Directed by: Kevin Rodney Sullivan
Written by: David Ronn, Jay Scherick, and Peter Tolan
Release date: 2005
A talented cast includes: Bernie Mac, Ashton Kutcher, Judith Scott, Zoe Saldana, and Hal williams
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sex-related humor
Runtime: 97 Minutes
I must admit, for me there were three main draws:
1) Ashton Kutcher (Yes, I know he's like 20-something, but hey, if Demi Moore can go there, why can't I?!)
2) The topic - a Black-White interracial couple (I was dying to see how Hollywood would handle this one. I mean, would the director actually allow them to kiss on screen?)
3) Bernie Mac (Could there have been a more perfect casting choice for a non-threatening, humorous, yet Black-and-proud-of-it dad? I doubt it.)
While I feel the casting choices were prudent, I believe there were other equally smart choices made by the film's creators.
Smart Decision #1
A remake, or redo, of the 1967 film that was considered groundbreaking if not flat out controversial ("Guess who's coming to dinner?") "Guess Who?" pulls a switch by having a Black family experience an unexpected surprise when their daughter (who in real life is Latina, specifically of Dominican heritage) brings home a White boyfriend.In the earlier version, it was Sidney Poitier who came as a surprise (really, more like a shock) to the family of his White girlfriend, the mother is played by Katherine Hepburn - a scenario that forced the American public to face the prospect of love between a White woman and a Black man and to acknowledge the issue of racism against Blacks, and in particular, Black men.
It was interesting to note this switch, the decision to instead have a Black family work to embrace a White boyfriend in "Guess who?" In doing so, they were able to tread on slightly safer ground.
What do I mean by 'safer' ground? Well, first, some statistics confirm that Black Americans are less likely to embrace interracial couples than are Whites. And second, while White rejection of Blacks is viewed as racism, Black rejection of Whites is not generally classified as racism. Scholars go so far as to argue that Black rejection cannot be considered "racism" because Blacks do not hold dominant power status in American society. Regardless of whether you or I agree with this assessment, it is likely the reason that movies like "White Chicks" and "Guess who?" are able to show Blacks poking fun at Whites, while it's not so easy to have it the other way around.
And so we have smart decision number one.
Smart Decision #2
While the father's initial inability to accept the boyfriend on the basis of race surely did its part to fuel tensions in the relationship, the temporary breakup was not directly related to race, but was instead, due to much more honorable issues - namely, honesty and trust.The film's creators did a pretty decent job of portraying 'a couple facing real couple issues,' and not just 'an interracial couple struggling just because they were of different racial backgrounds.' (Had that been the case, I think I would have quickly gotten a hold of my remote.)
Hence, Hollywood's shocking admission that yes, an interracial couple could actually have other issues to argue about, aside from race, is groundbreaking in itself. So, here we have smart decision number two.
Smart Decision #3
The ending, while just a tad hokey what with the karaoke performance (OK, so Ashton can't sing) nonetheless was exactly what I had been waiting for throughout the entire movie.Would "Guess who?" fall victim to the quintessential Hollywood cop-out and end by separating the couple who so clearly loved one another, appearing to have been made for each other despite racial difference? This question lingered in my mind throughout the movie - my personal litmus test, one that would ultimately decide whether Hollywood held chutzpah or chump status in my world.
As you can probably guess, they remained a couple. Therefore, we have smart decision #3.
Smart Decision #4
The ever-elusive interracial kiss - there it was for all to see. The creators did not merely settle for a peck on the cheek or a warm embrace, but instead held true to the idea of this couple as a real couple. I was happy and therefore, here we have the fourth and final smart decision that I've identified.Let me know if you find others, and if you haven't seen the movie yet, go out and rent it. It's amusing, if nothing else...and of course, there's Ashton Kutcher.