Customer Reviews

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (original release)

5 star:		(105)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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.

1967's Guess Who's Coming To Dinner probably raised more than a few eyebrows at the time of it's release. Sadly though, if you can not put yourself in the mindset of that time, the potential emotional impact of the film will be lost on you.

Set in the San Fransisco of the late 1960's, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner tells the story of Joanna Drayton (Katharine Houghton) bringing her boyfriend of a mere 10 days, Dr. John Wade Prentice (Sidney Poitier), home to meet her parents. What the parents (played by Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn) don't know is A)she is coming home, B)that she has a boyfriend she is planning to marry C)that said boyfriend is African-American and that D)said boyfriend is 14 years older than she.

Dr. Prentice informs Joey's parents of his intentions to marry their daughter, but also informs them he will not marry Joanna without their permission. To further complicate matters though, they only have this one day to decide if they approve as he is due to leave for Geneva Switzerland for a job. What ensues is a family's hopes and dreams for their daughter being analyzed and re-thought in the span of a mere few hours. Trying to decide if their daughter's happiness should outweigh the inevitable hardships she will face in a relationship such as this.

The film spares no time in setting up just how happy the new couple are, and also does not waste time in letting you know the difficulties an interracial couple will face at this time in American history. Sadly though, it goes wrong in several other areas that are disturbing. The cookie-cutter characters in this film abound. The Irish Catholic Monsignor, the wise-to-the-world African American housekeeper and the busy-body friend of the Mother who has to be put in her place. If you can look pass these worn out, two-dimensional characters though, there is a poignant story of how love truly should conquer all.

Going back and watching a film that deals with race relations from a different time period can, however, be enlightening. Not once do you hear the term "African American". You do hear the "N" word once, but it is used by the housekeeper towards Dr. Prentice. It is still shocking to hear it blurted out all of a sudden, but again, you have to remember the time frame the film was made in.

This is a difficult review to write though. This movie is flawed, but do you rate it based on its obvious film making flaws, or the merits of a story that needed to be told? I think in the end you have to go with the story. The story is basic, simple and timeless, don't judge a book by it's cover, and don't care what the rest of the world thinks. For that, and its place in cinematic history, it deserves 4 stars.

Sadly, the DVD though only gets 2 stars. It does feature a gorgeous transfer of the film, and does offer both widescreen and full screen versions. However, the lone extra is the original theatrical trailer. Certainly there must have been something they could have included in the form of a commentary track for one of AFI's Top 100 Films Of The 20th Century. A sad, little trailer is all it gets? Pathetic.

On a side note, this is also a sad movie to watch as you know Spencer Tracy passed away only 17 days after filming completed. You can also see the early signs of Katherine Hepburn beginning to show signs of trembling that would later be so well known. It was a fine film for both noteworthy actors.

Four stars for the film
Two stars for the DVD

`Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' is one true cinematic treasure. This film is wonderful because it was made by one of Hollywood's greatest duos, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. I doubt audiences back then would respond to this if it wasn't for the duo. Although it would not shock me if people then would be thinking Hollywood had finally lost its edge with this one. It was a keen decision to have Kate and Spencer be the leads because in doing so they were assuring not only box-office draw -- people would be returning to watch their favorite unmarried couple bicker, lovingly, yet again -- but a strong statement.

This film was made while Spencer Tracy was dying. Spencer had to put his entire salary in escrow in order for the film company to allow him to do the film. So why did Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy agree to do this film, without immediate payment? Because it's a film about forbidden love, it's a film about loving someone no matter what society thinks, or what the rules are. This is something Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn knew a great deal about. Potier of course turns in a great performance, impeccable as always. Watch for Isabel Sanford, ("The Jefferson's") particularly the one memorable scene where she explains to Potier's character just what "black power" really is. Cecil Kellaway sparkles as Monsignor Ryan, and Beah Richards and Roy Glenn, as the parents to Potier's character, mirror Hepburn and Tracy. Katharine Houghton (Hepburn's niece), as Johanna Drayton, also done well but her inexperience is very apparent due to the heavyweight cast.
What makes this film outstanding is, by the end of the film you realize, Kate and Spencer are not even acting they are relaying their feelings about each other, through the film. Once you catch that, the drama of the final few scenes is just unparalleled and Spencer's final speech, about his love for Kate (Christina), can drive even the most twisted soul to tears.

A few things to catch in this film, watch Kate's face when Spencer recites the line, 'screw what the rest of the world thinks about your love'...those are real tears. Watch Spencer Tracey as he paces back and forth on the terrace near the end of the film. He realizes he is about to begin one of the last scenes he will ever film. He's line 'well I'll be a son of a bitch'...is more a realization he's about to make his last grandstand on the big screen, in his entire career.

There is so much real honest-to-god acting talent concentrated in this movie, it. It's such a treat to watch these legendary actors at work. I highly recommend it.

While this movie seems to drag a bit in the middle section, I still reccommend it. Why? I'll tell you.

This movie above all else, means well. The filmmakers are simply trying to say what they believe. This film is plain and simple, a soapbox. Nothing wrong with that.

The performances are another reason to watch this movie. Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn are worth watching in anything. Poiter doesn't give a performance quite up to par for him, but it is satisfactory. Poiter's parents are also great.

There are some spectacular moments here. Great monologue by Tracy at the end makes the entire film worth watching. I don't cry about a film or book or tv show. I can count on one hand the number of times I have actually cried over a piece of mass media. Tears came to my eyes during this wonderful speech. They didn't break and run, but they were there.

The film is sightly weighted down by a plodding midsection, but on retrospect I think it might have been made that way on purpose. Will there ever come a time when people of different color can live together in harmony? I think so. To get to that place, however, we will have to go through a process that parallels this film: long, arduous and drawn out periods, punctuated by moments of sheer genius and if we are lucky, at the end light will dawn.

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...

The customers' reviews listed below by Amazon are from the former edition, this anniversary edition has 2 dvds and brings:
Introductions from Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, Tom Brokaw, and Kramer's widow, Karen;
Featurette on the making of the film, "A Love Story of Today," which includes insights from Katharine Houghton, Norman Jewison, Lou Gossett Jr., and others involved with the production or commenting on its impact, as well as excerpts from interviews with Kramer. These interviews help to put the movie in a historical context, since it has such a controversial content;
"A Special Kind of Love" focuses on Tracy and Hepburn, and how everyone involved in the film was affected by Tracy's determination to finish the film despite his illness.
"Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth" is a tribute to the director, with input from a number of people who knew and worked with him or were influenced by him, including Dick van Dyke, Beau Bridges, Garry Marshall, Dennis Hopper, and Taylor Hackford.
Archival footage of Kramer receiving the Irving Thalberg award at the 1962 Academy Awards ceremony; Al Gore receiving the Stanley Kramer Award from the Producers Guild in 2007; a stills gallery from the film; and previews for the Frank Capra Collection and God Grew Tired of Us.

Somehow this 1967 film classic still works perhaps because it's not as dated as one would hope it would be. I was motivated to see this film for the umpteenth time since I recently saw the rather toothless partial remake, "Guess Who" with Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher. The plot is fairly low-key taking place mostly in the upscale San Francisco home of Matt and Christina Drayton, a crusading liberal newspaper publisher and his art gallery-owning wife. That's the set-up for their daughter Joey's surprise return from her vacation in Hawaii with an unexpected fiancee in tow.

The fact that the Draytons are white and the fiancee, John Wade Prentice, is black provides the focus of the plot, but make no mistake that the casting of screen legends Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn as the Draytons and Sidney Poitier - then one of the most popular stars - as Prentice alters the reality of the situation considerably. There are also several plot contrivances that seem suitable for this story but not in real-life, for instance, the increasingly imminent departure of the young couple to Geneva, Prentice's statement to the Draytons that a marriage will not happen without their approval, Joey's constant impulsiveness and her seemingly cavalier attitude toward the sensitivities of others.

Yet what continues to be surprising is that the film's glamorization of interracial romance among the wealthy does not detract from its sheer entertainment value. Despite the seriousness of the subject, especially at the height of the civil rights movement, director Stanley Kramer - in his typically socially conscious mode - and screenwriter William Rose have fashioned mostly a drawing room comedy that turns heavier and more significant with the last dramatic scenes.

Because this is more an ensemble piece, it barely feels like a Tracy-Hepburn film, especially since they look very settled as a long-ago married couple. They do have a few scenes together where you can strongly feel the natural onscreen rapport that had lasted for 25 years - the Oregon boysenberry scene, the walk through their patio as she cuts the flowers, the lasting stare between them at the end. In his last film finished a little over two weeks before his death, Tracy looks far older than his 67 years but still does masterful work as Drayton, a man who unexpectedly finds himself at odds with his values with his daughter's sudden announcement. His famous climactic monologue is the film's understandable high point, but he also does wonders listening to everyone else's thoughts and opinions.

Hepburn imbues her trademark independent spirit in what seems to be an observational role. Considering she was in-between her morphine-addicted Mary Tyrone in "Long Day's Journey Into Night" and her vengeful Eleanor of Aquitaine in "The Lion in Winter", her seemingly passive role here hardly seems worthy of her time except for the way she looks at Tracy or Katharine Houghton (her real-life niece) or in a couple of meaty confrontation scenes - the first with her bigoted gallery manager whom she tells with contained fury to "get permanently lost" and the second an ultimatum in the bathroom to Matt should he not condone the marriage.

Poitier seems comfortable portraying an incredibly accomplished man but really does not catch dramatic fire until the last half-hour when he confronts his own father about his feelings. Houghton, relentlessly perky to the point of strangulation, has a relatively thankless role as Joey as she is the catalyst for the plot machinations but has no scene which allows her character to respond verbally to the groundswell of problems the situation has caused for those around her. This may have been intentional, but it creates an odd, somewhat selfish imbalance to her character.

Beah Richards has a few quietly powerful moments as Prentice's mother, who accuses Drayton rather vicariously of forgetting what it's like to be in love. As her retired postal carrier husband, Roy S. Glenn provides bluster to his role, but his character is given short shrift especially in his non-response to Poitier's memorable tirade near the end. Not all the roles are noteworthy though - Cecil Kellaway seems to have walked in from a Bing Crosby movie as the wise, twinkly Monsignor Ryan, and Isabel Sanford from a sitcom set as the Draytons' sassy maid Tillie. The DVD has a clean print of the film but only a trailer as an extra.

I saw this movie in the theatre the week it was released. From a perspective of nearly 40 years later, I believe it still holds up.

There is much evidence to show that it was not a realistic portrayal of the subject matter, even in the late sixties, and that it is even less recognisable now. But Guess Who's Coming To Dinner is not documentary, or even that later invention; docudrama. It is theatre, and in the theatre, characters are given a point of view, a goal, and obstacles.( Notice that reality is not a prerequisite for any of these.)

So given that we are watching art, what can we say about it? Well we can say that this film contains some of the strongest performances ever committed to celuloid; Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier. Katherine Houghton sings more softly for she carries the torch for youth and innocence (supposedly representing the generation that does away with racism - from 40 years on how we wish that THAT at least were true!)

But even if you think you know the story, and you think there's no reason to see it because it is so dated, BUY THIS DISC and add it to your collection for the performance of a lifetime: Beah Richards as Mrs. Prentice (Sidney's mom) will, in the middle of a movie designed to make you think, reach right into the center of your being and break your heart, just as her's is breaking. Her scenes bring this movie to a higher level - high and deserved praise seeing as Tracy and Hepburn set the bar.

It wasn't meant to cure the evil. It, in truth, hardly acknowledges the evil of racism (perhaps the most valid criticism that can be made) but it did, in it's time, a miraculous thing: it answered the question "Is it wrong for men and women of different races to marry?" -

the answer, simply,: "No."

This 1967 Oscar winner ought to be viewed in high schools or colleges, particularly in Humanities departments and Social Studies. This is definately a lesson in Human Rights that can easily be appreciated by both whites and blacks or any people for that matter and can even be seen in class while learning about the Civil Rights Movement, considering that this film was released at a time when the Civil Rights was at its peak and about to take a different direction after the death of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. 1967 was a difficult time, there were riots concerning racism as well as the Vietnam War. In this film, the accomplished Sidney Poitier plays Doctor John Wade Prentice, who falls madly in love with Joanna Drayton, played by the beautiful Katherine Houghton, who was related by blood to Katherine Hepburn - I think she was a niece or something. The two are clearly in love but are about to face hardships as young adults in a world that has not yet embraced multi-racial marriages. This premise is, of course, very antiquated, since we are living in 2005 and multi-racial families are very common. However, even now there are racist attitudes as well as class conflict and watching such a moving film as this one, which ultimately about the power of love conquering over opposition and ignorance, is benefitial even to this day. This film was originally a play and it is a film that captures the spirit of its time, in much the same way that Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin In the Sun" did in 1959. Outstanding performances by all the principal actors, but the real winner here is the veteran actor Spencer Tracey. This was his final film. He died shortly after the release of this film. His final monologue at the end of the film is the stuff of great actors that come along very rarely.

Sidney Poitier holds his own next to Spence Tracey, using his usual dramatic flair and supreme dignity. However, it is very much debatable whether or not the fact he is a doctor makes the film significant. If he were of the working poor class, would the parents really put up more of a fight to seperate the couple ? Social status is not the issue in this film at all, since Dr Prentice's family is of the same class as Joanna Drayton's family. Despite this, it is still a fine film with moving moments. The music at the end "Thats' the glory of Love" is very nostalgic of 50's jingles and is super sweet to hear. This is a remarkably touching, very human story. Katherine Hepburn won an Oscar for this film, though when compared to her other work, this role is very bland. She is basically the supportive, understanding mother. She employs no pretensions, no affected dialogue and is herself throughout the film, however, and we are lead to believe that if her own daughter decided to marry a black man or a Native American man for that matter, she'd be alright with it. Hepburn, despite her classiness and patrician facade, was a very down-to-earth woman. But while I love her in this film, I still don't think it was a performance worthy of an Oscar when it should have gone to either Spencer Tracey or Sidney Poitier, who really carry most of the film. Watch closely. Tracey and Poitier are each other in a different skin color is all. Katherine Houghton is not doing anything special, though she is very definative of the preppy, high-class girls of the 50's. This film is radically different when you compare it to more "modern" less 50'ish films of the time like The Graduate, which came out around this time, Rosemary's Baby with its haunting notion of an absence of God and triumphant Satan, or the futuristic abstract Kubrick film 2001 A Space Odyssey. This film is still good, however, a lesson in loving one another as equals, irregardless of skin color, class (even if its not an issue in this particular film) political affiliation or religious differences. It's a very great film with powerful themes of love.

While Spencer Tracy was making a fervent plea at the climax of the film, Kramer's camera was moving to a particular shot... His camera was about to impart the flavor, the splendor, the magic of love...

Tracy was pronouncing his 'last' touching words... He was simple, fluent, logic and eloquent in his presentation... His feelings were just part of his real life... Kramer took his profile with the face of Hepburn... Katherine was projecting compassionate eyes, full of tears as to overflow...

We were in a great moment of cinema, of fond tenderness and cherish love between two great super stars... Tracy's words evoked loyalty and compliment to the woman he loved all his life and who was about to leave in few days... Tracy turned to Hepburn with a long look, and Kramer sustained the shot for few seconds with a deliberate silence...

Joey Drayton comes home from a ten-day Hawaiian vacation with the man she loves, John Prentice, a forty-year-old internationally respected Negro doctor... Joey is determined not only to marry him immediately, but to have both sets of parents' blessings... The couple must leave that night for Geneva and the doctor's post with the World Health Organization...

Matt and Christina are extremely likable, intelligent, wealthy, and hard working... He owns and operates a crusading newspaper in San Francisco and she runs an avant-garde art gallery... Now both are faced with a true test of their liberal beliefs... Further tension is introduced when the man's parents fly up from Los Angeles for dinner at the Draytons' and find themselves as shocked and dismayed as the girl's parents...

Sidney Poitier looked charming, refined, civilized, and sophisticated... Katharine Houghton was fresh, innocent, and lovely...

The film won l0 Academy Award Nominations...