Kevin Rodney Sullivan’s Guess Who benefits from the unexpected
chemistry generated by Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher, which elevates this
loose remake of Guess Who’s Coming to
Dinner? above most of today’s
comedies.
In this twist on the 1967 classic, young and
successful investment broker Simon Green (Ashton Kutcher) inexplicably
quits his job during the film’s opening moments. His timing
couldn’t be worse, for he’s about to meet the parents of his
fiancée, Theresa (Zoë Saldana). Although she assures him that
all will be well, Simon’s fears are well grounded: Zoë’s
father, Percy (Mac), is as stern and outspoken as fathers come. Percy is so
concerned about his daughter’s new beau that he’s studied
Simon’s financial history and background. When the news is good,
Percy is more than eager to welcome his future son-in-law — that is,
until they meet face to face and Percy learns that his little girl has
brought home a white boy.
Although the film contains some physical humor, the
screenwriters wisely don’t go to that well too often; instead, they
rely on the awkward situations, most involving the issue of race, that
spring up between these two, such as when Simon is baited into telling
racial jokes at a dinner party. The subtext is what matters: Guess doesn’t use
race as an excuse for its humor. Rather, it uses humor to examine race. The
movie never panders; instead, it challenges audiences to deal with racism
with a sense of understanding and optimism.
The give-and-take between Mac and Kutcher helps
Sullivan’s message go down easy — the two jab at each other
throughout the film but eventually earn each other’s respect.
Mac’s slow burns and pointed glances throw Kutcher into a tizzy of
frustration. The laughs are genuine and consistent, but the humanity Mac
and Kutcher bring to their roles is what makes the film special.
This article appears in Mar 24-30, 2005.
