Guess Who's coming to dinner

While watching Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, and Sidney Poitier (classic amazing actors I know) in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"... I realized how cool it would be to write a piece about the influence of movies and television on social issues in our country, for better and for worse (considering the influence on media on people today when it comes to glamorizing teen pregnancy, the use of illegal substances, and especially the lack of consequences when it comes to sex). In this situation, for THIS movie, I think it was definitely for the better...but I know you're wondering "what the heck is hp talking about?" Welp, the story line of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" is that a young girl falls in love with a black man in 11 days and brings him home to introduce him to her family, announcing they're going to get married. THENnnnnnn HIS parents come to dinner. Neither families knew their future in-law was of a difference race!

Whatever will happen? Watch it.

You're thinking, "yea ok, big deal" but it IS a big deal, or excuse me I should say WAS a big deal. The movie was made in 1967. Do you remember 1967? Many of you weren't even alive, but remember Martin Luther King Jr? Yea, that dude that was uber important during the whole civil rights stuff? Welp, remember his famous speech "I have a dream"? He gave that speech in 1964, only 3 years before this movie came out. Does that put the social importance of this movie into perspective? Well it should, and because of it you should watch it. Yea yea, so African American's have been in American movies since at least the thirties, but think about the critical context of this movie. This young girl wants to marry this man, not just accept him as a friend, or give him the right to vote, but to marry him. It represents the steps that had occurred to even get to this point, and a movie that represents the real life issues of it's time.

The coolest part about the movie, is the complexity of those involved. The parents of the white girl are Liberal and had always been accepting of those of other races... in theory. But then when they come face-to-face with the situation at hand, things are very different. I love that the movie can package so many of these underlying and complex feelings into one 2 hour movie, while emphasizing the context of the late sixties. It was only 2 years later that MLK was assassinated. Interesting to think, eh?

So you may scoff, look at this old movie that is archaic and "so racist" but it was important in moving things forward and representing issues of importance to our society at the time, and helping people realize sometimes it's easier said than done, but that it can be done (overcoming an inner battle with oneself when you know the right thing to do), and watching now in 2011, helps me think how far we've come, and yet how much farther we have to go.

Best lines:

"you think of yourself as a colored man, I think of myself... as a man" & "you and your generation believes the way it was for you, is the way it HAS to be"

think about the importance of this movie in it's time. Man, why don't they make movies like this anymore?

Watch it,

hearts,

hp