guesswhoscomingtodinner.docx

guesswhoscomingtodinner.docx

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guesswhoscomingtodinner

GuessWho’sComingtoDinner

（Drama/Comedy）（1967）

©2000byRaymondWeschler

MajorCharacters

JohnWadePrentice……………………………………SidneyPortier

Averyaccomplishedandsweetblackdoctorwhoworksforthe

UnitedNations’WorldHealthOrganization.Johnfallsinlovewith

Joey,hisfirstrelationshipsincehiswifeandchildwerekilledinan

accidenteightyearsearlier.

Joey（Joanna）Drayton………………………………….KatherineHoughton

AsweetandinnocentyoungwhitewomanwholivesinSanFrancisco,

whomeetsandfallsinlovewithJohnwhileonvacationinHawaii.

MattDrayton………………………………………………SpencerTracy

Joey’sfather,whoisawealthyandveryliberalSanFrancisconewspaperpublisher,andwhohasspokenoutforracialequalityandcivilrightsallofhisadultlife.

ChristinaDrayton………………………………..……KatherineHepburn

Joey’smother,whoownsasmallartgallery,andwhohasalso

beenasupporterofcivilrightsallofherlife.

MonsignorRyan………………………………….…….CecilKellaway

ACatholicpriest,whohasbeenadearfamilyfriendoftheDraytons,

whoisalsoanextremelyliberalandtolerantperson（A“monsignor”

isawordforanofficialofthechurch）.

Tillie（MissMatildaBanks）………………………...IsabelSanford

TheDrayton’sblackhousekeeper,whohasbeenapartofthefamilyforover22years,andwhohelpedraiseJoeyfromwhenshewasababy.

Mr.Prentice…………………………………………………RoyE.GlennSr.

John’sfather,aretiredmailmanwholivesinLosAngeles.

Mrs.Prentice………………………………………………..BeahRichards

John’sextremelysweetandthoughtfulmother.

HillarySt.George………………………………………….VirginiaChristine

AnassistanttoChristinawhoworksinherartgallery.

PlotSummary

ThisfilmistheclassicstoryofaJoanna,ayoung,charmingandinnocentwoman,whofallsinlovewith,anddecidestomarry,John,awonderfulblackdoctor.Morespecifically,itisthestoryofhowthepeoplearoundthem,includingtheirparents,friendsandothers,reacttothenewsofapossiblemarriagebetweenablackmanandawhitewoman.

Joannahadbeenconvincedthatherparentswouldhavenoproblemwiththesituation,becausetheyhadalwaysraisedhertobelievethatblacksandwhiteswereequal,andthatthatanykindofracialintolerancewasunacceptable.However,whenhermotherlearnsofthemarriageplans,sheisatfirstmoreshockedthanhappy,andwhenherfatherfindsout,hefindshimselfunabletosupportwhathisdaughterwasabouttodo.Soonafter,Mrs.Draytoncomestofullyembracethemarriage,butMr.Draytonmustcomefacetofacewiththefactthathehastroubleacceptinghisownliberalphilosophywhenitisappliedsodramaticallytohisownlife.

Overthecourseoftheday,variousotherpeoplefacethenewswithgreatlyvariedreactions,fromMonsignorRyan,whoisextremelyhappyfortheyoungcouple,toTillie,whoseemsasopposedtotheideaofaninterracialcoupleasthemostconservativewhitepeople.Thatafternoon,John’sparentsflyuptoSanFrancisco,andwhentheydiscoverthatJoannaiswhite,theytoomustfacetheirownfearsandprejudices.Eventuallythough,itisMr.Draytonwhomustemotionallystrugglethemost,andwhomustcometorealizethatatrulyliberalandprogressivepersoncan’topposetheirmarriagesimplybecauseotherpeopleintheworldcouldmaketheirlivesdifficult.

SomeBriefWordsontheLegalandSocialSituationConcerningBiracialCouplesin1960’sAmerica:

GuessWho’sComingtoDinnercameoutin1967,whichwasalsotheyearthattheUnitedStatesSupremeCourtruledinacasecalledLovingv.VirginiathatalllawswhichbannedinterracialmarriagesviolatedtheUnitedStatesConstitution.Infact,untilthatyear,over15statesstillhadstatuteswhichprohibitedablackandwhitepersonfromgettingmarried!

TheLovingcasereflectedthegreatsocialchangesthatwereoccurringwithintheUnitedStatesatthetime,mostspecificallybecauseofthelongandoftenviolentlyopposedCivilRightsMovement.Andasthisfilmshowed,evenamongsociallyliberalpeoplewholivedinsuchcitiesasSanFrancisco,theideaofablackandwhitepersongettingmarriedwasstillshocking.Indeed,inmanypartsofthecountry,itprobablystillis….

SomeWordsandExpressionsthatYoumaynotKnow

JohnandJoannareturntoSanFrancisco,sothatshecan

introducehimtoherwonderfulandliberalparents.

Yougofindyourfolks.

Asomewhatold-fashionedwordforparentsorpeople.

It’scalledakineticsculpture.

Ifsomethingis“kinetic,”itisusuallyinmotion.Ararelyusedword.

Christine’slunchingwithMr.Calzent.Ifyoulike,Icanringherup.

“Tolunch”withsomeoneisadatedverb（bettertosaytohavelunch）,andto“ringup”someoneisnowlesscommonthan“tophone.”

DoyouliveinSanFrancisco,doctor?

:

:

No,I’mjustpassingthrough.

Ifyouare“passingthrough”atown,you’rejustthereadayortwo.

It’sHillarywhorunsthegallerynow.

“Torun”astoreorbusinessistomanageit.A“gallery”isasmall

businesswherepaintingandotherartisshownandsoldtothepublic.

Herideaoffillinghotelroomswithoriginalartisbrilliant.

“Brilliant”isapowerfuladjectivemeaningverysmart.ItismorecommoninEngland,whereitalsomeanssensationalorgreat.

Thehotelgetsfreedécor.

Awordtodescribeobjectssuchaspaintingsor

vasesthathelptodecoratetheinsideofahouse.

Thepaintergetsachancetomakeasaleandmomgetshercommission.

Animportantwordinbusiness,referringtothepercentage

ofthesellingpricethatapersongetsforsellingaproduct.

Isn’tthatclever?

Anicelittleadjectivemeaningsmart,intellectuallyquickorwitty.

Twelvebucks,right?

Averycommonslangwordfordollars.

Youstillain’ttellmewhyyoucomehomeearly.

Notetheuseof“ain’t”where“isn’t”shouldbe.Thisisveryincorrect

Englishthatyoushouldavoid,althoughitisn’tthatuncommon.

We’llhaveitontheterrace.

Anotherwordforanoutdoorpatio,oraflatlivingareanexttoahouse.

That’sDorothy.Isn’tsheaknockout?

Adatedbutstillfunwordtodescribeabeautifulorverysexyperson

（Herbeautyissogreatthat,justlikeaboxer,sheknocksyouout）.

Whichdays?

:

:

Nevermind!

Animportantexpressionthatyouusewhenyouwanttoimply

thatwhatwasjustsaidordiscussedisactuallynotimportant.

Geneva.

AcityinSwitzerland,andheadquartersofthe

UnitedNation’sWorldHealthOrganization.

LosAngeles,please.Areacode213.

Thisreferstothethreenumbersthatyoumustdialtogetaparticularareaofthecountry,beforedialingaspecificphonenumber.

Thetollandcharges.

Twowordsthatrefertothecostsofalong-distancetelephonecall.

Idon’tlikeseeingamemberofmyownracegettingabovehisself.

OneofTillie’smorememorablelines.Thecorrectwordis“himself.”

Comeon;justtheturtlesoupandtournedos.

ThegreatestandmostversatilephrasalverbinEnglish,oftentakingonthemeaningofwhateverwordsthatfollowit.Here,itmeansplease（“Tournedos”isacutofbeef,butthisisneverused）.

IrangthegallerytotellHillarythatCazaletagreedtoourscheme.

“Scheme”isaninterestingwordthatmeansaplanofaction,

butnotethatitoftenconnotessomethingsecretiveortricky.

I’msohappy,I’mjust…..:

:

Bursting.Icanseethat.

“Toburst”isapowerfulverbmeaningtoexplode

orbreakwideopen,inthiscasewithhappiness.

IthinkImight,ifyouwouldpipedownlongenoughtotellme.

“Pipedown”isafunimperative（command）

phrasalverbmeaningshutuporkeepquiet.

Mary,whatthehelldifferencedoesthatmake?

ThisisacommonadditiontoWhquestions,whichare

usedtoshowaddedemotion,suchasangerorconfusion.

Youreckontomarrythegirl,son?

Averyold-fashionedwayofsayingtothink,orconsider.

Hedoesn’thaveanytensionsinhim.

Animportantwordreferringtodegreeofnervousnessor

emotionalanxiety.Rarelyusedasapluralnoun,butthereitis!

Hewasmarriedbeforeandhadason.Itwassotragic.

Ifsomethingis“tragic,”itisfilledwithgreatsufferingandsadness.

Isn’tthatalovelyname?

Anotherwordforpretty.MorecommoninEnglandthantheUS.

Mrs.DraytonmeetsJohn,andsoonfindherselfinshock.

ItakeitJoanna’salreadybustedoutwiththebignews?

Inthiscase,“tobustout”withthebignewsistoreveal

andtalkaboutitinaquickandexcitedmanner.

She’sonlyknownmefor10daysandsoshecan’ttellyouwhenI’mblushing.

“Toblush”istobecomeredinthecheeksfromembarrassment

（It’sobviouslyhardertoseewhenablackpersonisblushing）.

Ihopeyouwon’tthinkitpresumptuousifI

saythatyououghttositdownbeforeyoufalldown.

Ifsomeoneis“presumptuous,”theyarebeing

tooforward,confidentorevenarrogant.

Hethinksyou’regonnafaintbecausehe’saNegro.

“Tofaint”istoloseconsciousness,oftenbecauseofemotionalshock.

“Negro”istheverydatedwordforablackperson,whichquicklydiedoutintheyearsimmediatelyfollowingthereleaseofthismovie

（Notethatinrapidspeech,“goingto”----->”gonna”）.

ItwouldbeallrightifIsay“Mygoodness,”wouldn’tit?

“Mygoodness”isaconservativewayof

expressingsurpriseorotheremotion.

WhatdidtheysaywhenyoutoldthemthatIwasn’tacoloredgirl?

“Colored,”like“Negro,”isaverydatedwaytorefertoblackpeople.

Afterall,alotofpeoplewillthinkwereashockingpair.

Notethata“pair”canrefertotwoofanything,fromsockstopeople.

JohnwasinvitedtolectureatHawaiiUniversity

andwemetatthisbigpartyattheDean’s.

The“dean”ofaUniversityisthepersonatthetopwhomanagesit.

That’smarvelous.

Anothe