Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner-1967
Director Stanley Kramer
Starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier
Scott’s Review #1,539
Reviewed June 29, 2026
Grade: A
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner is a groundbreaking, socially themed film made in 1967, in the midst of the Civil Rights movement that was sweeping the United States.
The rights aimed to abolish legalized racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement in the country, which most commonly affected African Americans.
So, the time was perfect for a star-studded film of this caliber.
The screenplay by William and Tania Rose is rich with character motivation and development.
Both the characters themselves and audiences can understand the perspectives of each of the six prominent characters as they slowly explain their thoughts and, at times, their underlying unconscious biases.
At the time of release, the film was understandably a commercial and critical hit during a fabulous time in cinema.
On the threshold of increased creative richness in the 1970s, the late 1960s were the building blocks to expressionism and tremendous cinematic thought.
The film was one of the first to depict an interracial marriage in a positive light.
While a film like Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner would be dated if made in 2026, sadly, lots of blatant racism and discrimination still exist in the United States, though we have certainly made progress.
Joey Drayton (Katharine Houghton) is a young, free-thinking white woman from a wealthy family in San Francisco. She and a successful black doctor, John Prentice (Sidney Poitier), become engaged.
In addition to their racial differences, he is much older than she is and has been married once before.
They nervously fly to San Francisco to meet her parents and break the news, and they are to be married two weeks later in Switzerland.
Matt Drayton (Spencer Tracy) and his wife, Christina (Katharine Hepburn), are open-minded liberals who must confront the many issues and feelings the impending marriage arouses.
Also attending the Draytons’ dinner are Prentice’s parents, John Sr. and Mary (Roy E. Glenn Sr., Beah Richards), who vehemently disapprove of the relationship.
Other supporting characters, like the kindly Monsignor Mike Ryan (Cecil Kellaway), a white male, and the efficient yet unfeeling black housekeeper Tillie (Isabel Sanford), offer differing perspectives on the union.
While the interracial pairing is front and center, the set pieces and artistic design are flawless, offering a looming backdrop of San Francisco.
Frequent scenes occur on the family terrace, lush with bright flowers, images of the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge, and, in one sequence, a rich orange hue amid a dazzling sunset.
To say nothing of the lavish family estate with exquisite art, furniture pieces, and grand rooms all on display during the film.
Director Stanley Kramer deserves praise for these elements and many more, as the film is woven together tremendously well.
The acting is flawless all around, with the top honors going to Hepburn and Poitier.
A poignant scene in which Christina (Hepburn) remembers how happy Joey always was as a child, and how her past happiness pales in comparison to how happy she is now, will bring any viewer to a soggy mess as Hepburn slowly tears up.
Poitier shows his strong range during John’s knockdown, drag-out argument with his father, exclaiming how he owes nothing to his father, and a father’s role is to want the best for his child and to let his child make his own choices.
While Mike thinks nothing but beauty from the union, Tillie is outraged at the nerve of John to mix with white wealth. She shockingly calls him ‘boy’ and scolds him for thinking above his ‘station in life’.
With Tillie and John Sr., we see that bias and racism are not always exclusive to the white community. Black people also see color and prejudice.
This point is the film’s genius, as most of the characters undergo deep dives and learn about themselves, for better or worse.
Some fun facts are that Houghton is the niece of Hepburn, and the film is Spencer Tracy’s final role, having battled illness throughout shooting, but insisting on finishing the film.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) challenges the norms of the times amazingly well, and the brilliance of the acting holds up decades later.
Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Stanley Kramer, Best Actor-Spencer Tracy, Best Actress-Katharine Hepburn (won), Best Supporting Actor-Cecil Kellaway, Best Supporting Actress-Beah Richards, Best Story and Screenplay-Written Directly for the Screen (won), Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Original Song Score or Adaptation Score
