Customer Reviews
Brilliant and ageless! 
2008-10-03
I watched years ago when it first came out and keep on watching it each time I see it on TV. Now I own the video. A pure classic, with brilliant actors, some that we will miss forever. Deep and wonderful movie. Sidney Poitier is a class act! A four-star movie.
Thematic still applicable today; great movie 
2008-09-05
"Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" is nothing short of fantastic. It is funny, smart, brilliant, thoughtful, and altogether great. The performances by Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier and Katherine Hepburn were phenomenal. I especially liked the performances by Hepburn and Tracy as their characters were confronted by their own unconscious racism and discrimination when they though they were extremely liberal.
This couple raised a daughter, Joanna, to be extremely liberal and to believe in the equality of the races. But, it is still a shock to them when their daughter brings home a black man, Dr. Prentiss, as the man she wants to marry. This family must then confront the schemes and ideas they had of themselves and of their views. The couple, played by Sidney Poitier and Katherine Houghton, must also face the criticism of his parent, who is also against this biracial engagement, and also the housekeeper, a black woman, who also is against them. The movie is brilliant in that it challenges not only the characters, but ourselves, about our so-called liberalism, and it does it in a very funny way. In retrospect, I can only imagine what this movie meant for its time; but, let us not forget what it still does and how the thematic of this film is still applicable to this day.
A Dated Film But Still Worth Watching 2008-08-07
In this 1967 film directed by Stanley Kramer at one point Spencer Tracy (Matthew Drayton) asks Sidney Poitier (John Prentice, M.D.) what will become of their children if he marries their daughter Katharine Drayton (Joanna). He responds that Joanna believes they will become president but he would settle for secretary of state. Her prophecy has already come true in part since the United States has now had two secretarys of state who are African American and a black man now all but has the Democratic nomination for president sewn up. The film is dated and wouldn't make much sense if set in the present. In 1967, however, a movie about an interracial marriage was certainly one that raised eyebrows.
The rather thin plot is saved by the acting of three Academy Award winners, Tracey, Poitier and Hepburn-- she received a best actress award for her performance here-- all of whom give brilliant performances. Although I saw the film in 1967 I still remembered after all these years Tracy's speech near the end of the movie when he informs Poitier that, yes, he does remember what it was like to be madly in love at a young age. Of course the speech is even more poignant in retrospect since this was the last film Hepburn and Tracy ever made together for he died a few days after the film was completed. So when Hepburn's eyes teared up during his comments, we suspect that she wasn't acting at all.
It was not unusual in the 1960's-- or even today for that matter-- for liberals not to always practice what they preached. Tracy plays a newspaper editor in San Francisco known and respected for his liberal views about race. It's the old "not my daughter" or "not in my back yard" syndrome.
Occasionally the film relies on stereotypes-- Tillie, the cook and housekeeper-- for instance; and while it is not Mr. Kramer's best movie, it is certainly worth seeing again. I'd give it an A minus.
Pretty Good 2008-07-31
Well, I finally sat down and watched this movie. For it's time, I'm sure this was really pushing the envelope. I think it's kind of funny that an interracial couple meet in Hawaii and the white woman believes their children will grow up to be President. (Obama's parent's maybe?) Anyway, the performances were good...except for Katherine Houghton (Hepburn's niece.) I thought that she was too naive by half and listening to her made me cringe.. She was supposed to be 23 but she really acts 16. It didn't come across as mature love at all. Plus, I'd like it if Poitier wasn't a doctor. Why couldn't he have been the mailman or the manual laborer? There we would really be turning up the heat. The timeline seemed contrieved. There really wasn't a reason the couldn't wait 6 months. Truly, for the subject matter, the movie played it safe...and to that end I was a little disappointed, but this is still a movie worth seeing.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner 2008-07-28
The product arrived in the time specified and was in good condition. I enjoy having a classic on American culture that informs us and invites change.
Mawkish, terribly dated, and borderline embarrassing.... 
2008-07-21
A problem with message movies such as these is that they tread a fine line between being too much of their time and being universal. While this film caused quite a stir in 1967, watching it today is painful and cringe inducing. It's strictly a product of its time.
The story of an interracial couple (Sidney Poitier and Katherine Houghton) marrying was very radical in 1967, but today it's much more accepted. Things are certainly not perfect, but they are much more tolerant than they were 40 years ago. It is important to note that this film wasn't done for cheap shock value. Stanley Kramer, the director and producer of the film, was a filmmaker who made socially conscious works throughout most of his career, so a film like this was a natural choice for him. Unfortunately, the film is so dated and so obvious that it'll make modern audiences cringe. The screenplay (which won an Oscar!) is trite and never goes beyond a sitcom level. The film plays almost like a "very special" episode of a sitcom. It takes a worthy subject and makes it as inoffensive as oatmeal. It's so blanded down. It's mawkish and overly sentimental as well, which makes it even worse.
It's interesting to contrast this film with a film Poitier made the same year, and that's To Sir, With Love. He plays an American teaching in a tough East End London school. That film, while a bit corny at times, hasn't dated nearly as much as this one, mainly because Poitier's race is only mentioned once, and just for a few seconds (there's a scene where he cut himself, and one of his students foolishly says "oh, he bleeds red"). To Sir, With Love never telegraphs its punches like Guess Who's Coming to Dinner does.
Many of Kramer's films have dated. The films of Otto Preminger, another filmmaker who made socially conscious films, haven't dated at all and are still quite potent in their depiction of politics (his brilliant Advise and Consent), the Israeli/Palestinian conflict (Exodus), and drug addiction (The Man with the Golden Arm). Preminger's work never resorted to maudlin sentimentality (something screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who wrote Exodus, admired about Otto), and as a result his work is still valid today. While I admire Kramer's sincerity and choice of subject matter, I can't recommend this film. A shame, as it has 3 of the greatest actors to grace the silver screen, and it's Spencer Tracy's last film. All 3 of them are excellent, doing their best to make this pap watchable. It's a pity the film isn't better.
lilies of the field 2008-07-12
This was an exceptional movie. I watch it many times, when ever I need a lift.
Spence & Katie ... alas no one to replace them 2008-06-26
It is a Classic, what needs to be said? A shame there will never be any more pictures with the two of them, they played it all out, no stops.
Excellent Movie! Not So Good DVD! 
2008-06-11
This is an excellent movie and it's unsurprising given the quality of the great script; both almost always go together after all. I'm glad to hear from some of the other reviewers that this film is obsolete in the U.S. although I have my doubts but speaking as an international viewer, this film is still so relevant even today. I've known people who are still the butt of insults and dirty looks just because for example one is a dark skinned Indian while his wife is a fair skinned Chinese. Being tanned myself, I've had to put up with nasty stares sometimes whenever I happen to be having lunch with a pretty Chinese colleague even TODAY! I wish all racists could watch this movie and especially listen to the brilliant speech at the end by Spencer Tracy's character. Having experienced racism first hand, I can attest and relate to everything in that speech and I totally agree with him that the way to lick this is to pity the stupidity and ignorance and have an attitude of "screw" the "bastards" as he so ably put it. One thing about Singaporean women that I've noticed is that for the most part they are very strong characters and when it comes to matters of the heart they can very ably overcome the "bastards" on their own anyway. The irritation comes from even having in this day and age when science through genetic and mitochondrial DNA research has already proven that every human on earth today can trace their ancestry to one Central African Male who lived about 60,000 years ago to even have to put up with ridiculous notions of racial supremacy in any way shape or form. And to think that most of those disapproving starers I'm talking about are even tertiary "educated" too.
What makes this film great is that there are many great scenes that address the anti-racist theme very well. I thought the scenes with Tilly were very revealing; especially stunning was the fact that she herself would perpetuate the discrimination in an almost jealous fit being unable to see a "Black man step out of his place" as she kept telling Joanna and anyone who would listen. The actress who played Tilly actually goes on to bigger things on television as Mrs Jefferson in that hit sitcom "The Jeffersons".
Also very good was the scene where Prentice senior and junior face off in which Junior tells Senior that while Senior sees himself as a Black man, Junior sees himself simply as a man. That line really struck a chord in me and is really the best way to defeat racism by insisting upon looking at yourself as just a man belonging to the human race no matter how much others try to convince you to do otherwise as has unfortunately happened with Tilly and Prentice senior.
Some have questioned the need to make Poitier's character so successful but I disagree as I think it's extremely important that this is so so that the audience is left with no doubt that any objection to the marriage is racially motivated. One could argue had he been poor that the objection was naturally based upon any normal parents fearing that their daughter would not have a roof over her head.
It was nice to see too that after the initial shock it is clear that Spencer Tracy's character's objections were not at all racially motivated but instead were born out of his great love for his daughter and out of his fear that she would be hurt by the actions of others. He realised as evidenced in his speech at the end that his fear and objections would be playing right into the hands of the racists and again the best way would be to have an attitude of "screw" the "bastards" as he put is so well.
The cast is excellent all around and with great acting, great writing and a great soundtrack it's no wonder that this is such a great film that unfortunately is still relevant anywhere around the world where racism still exists.
The only problem is with this dvd version which hasn't been restored either picture or sound quality-wise and doesn't have any bonus features worth mentioning. Here's hoping a Blu-ray version with vastly improved picture and sound quality options will surface soon. By all means watch this film although you may want to wait for better quality dvd versions to become available first.
Not So Relevant Anymore But Still Fun 2008-05-26
"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Not so Relevant Anymore but Still Fun
Amos Lassen
I spent Memorial Day watching some "oldies but goodies". For some reason I found myself in the mood for Tracy and Hepburn so I popped the newly remastered DVD of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" in my player, sat back and enjoyed every moment. For those of you who have forgotten or never saw the film, it is the story of Joanna Drayton (Katherine Houghton) who brings her fiancé, Dr. John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) home to San Francisco to meet her upper class parents. This puts their liberal ideas to the test. Prentice is ideal for a husband--he is internationally respected in the field of medicine, has impeccable manners, well dressed and groomed and handsome but he is as Joanna states "a Negro". The movie takes place on one day in the Drayton home and comes across as a drawing room comedy with the cross conversations between Prentice and Joanna's parents and ultimately both Prentice's parents who fly up from Los Angeles. I remember how controversial this film was when it first came out and looking at it now makes me realize how dated it is. Interracial marriage was illegal in 1967 in some places in America just as gat people up until 2003 were illegal in some parts of America and now as they struggle for the right to marry maybe that gives this movie some new importance Wouldn't it be something to have a man or woman bring home a same sex partner and announce that they are going to California to be married. That would give this movie a modern twist.
This is the last movie that Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy made together--in fact Tracy died very shortly after the movie was finished. The two are, as usual, great in the family and the expression on Hepburn's face when she sees her future son-in-law for the first time is amazing. In fact her performance is excellent throughout--so good, in fact, that she won one of her four Academy Awards for it. Tracy matches her line for line, expression for expression.
I found myself laughing aloud several times during the film. Of course there has been talk about the character of Prentice--he had everything going for him and he was so flawless that, regardless of his race, any family would have been happy to have him. I just want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and I bet that you will as well.
