Guess who's coming to dinner?
Sta**ing: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Katharine Houghton and of course Sidney Poitier
After
a vacation, wanted to slip into something less ditzy and more
original.a feel that Kolkata gives you, it gives you a tinge of rustic
and a yearn for the natural. Calcutta seems a place where you are
allowed to unwind, and just be yourself. I was lucky to have finally
picked up the DVD for this movie and I gathered my parents to sit and
watch, as it happened to be my dad's favorite movie when he saw it when
he was 23.
We belong to different generations.My parents and I. But we are just as
sensitive to the feelings that were present then. Even now, there is a
conservative nature amongst us, but now we are more open to
relationships, aquaintances, and we are allowed to have the freedom of
choosing our friends and lovers, in some cases.
Set in the
1960s, GWCTD is a very sensitive portrayal of the dilemma of a mixed
marriage. The entire formality of guys parents meeting the girl's and
vice versa. After having watched Sidney Poitier's 'To Sir, with Love'. I was pleasantly surprised with the introduction titles, where Sidney
is being romantic with his white lover. And opening the door for her as
she sat in a taxi. The movie, lucidly and gently tackles the racist
cliches and overtures beautifully. Every dialogue, expression is well
thought of. It's as the Ameicans say, Splendid.
As the lovers
kiss in the backseat, the driver, then an American, looks disapprovingly in the mirror, as the mixed couple enjoy their time, for now we can only
find the Punjabis and the sardars thronging the New York traffic, with
Punjabi hits revving their engines. When the couple reaches
the house, The driver delivers the baggage and asks for a$10.50 bill,
at which our Black man tips him, and the disdain and the slur is very
evident. The Housemaid, again a black woman is not very thrilled at having a
black man in her Mistress's house as a companion, and is also heard
saying" Civil rights is one thing, and this here is something else'
Young
love birds are a different breed. It is love that brings them together,
and love knows no bounds. The couple arrive in San Francisco, at Miss
Drayton's house, after spending a week at Hawaii, where they meet and
fall in love in the first 20 minutes of their introduction. Excitedly
and so very optimistically, Miss Drayton(23 years) and Dr. Prentice( 37 years), arrive in San Francisco to meet her parents. Mr.Drayton a Publisher and Mrs.Drayton who owns a museum(or something such)
An African American Man wants to marry a
White Woman, and they arrive in San Franscico to tell the parents about
their plans, the girl is so very optimistic that she doesn't seek her
parents approval, but secretly her lover does. So in a conversation
with her parents, he sets the terms that if the parents find any
objections with their marriage they should talk about it now, because
they have made the person he loves and known her for 23 years.But he knows her for only 10 days.So he would want them to give her to him, with the right attitude, and careful scrutiny. And on making his statement he
tells them, that he would await their answer. And soon follows a
fantastic drama, where every moment you are glued, to listen to the most
sensible dialogues dealt with people and relationships of all time.
*Sidney
Poitier
*He is a show stealer. If you have seen'To Sir with Love',
You'll know what I am talking about, but if you haven't then, you
should know, that Mr.Poitier, is one of the fantastic actors of all
time. Direct, Hard hitting and matter-of-factly, a class apart. The
only actor now who I could relate with is, Morgan Freeman. But Sidney
Poitier, is simply the God. For when he starts to give his dialogues, he
brings out the rage in you just as smoothly he ends the dialogue with
the sensitive and brilliant mirror of an act, that is acknowledged by
nothing, but your heart. There is his confrontation with his father, in
the study which is one of the best dialogues ever delivered, they are
strong, they are beautiful, and at the end of it you say'Now that's
what I call - Acting!' . His love for this woman, who is madly in love
with him, is treated with so much care and maturity. That knowing
someone as special in your life, makes you feel terribly lucky. After
all, relationships are about feelings. No worth that we credit a paper
for and put a denomination on it could ever bring one inch of that feeling.
Katharine Hepburn
I have been in awe of this lady my entire life. I first saw'*The
Philadelphia Story' *and I was amazed by her independence and
freespirit. Nothing seems to break her.In this movie, she plays a
character of a Mother, whose daughter is smitten by an African American
, who she has met on a vacation trip to Hawaii, and has plans of
marrying him.Her acting is superfluous. It is just right. She is like
the medium-rare meat you asked for. She can be the fun-loving crazy
girl-friend. But here she is the mother who loves her daughter so very
much, that she tends to look at the positive side of things. She is the
perfect host of an uncomfortable evening, where 2 families have to hide
their shock and suppress their anger about racial discrimination under the carpet, and be brave only for love. Every interaction with her
Groucho Marx of her husband, Mr. Drayton(Spencer Tracy), is dealt with
beautifully and coyishly. She has this aura about her that goes
unnoticed, but stands out so brilliantly that we should be giving her a
standing ovation for her every act in the movie.
There is a
part in the movie, where a lady(Hilary) from her museum/gallery comes over to check up
on Mrs. Drayton's and Mr.Prentice's relationship, and Mrs. Drayton,
asks her why had she arrived, she could have called! But being a
stubborn old racist lady, Hilary shows her obvious, uncouthness at the
thought of their supposed marriage which Miss Drayton proudly
announces. Here's when Katharine Hepburn(Mrs.Drayton) takes the prick
out on the porch and utters these priceless dialogues with an elan
which hardly anyone besides Greta Garbo or Vivian Leigh have managed.
Mrs.Drayton:[to her assistant, Hilary, in the driveway]
Now I have some instructions for you. I want you to go straight back to
the gallery - Start your motor - When you get to the gallery tell
Jennifer that she will be looking after things temporarily, she's to
give me a ring if there's anything she can't deal with herself. Then go
into the office, and make out a check, for "cash, " for the sum of
$5, 000. Then carefully, but carefully Hilary, remove absolutely
everything that might subsequently remind me that you had ever been
there, including that yellow thing with the blue bulbs which you have
such an affection for. Then take the check, for$5, 000, which I feel
you deserve, and get - permanently - lost. It's not that I don't want
to know you - although I don't - it's just that I'm afraid we're not
really the sort of people that you can afford to be associated with.
Don't speak, Hilary, just. go.
( courtesy imdb)
continuing in the comments section.
