Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

An innately compelling experience.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner toes the line between thoughtful, responsible social commentary and didactic messaging; their contents reflect a genuine national uncertainty...

The movie insidiously charms us into ignoring its defects, and for this the credit must go to a superb cast.

A disaster on all counts -- its time, if it ever had one, has definitely passed.

A wishy-washy, sanctimonious plea for tolerance, directed with Kramer's customary verbosity and stodginess.

A most delightfully acted and gracefully entertaining film.

Initially breezy without ever sacrificing any of its points, the picture eventually resorts to a series of static speeches. Luckily, the actors carry the day, particularly Sidney Poitier, Cecil Kellaway and, taking MVP honors, Spencer Tracy.

Stanley Kramer's Guess Who's Coming to Dinner features a masterclass in acting from Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, and Katharine Hepburn.

Kramer's film does feel like a dusty time capsule. Still, as a film starring some of cinemas greatest actors, the combination of Hepburn, Poitier, and Tracy is still enough to hold the film's artifice at bay -- mostly.

The story remains powerful, particularly as it isn't about forcing principles upon the audience.