Movie Review: “GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER"
“GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER" is a 1967 Stanley Kramer movie featuring Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy amongst others…
Dr. John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) 37 y/o, black medical doctor, important guy, falls in love with the daughter of an influential white liberal; Joey Drayton (Katharine Haughton) 23 y/o.
They decided to visit home and break the news to Joey’s parents.
The Drayton’s (Joey’s parents) got to see and hear their daughter explain how she fell in love with a negro in two weeks, John got to explain his own side of things too.
Christina Drayton (Katharine Hepburn), Joey’s mum, did understand but her dad… Matt Drayton (Spencer Tracy) had several conflicting thoughts and was very skeptical about the whole thing working out.
John was only there for the night (dinner) so Joey’s parents had just that evening to make an unwavering decision to support or disagree with their proposed union, more reasons to her dad’s initial confusion.
Mind you, this movie was set in a period of extreme racial prejudice!
So the idea of a black guy getting married to a white lady from an influential household at that time is quite unsettling.
However, one thing that stands out for me is how Dr. John carries himself and how he engages excellently in discussions with her dad.
At a point, Joey’s dad wondered how the son of a black illiterate mail man turned out well in the person of well mannered and cultured Dr. John Prentice.
The major twist for me was when, John’s parents decided to come visit the lady’s family too (thinking she was black)… well I had to stop there my cable failed me.
This movie highlights racial prejudice and how it affects family values, even the future of kids — at some point Christina Drayton agreed to the union of John and Joey because in her words to her husband, “…we taught them equality with the negroes but we never told them not to fall in love with one…” Talk about family values.
This movie has a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and it’s a 9/10 for me. You should go check it out too.🥂 🥂
