{"id":30320,"date":"2013-03-27T11:47:27","date_gmt":"2013-03-27T18:47:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30320"},"modified":"2024-05-22T10:40:02","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T17:40:02","slug":"guess-whos-coming-to-dinner-1968","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30320","title":{"rendered":"Guess Who&#8217;s Coming to Dinner (1967)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;A lot of people are going to think we are a shocking pair.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Coming-to-Dinner-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Coming-to-Dinner-Poster-192x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-30325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Coming-to-Dinner-Poster-192x300.jpg 192w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Coming-to-Dinner-Poster-82x128.jpg 82w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Coming-to-Dinner-Poster.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 192px) 100vw, 192px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA liberal white couple (Spencer Tracy) find their beliefs challenged when their daughter (Katherine Houghton) brings home a black fiance (Sidney Poitier).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>African-Americans<\/li>\n<li>Cross-Cultural Romance<\/li>\n<li>Katharine Hepburn Films<\/li>\n<li>Race Relations<\/li>\n<li>Sidney Poitier Films<\/li>\n<li>Spencer Tracy Films<\/li>\n<li>Stanley Kramer Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nAlthough Peary doesn&#8217;t review this Oscar-nominated Stanley Kramer film in <em>GFTFF<\/em>, in his <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em> book he refers to it as a &#8220;dismal interracial-marriage comedy-drama&#8221;, and notes that &#8220;Hepburn&#8217;s [Oscar-winning] portrayal of a patient housewife who&#8230; must come to terms with daughter Katharine Houghton&#8217;s decision to marry&#8221; Poitier was the &#8220;blandest of her career&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Meeting.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Meeting-1024x561.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"351\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Meeting-1024x561.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Meeting-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Meeting-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Meeting-768x421.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Meeting-1536x842.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Meeting-493x270.png 493w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Meeting.png 1815w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>He writes that &#8220;you keep expecting her to have a tremendous scene all to herself, but it never happens&#8221;; indeed, her performance is really more of a supporting one, with nearly all the characters given equal air time (though Tracy&#8217;s white male opinion, perhaps predictably for the times, ultimately emerges as the definitive one). Speaking of Tracy, it&#8217;s hard not to be moved when watching what turned out to be his final performance (he died 17 days after production ended). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-Hepburn.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-Hepburn-1024x564.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"353\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60773\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-Hepburn-1024x564.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-Hepburn-300x165.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-Hepburn-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-Hepburn-768x423.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-Hepburn-1536x847.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-Hepburn-490x270.png 490w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-Hepburn.png 1809w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the actors playing Poitier&#8217;s parents (Roy E. Glenn, Sr. and Beah Richards) are touching and believable in their scenes, and Poitier gives a solid if undistinguished performance in a role which he could surely relate to on a personal level. <\/p>\n<p>The primary problem with William Rose&#8217;s well-meaning, occasionally incisive script is that &#8212; despite being written specifically for this production &#8212; it comes across as little more than a filmed play, with one intense, two-person dialogue scene coming right after the other; the only minor relief we&#8217;re given from this basic set-up is when Tracy and Hepburn stop to get some ice cream while out on a drive (but even this scenario &#8212; in which Tracy can&#8217;t remember the type of ice cream he once loved so much, takes a chance on a flavor he thinks might have &#8220;been the one&#8221;, is disappointed to find it isn&#8217;t the one he originally had, then concedes that it&#8217;s not too bad in its own right &#8212; devolves into a cliched metaphor). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Ordering.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Ordering-1024x559.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"349\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60771\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Ordering-1024x559.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Ordering-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Ordering-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Ordering-768x419.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Ordering-1536x839.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Ordering-494x270.png 494w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Ordering.png 1811w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The other enormous problem &#8212; one apparently lamented by Houghton herself &#8212; is how poorly written her central character is; we never once feel that her one-dimensional &#8220;Joey&#8221; will actually make a good partner for Poitier, given how little we learn about her own passions and interests. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Houghton-Poitier2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Houghton-Poitier2-1024x560.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"350\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60774\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Houghton-Poitier2-1024x560.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Houghton-Poitier2-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Houghton-Poitier2-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Houghton-Poitier2-768x420.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Houghton-Poitier2-1536x840.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Houghton-Poitier2-494x270.png 494w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Houghton-Poitier2.png 1819w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>While I&#8217;m recommending this film as a one-time &#8220;must see&#8221; film simply for its historical significance, it&#8217;s ultimately both too dated and too &#8220;safe&#8221; to be considered a classic. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Katharine Hepburn as Christina Drayton<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Hepburn3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Hepburn3-1024x553.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"346\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60767\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Hepburn3-1024x553.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Hepburn3-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Hepburn3-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Hepburn3-768x415.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Hepburn3-1536x830.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Hepburn3-500x270.png 500w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Hepburn3.png 1819w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Spencer Tracy as Matt Drayton<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-1024x555.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"347\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-1024x555.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-768x416.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-1536x832.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy-499x270.png 499w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Tracy.png 1819w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine supporting performances by Roy E. Glenn, Sr. and Beah Richards<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Glenn-Sr.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Glenn-Sr-1024x567.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"354\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60769\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Glenn-Sr-1024x567.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Glenn-Sr-300x166.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Glenn-Sr-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Glenn-Sr-768x425.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Glenn-Sr-1536x850.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Glenn-Sr-488x270.png 488w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Glenn-Sr-1038x576.png 1038w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Glenn-Sr.png 1813w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Richards.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Richards-1024x577.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60770\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Richards-1024x577.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Richards-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Richards-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Richards-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Richards-1536x865.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Richards-479x270.png 479w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Guess-Whos-Richards.png 1799w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, once &#8212; simply for its historical significance. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Historically Relevant<\/li>\n<li>Oscar Winner or Nominee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0061735\/?ref_=sr_2\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/movies.nytimes.com\/movie\/review?res=9C03E6DE1430E23BBC4A52DFB467838C679EDE\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.qwipster.net\/guesswhos.htm\">Qwipster&#8217;s Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/23790\/guess-whos-coming-to-dinner#articles-reviews?articleId=403\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.qwipster.net\/guesswhos.htm\">Qwipster&#8217;s Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/london\/film\/guess-whos-coming-to-dinner\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;A lot of people are going to think we are a shocking pair.&#8221; Synopsis: A liberal white couple (Spencer Tracy) find their beliefs challenged when their daughter (Katherine Houghton) brings home a black fiance (Sidney Poitier). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: African-Americans Cross-Cultural Romance Katharine Hepburn Films Race Relations Sidney Poitier Films Spencer Tracy Films Stanley Kramer Films Review: Although Peary doesn&#8217;t review this Oscar-nominated Stanley Kramer film in GFTFF, in his Alternate Oscars book he refers to it as&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30320\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30320"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96900,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30320\/revisions\/96900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}