the struggles they will face and the unkindness that will be heaped on them, but that if they truly love each they will survive. Director Stanley Kramer does a brilliant job of making the film poignant yet not sappy. The cast are all brilliant and Ms. Hepburn would end up taking home her second Best Actress Oscar (after a thirty-four span from her first for Morning Glory in 1933) and the film won a second Oscar for William Rose for his screenplay. The film is definitely dated as interracial marriages are not as shocking as they were at the time and interracial couples have been the basis of countless films since then. The film is still powerful, because prejudices still exist in this country and the quandary one has when they have their beliefs tested is all too real. Mr. Tracy was gravelly ill at the time and it turned out that this would be his final film. He died two weeks after its completion, but he was posthumous given his final Academy Award Best Actor nomination and he delivered a powerful and lasting reminder of why he was one of the greatest actors in film history.
Rating: - GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER...OSCAR, THAT'S WHO!
Words can't even describe how good this movie is, but I'll try. This film was made in 1967 (can you believe that). It's the story of an interracial couple (Katherine Houghton and Sidney Poitier), who travel to San Francisco to tell Houghton's parents (Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn) of their engagement.
You can imagine the controversy this movie must have made back in the '60s, but the film makers handeled it very well and very resposibily. I love this movie so much, because it takes a very obvious problem in society (both then and now) and brings it out in the open for all to see. I APPLAUD everyone who was involved with the film. It was a stroke of genius. "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" shows just how ridiculous people's prejudices can be. This film proves that "All in the Family" wasn't the first Hollywood project to make light of these issues.
And so I ask the kids, instead of renting your usual "Freddy Got Fingered" or "Dude, where's My Car" movies, rent "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." You'll see, after you watch it, what a real movie is like.
Rating: - A good message movie because it still has some relevance.
When it was made it 1967, "Guess Who`s Coming to Dinner" reflected upon the changing times in America. African-Americans were protected by the law, but still were not respected by everyone, as Stanley Kramer showed in this movie about a debate between two families over an inter-racial marriage. His film is a message that, in such a case, it shouldn't matter as to what color they are but as to how much they love another. While an overall good movie, some of its ideas have dated. First off, Sidney Poitier's character, in order to be worthy of the white girl (Katharine Houghton) has to be wealthy and a doctor who happens to work in Hawaii. Second, the subject of interracial marriage, while still not accepted by some, has become somewhat common in our society. If such a movie were made nowadays, it would probably deal with the subject of homosexual marriage. Spencer Tracy is dominant as usual in this picture. For one thing, he gets reunited with co-star Katharine Hepburn for the first time since the late '50's. And he is in his first major film in about 3 or 4 years. Finally, he gives everything he has because he didn't have much left to live. Ill during the production, he died just days after completion. Both Tracy and Hepburn got Oscar nominations, with Kate emerging victorious (Though some might say voters felt sympathetic for her following Spence's loss). It is surprising that Poitier, who had a tremendous year in '67 (In addition to this, there was Best Picture winner "In The Heat of the Night") was not nominated at all for this or any other film that year. While I can't compare it to his other work (Since I haven't seen any other of his movies), I think he was very good in the role.
"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", while a bit aged, is still recommended watching. Not just to see how our ideals have changed since it was first released, but because some themes shown here may still have relevance (Homosexual and interracial marriage can be compared and both are subjects much debated about). Watch it also for Spencer Tracy, who is in a moving moment you could easily miss if you don't know its importance. It is during the last scene. Spence is giving a speech about why Houghton and Poitier should get married. The camera takes a look at Hepburn's face. She is misty eyed, not just because of the words he is saying, but because she knew this would be Tracy's last film and thus the last time she would be able to star with him. Now the usage of the song "The Story of Love" seems most fitting...
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