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Released By: Twilight Time
Released On: August 11, 2015
Director: Stanley Kramer
Cast: Spencer Tracey, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, Katharine Houghton
Year: 1967
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The Movie:
In 1967, things weren't this good. My daddy was a hippie. Racial segregation was officially over, but the impact and long-standing prejudice was still present. Interracial marriage was still illegal in the United States until the Supreme Court overturned the laws in June of 1967. And Stanley Kramer, whose name would become synonymous with social commentary through film, directed Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?, a love story whose likes had yet to be seen in a major motion picture.
Joanna Drayton has returned to San Francisco from a vacation in Hawaii with some fabulous news...she has met the man that she plans to spend the rest of her life with. And Doctor John Prentice certainly is a catch; he's well-educated, polite, influential, and good-looking. Joey plans to surprise her parents with her early return home and news of her engagement, but within minutes of landing, she's already drawing the unwanted attention of those around her; Doctor John Prentice is a Black man.
Fortunately for Joey, her parents are progressive liberals, and this won't matter, right? She certainly doesn't seem to think so, even if her mother's co-worker raises an eyebrow or two at the couple, and the Black maid takes offence to "a member of my own race getting above themselves", and John has yet to tell his own parents that he's marrying a White girl. John's apprehensions about being judged certainly aren't unfounded, as Joanna's mother Christina (Christina) reacts with stunned silence at the introduction, and her father Matt (Spencer Tracy) seems determined to not betray his liberal leanings by listing off every reason OTHER than racial difference that his daughter should not be married.
Things are further complicated when John confronts Matt privately, issuing the ultimatum that unless Matt and Christina endorse the union without reservation, he'll break off the engagement and break Joey's heart. And as if things weren't difficult enough, the Prentice family are also coming to dinner, forcing Matt and Mr. Prentice Senior to examine their beliefs and the prejudices of their soon-to-be-extinct generation.
Although such a topic will undoubtedly strike a raw nerve even in today's society, the sheer balls required to make such a film in 1967 are almost unimaginable. Already having addressed some extremely touchy topics such as evolution, Naziism, race relations, and nuclear war, Director Kramer (and Writer William Rose) dealt with a shady lack of studio support, death threats to cast members, and immense criticism following the release of the film. But what remains in print is a touching look at the issue itself, dealt with in a tasteful and somewhat comedic manner. A powerhouse cast doesn't hurt, either, and the combination of Poitier, Hepburn, Tracy, and Houghton is superb. Hepburn's emotion throughout is genuine; her long-time partner, Spencer Tracy was ill and would pass two weeks after finishing filming; and Poitier plays mild-mannered and amiable perfectly until the moment that his rage emerges, perfectly escalating from one to the other and back again. And while Tracy's heavy-handed speech gets a little lengthy, the reactions of his co-actors and the subtle touch of Kramer's direction make it a perfectly enjoyable watch.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Twilight Time brings Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? to blu-ray in a 1.85:1 transfer that looks stunning. Colours are vibrant and pop off the screen, indicative of the colour palette popular at the time. There are probably some mild instances of dirt or damage here, but you won't notice them; you will notice some beautiful contrast and crisp detail. The only flaw in the high-def presentation is that some of the actors' makeup will look...questionable.
A DTS-HD MA 1.0 track doesn't look on paper like it would be any great shakes, but the audio presentation is full and dynamic, with emphasis on well-balanced dialogue. No hisses, cracks or pops are evident here, and it holds up well for being almost a half-century old.
Twilight Time has ported over the extras from the 40th Anniversary Sony DVD as well; first up are Introductions to the film by Stanley's wife, Karen Kramer, Steven Spielberg, Tom Brokaw, and Quincy Jones, each discussing Kramer's vision and how his films documented social change.
A Love Story Of Today (listed as "For Today") on the menu (29:53) looks at the genesis of the film, the casting, and how the film treats the issue of racism with humour. Louis Gossett Jr., Karen Kramer, Norman Jewison, and others are on hand to discuss the film and provide some anecdotes pertaining to the making.
A Special Kind of Love (17:15) features Katharine Houghton, and focuses on the relationship between Hepburn and Tracy, who leaves Guess Who's Coming To Dinner as his last film credit.
Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search For Truth (16:57) features many actors such as Dennis Hopper and Dick Van Dyke to look at Kramer's use of film to critique social issues. Many clips from his films are also presented, as well as interviews with Kramer himself.
Stanley Kramer Accepts The Irving Thalberg Award (2:01) is a short clip from 1961, as Kramer is awarded for "high quality film production."
2007 Producer's Guild Stanley Kramer Award Presentation to An Inconvenient Truth (4:37) features Harrison Ford presenting the award to Al Gore for his film on climate change.
Two separate Audio Track bonuses are also included. The first is an Isolated Score track, featuring the work of Frank De Vol. The second is an audio commentary with Film Historians Eddy Friedfeld, Lee Pfeiffer (from Cinema Retro Magazine) and Paul Scrabo. There are loads of details in this commentary as the group discuss the genius of William Rose and his partnership with Kramer, comparison's to Star Trek's first interracial kiss, criticism against the film and Poitier, and the casting of the film. As film commentaries go, it's highly entertaining and informative, and worth the listen.
A Trailer, a Teaser Trailer, the Twilight Time category, and a booklet essay by Twilight Time's Julie Kirgo is also included.
The Final Word:
Criticism aside, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner is a well-made film by a great filmmaker and brilliant writer. Fans of the film will find this disc to be a worthy picture upgrade from the Sony DVD, and it's nice to see the extras intact and a great commentary included. Recommended.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
