Movie A Day 2: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

The second day of my movie project takes us to 1967 as I follow Katharine Hepburn from The African Queen to Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. This film is significant as it tackles race relations at the peak of the Civil Rights movement. Also it's known for being Spencer Tracy's last movie, as he died 6 months before this movie ever hit the theaters. So without further ado, lets get on with the review.

 "Civil rights is one thing. This here is somethin' else"

In a nutshell:  Matt and Christina Drayton are a couple whose attitudes are challenged when their daughter brings home a fiancé who is black. 

Plot and Tone: You would expect a film centered on a white girl bringing home a black man to be controversial, and it certainly is to an extent. For the first 20 minutes or so, you get the impression that this will be a rather lighthearted affair but the film quickly grows a backbone will it becomes apparent that the parents are not OK with this arrangement. Quite frankly there are some unsettling scenes between the parents and the black man. This movie dates itself a bit with its constant usage of the word "negro" every other line, but otherwise its pretty engaging subject matter. The addition of Mrs. Jefferson herself (Isabell Sanford) as the racist black maid is a shocking development and really grounds the whole plot. I did feel the film ran about 20 minutes too long.

The Players: First and foremost, Kudos must be given to Spencer Tracy in his last role. He was given quite a bit of scenes to chew on and he showed why he was a cut above the rest as the liberal dad whos values are turned on their head. Katharine Hepburn is the anchor that keeps this film on its path. Her character still has some reservations about the arrangement, but she wants what is best for her daughter. Sidney Poitier does a great job as well and has a nice monologue at the end of the film. Director Stanley Kramer does a great job of setting up the tension and the choose a great city to film in (San Francisco).

Verdict: This is a film that will divide certain people. Some that are overly PC will be aghast at some of the remarks about blacks and whites in this movie. Others will love the back and forth between its stars. This is an important movie, it was one of the first to deal with interracial relationship and treat it with respect. The film has a lot to say on the subject and has some wonderful performances. It's available on Netflix streaming and I recommend checking it out.

7/10

Tune in tomorrow as well follow Sidney Poitier as we review Stir Crazy (1980)