19. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner; movie review

 

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER

Cert PG

104 mins

BBFC advice: TBA

Cinemas have moved quickly following the death of Sidney Poitier to include one of his greatest achievements, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, on their schedules.

It is clear that Stanley Kramer's movie will be most remembered for its very strong anti-racism message.

But at the time that sentiment was overwhelmed by the death of Spencer Tracy before the movie's release.

Tracy had been very ill leading up the shooting and was found dead by his long-time partner, Katharine Hepburn, 17 days after it was completed.

It is a tribute to his stoicism that Tracy gives one of the performances of his life as the liberal newspaper publisher who is suddenly faced with the prospect of his daughter (Katharine Houghton) marrying a black man (Poitier).

The pair arrive unexpectedly at her parents' upmarket home in San Francisco to tell them their news.

The bride-to-be shows a startling naivety over their relationship while the groom is much more switched on to the problems which may emerge.

After all, this is 1967 America during the height of the civil rights movement.

Kramer had the benefit of a wonderful cast and each of them gave him their lifetime best.

For the majority of the film Poitier is beautifully measured until his character needs to up the ante with some killer lines which he executes passionately without losing his cool.

Hepburn and Tracy are simply superb as the long-married couple who prove that they can still surprise each other - although, not necessarily in a good way.

Houghton is deliberately over-enthusiastic but highly effective as the colourblind young woman.

But I ought to mention Cecil Kellaway for his magical turn as the priest who is the friend of a non-believing family, Isabel Sanford as the long-standing black house-keeper who holds stronger views against the marriage than anyone and Roy Glenn and Beah Richards as the groom-to-be's under pressure parents.

It all adds up to one of the great films of the 60s. Some of the language has that place in time but it is as important today for shining a light on bigotry as it was then.

Reasons to watch: An all-time classic

Reasons to avoid: Racial prejudice and language

Laughs: Two 

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 10/10

Did you know? Katharine Hepburn never saw the completed movie. She said the memories of Tracy were too painful.

The final word. Stanley Kramer: "We couldn't get insurance for Spence. The situation looked desperate. So then we figured out a way of handling it. Kate and I put up our own salaries to compensate for the lack of an insurance company for Spence. And we were allowed to proceed." Wikipedia

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