Guess Who?
—Overview
—Photos
—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections
Why on earth a black girl with a father like Percy Jones wouldn’t inform her parents that her new boyfriend—indeed, her fiancé—is white before bringing him home is beyond me. But the opposite scenario (a white girl bringing home a black fiancé) worked well enough for the 1967 classic Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?; so why not try it again here?
Surprisingly, this film isn’t all that bad. Sure, it goes for the cheap laugh at times. It also relies a little too heavily on clichés—such as the controlling father who makes it practically impossible for his daughter’s suitor to meet his ever more ridiculous demands—and coincidences—fiancé Simon Green needs money, his future father-in-law just happens to be a loans officer. Even so, the film features a number of funny moments and several impressive performances, most notably from Bernie Mac, who radiates a delightfully dangerous intensity throughout. The female leads are also impressive, and even Ashton Kuchter isn’t all that bad as the sad sack fiancé.
Despite its levity, Guess Who? is not afraid to wade into the racial issues that made the original film so controversial. What this film seems to be saying is, as much as we try to deny it, race matters. The question is; what are we going to do about it? Pretend as if we don’t see people in terms of color, as Simon contends, or be up front about our biases and prejudices like Percy, even if it means hurting others? Obviously, neither position is healthy; and most of the film’s laughs arise from the characters’ struggle to find a balance between these two extremes.
—Overview
—Photos
—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections
—Photos
—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections
Why on earth a black girl with a father like Percy Jones wouldn’t inform her parents that her new boyfriend—indeed, her fiancé—is white before bringing him home is beyond me. But the opposite scenario (a white girl bringing home a black fiancé) worked well enough for the 1967 classic Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?; so why not try it again here?Surprisingly, this film isn’t all that bad. Sure, it goes for the cheap laugh at times. It also relies a little too heavily on clichés—such as the controlling father who makes it practically impossible for his daughter’s suitor to meet his ever more ridiculous demands—and coincidences—fiancé Simon Green needs money, his future father-in-law just happens to be a loans officer. Even so, the film features a number of funny moments and several impressive performances, most notably from Bernie Mac, who radiates a delightfully dangerous intensity throughout. The female leads are also impressive, and even Ashton Kuchter isn’t all that bad as the sad sack fiancé.
Despite its levity, Guess Who? is not afraid to wade into the racial issues that made the original film so controversial. What this film seems to be saying is, as much as we try to deny it, race matters. The question is; what are we going to do about it? Pretend as if we don’t see people in terms of color, as Simon contends, or be up front about our biases and prejudices like Percy, even if it means hurting others? Obviously, neither position is healthy; and most of the film’s laughs arise from the characters’ struggle to find a balance between these two extremes.
—Overview
—Photos
—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections
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