I think I enjoyed Guess Who (2005), starring Ashton Kutcher and the late
Bernie Mac. However, in Guess Who, the racial roles are reversed. Guess
Who is loosely based on this movie, but it’s done in a comedic tone rather
than the dramatic tone of the Poitier version.
This is a great
movie in its own right, one that I think many should see. Hepburn’s acting is
masterful and touching.
The movie is
about an interracial couple, Dr. John Wade Prentice (Sidney Poitier, Black) and
Joanna “Joey” Drayton (Katharine Houghton, White). At that time, interracial
marriage was more of a taboo, and Joanna’s family was really worried for their
daughter and her future. John’s parents were also worried about the future their child and
possible grandchildren would have by their son marrying a white girl. The whole
movie revolves around both families trying to resolve their differences.
A funny thing
that happened during filming was Sidney Poitier becoming a bit tongue-tied when
he had to be in the presence of both Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The
starstruck effect of their presence got to him, as he was standing in front of
people he considered giants in the acting world.
The film is
notable for being the ninth and final on-screen pairing of Tracy and Hepburn
(at the time, they were live-in partners, with Tracy never divorcing his first
wife), Spencer Tracy died 17 days after filming was completed.
Hepburn is said
to have never seen the completed film, saying the memories of Tracy were too
painful.
Well, this is
the first Spencer Tracy film I got to see, so I may not be the best judge of
how great his acting was compared to his other roles. But as mentioned earlier,
Katharine Hepburn was in a class of her own throughout the movie. At times, I
wondered if she was crying because of what was happening in the story or
because of the fact that her lover was dying.
The movie was a
commercial and critical success, winning two Academy Awards for Best Actress
(Katharine Hepburn) and Best Writing (Original Screenplay).
Sidney Poitier’s acting in this movie isn’t as grand as what I saw him deliver in, In the Heat of the Night (1967), and for me, the movie focused too much on interracial marriage while sidestepping the harsher realities of racism at the time. Given the issue it was addressing, I felt the conflict was too neatly resolved, without much real tension or depth in the characters’ struggles. The pacing also drags in parts, with some long-winded dialogues that feel more like speeches than natural conversations.
In the end, I enjoyed the movie, and I think you will too.
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