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Guess Who (2005)
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Synopsis: This new take on the 1967 drama GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER puts a comedic spin on interracial dating. Bernie Mac (THE BERNIE MAC SHOW) costars as Percy Jones, a wealthy black banker who has an overbearing love for his family. Percy is about to host a lavish party at his sprawling New Jersey home... This new take on the 1967 drama GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER puts a comedic spin on interracial dating. Bernie Mac (THE BERNIE MAC SHOW) costars as Percy Jones, a wealthy black banker who has an overbearing love for his family. Percy is about to host a lavish party at his sprawling New Jersey home in celebration of his 25-year wedding anniversary to Marilyn (Judith Scott, FLIGHT PLAN). His daughter Theresa (Zoe Saldana, THE TERMINAL) is coming home for the occasion, and she's bringing her new boyfriend, Simon Green (Ashton Kutcher, THAT 70S SHOW, PUNK'D). Theresa has neglected to mention that her new beau is white, however, and the formidable Percy is in for a surprise. Though Simon does everything in his power to impress his future father-in-law, nothing will make the imposing patriarch change his undermining disposition. Matters are further complicated because Simon has recently lost his job, and he struggles to keep the family from finding out. As unrest spreads, causing tension--and plenty of laughs--in the days leading up to the party, Simon and Theresa face uncertainty in their relationship while Percy and Marilyn suffer difficulties of their own. GUESS WHO? is full of both hilarious and cringe-worthy moments, including an incredibly tense scene where Simon is goaded into entertaining the family at dinner with black jokes. The sermonizing tone of the original film is replaced with an endearing slapstick humor, and while the heartwarming family tale is present, the film doesn't shy away from the deeper underlying issues, presenting a fresh perspective on prescient cultural foibles. [More]
Genre: Comedies
Starring: Bernie Mac, Ashton Kutcher, Zoe Saldana, Judith Scott
Screenwriter: David Ronn, Jay Scherick
Producer: Jenno Topping, Erwin Stoff, Jason Goldberg
Composer: John Murphy
DVD Info
Release:
Feb 8, 2005
DVD Features:
- Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Digitral 5.1 - English, Frency
- Subtitles - English - Closed Captioning
- Subtitles - French, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary - Kevin Rodney Sullivan - Director
- Behind the Scenes - "Love is the Melody: The Making of GUESS WHO"
- Deleted Scenes with Optional Director Commentary (7)
- Outtakes - Gag Reel
- Trailers - Sony Pictures Previews
Reviews
Kutcher does a good job of reigning in his likeable idiot persona from That 70s Show and Dude, Where's My Car? to the point where you almost - but not quite - buy him as a high-flying stockbroker type.
If you never even begin to compare this film to the classic that inspired it ... then it's a perfectly enjoyable bit of fluffy farce.
Here's a comedy premised on racial unease, and it's too timid to uncork actual racial humor.
A rule: any time you see the movie’s stars racing in go-karts, it’s because the script ran out of funny things to do.
In the first place, the film doesn't aim high enough. In the second place, it falls short of that unambitious goal.
the movie is little more than an interracial riff on Meet the Parents, but it's consistently funny, and it's enough of a riff to make it feel fresh.
Every subtle moment becomes a platform for something even more outrageous, forcing us to abandon all hope that Guess Who will be anything more than another obnoxious comedy.
'If there was any doubt that Bernie Mac is a movie star, "Guess Who" erases it.'
...never loses its focus on providing laughs. And it does that with a surprising consistency that demonstrates an ability to appeal, fittingly, to a wide and diverse audience.
Is it a compliment to say that "Guess Who" is better than "Booty Call?" More compelling than "Texas Rangers?" Superior to "B*A*P*S?" Guess not.
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