Editing Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (section)

==Reception==
Upon the film's release, ''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'' critic [[Bosley Crowther]] praised the performances and called the film "a most delightfully acted and gracefully entertaining film, fashioned much in the manner of a stage drawing-room comedy." Crowther wrote that the questions raised by the film should be set aside as they "will only tend to disturb the euphoria and likely enjoyment of this witty and glistening film."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Crowther |first=Bosley |date=1967-12-12 |title=Screen: 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' Arrives: Tracy-Hepburn Picture Opens at 2 Theaters |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1967/12/12/archives/screen-guess-whos-coming-to-dinner-arrivestracyhepburn-picture.html |access-date=2023-06-16}}</ref> In the ''[[New York Daily News]]'', critic Wanda Hale gave the film a full four-star rating, and said it "must be counted as an important contribution to motion pictures. With fearless directness Stanley Kramer takes a fresh and risky topic, inter-racial marriage, deals with it boldly and lets the criticisms fall where they may. At the Victoria and Beekman Theaters, the Columbia picture evidences Kramer's uncanny ability in selecting the right cast to portray the characters created by William Rose, to speak the author's penetrating lines as they should, naturally, humorously, bitterly and in the case of Spencer Tracy, simply and eloquently. Tracy, Katharine Hepburn and Katharine Houghton appear as the white people in this problem. Negroes are played by Sidney Poitier, Beah Richards, Isabel Sanford and Roy E. Glenn Sr. But withal, 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' is the late great actor's picture and he dominates it with his vitality and the clarity and logic of his presentation."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hale |first=Wanda |date=1967-12-12 |title=Tracy Dominates His Last Film |newspaper=Daily News |location=New York City, New York, United States |url=https://nydailynews.newspapers.com/article/daily-news/135109806/ |access-date=2023-11-13}}</ref> Writing in the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', film critic [[Charles Champlin]] lauded the film as "a deeply moving film, guaranteed to leave no eye undamp."<ref name="Champlin">{{cite news |last=Champlin |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Champlin |title='Dinner,' 'Cold Blood' to Bow |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-champlin-review-of/126522471/ |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=December 17, 1967 |pages=14, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-charles-camplin-re/126523618/ 18]–[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-chrles-champlin-re/126524831/ 19] |issn=0458-3035 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Clifford Terry, film critic of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' at the time, wrote that the film "examines a theme of the 1960s thru a style of the 1930s. The subject of interracial marriage was probed four years ago in '[[One Potato, Two Potato]],' but Producer-Director Stanley Kramer has reached back long before that for his modus operandi, coming up with the antiseptic slickness and unabashed sentiment [not necessarily a bad thing] in the generic tradition of the [[Frank Capra]] social comedy-drama."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Terry |first=Clifford |date=1968-01-28 |title=Sentiment of the '30s 'Comes to Dinner' |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |url=https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-clifford-terry-movie-rev/135109442/ |access-date=2023-11-13}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]], his rival at the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', gave the film a full four-star rating. He said "yes, there are serious faults in Stanley Kramer's 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner,' but they are overcome by the virtues of this delightfully old-fashioned film. It would be easy to tear the plot to shreds and catch Kramer in the act of copping out. But why? On its own terms, this film is a joy to see, an evening of superb entertainment."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=1968-01-28 |title=Guess Who's Coming to Dinner |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/guess-whos-coming-to-dinner-1968 |access-date=2023-11-13}}</ref>

Martin Knelman of the ''[[Toronto Daily Star]]'' said that "Stanley Kramer has bucked the trend in at least one respect: Instead of choosing to have a title song written specially for ''Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner'', the film that arrives today at the Carlton, he has selected an old, familiar song as his theme. Kramer himself told me the other day that he is not wildly enthusiastic about the song, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s a perfect touch. ''[[The Glory of Love (Benny Goodman song)|The Glory of Love]]'' (performed by nightclub singer [[Jacqueline Fontaine]]) richly echoes the naive sentimentalism of the pop culture of the 1940s and 1950s and though it’s a thoroughly modern picture in some respects, ''Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner'' is at heart a nostalgic throwback to that era."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Knelman |first=Martin |date=1968-01-12 |title=It's that Tracy-Hepburn magic all the way |newspaper=Toronto Daily Star |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star/135108278/ |access-date=2023-11-13}}</ref> Joan Irwin of the ''[[Montreal Star]]'' called it "a strong honest and remarkably sensitive film dealing with the problem of interracial marriage. Every prejudice and argument for and against such a marriage is examined with candor and often with humor, not in a general, preachy context, but as it relates to the two particular people in question. This is no harangue on the subject of indiscriminate brotherly love, nor yet a sentimental treatment of a very real problem. It is a fine film, full of strength and tenderness, played with great subtlety and wit by an entirely superb cast."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Irwin |first=Joan |date=1968-03-15 |title=Tracy bows out in a brilliant role |newspaper=Montreal Star |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montreal-star/135108824/ |access-date=2023-11-13}}</ref> Jacob Siskind of the rival ''[[Montreal Gazette|Gazette]]'' newspaper called it "one film that no one should miss. It is unashamedly, unabashedly sentimental; it is designed to tug at your heart strings; it quite obviously makes a play for the largest possible audience. But it does so honestly."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Siskind |first=Jacob |date=1968-03-15 |title=Three New Films Featuring Spencer Tracy, Dirk Bogarde and Richard Burton |newspaper=The Gazette |location=Montreal, Quebec, Canada |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette/135109062/ |access-date=2023-11-13}}</ref>

''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' was a box-office success in 1968 throughout the United States, including in Southern states where it was traditionally assumed that few white filmgoers would want to see any film with black leads. The success of this film challenged that assumption in [[film marketing]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Harris |first=Mark |title=Pictures at a Revolution: Five Films and the Birth of a New Hollywood |publisher=Penguin Press |year=2008 |page=374}}</ref> Despite this success, which included numerous film award nominations, [[Frank Rich]] of ''The New York Times'' wrote in November 2008 that the film was frequently labeled as dated among liberals. Another main point of contention was the fact that Poitier's character, the golden future son-in-law, had no flaws and a résumé of good deeds. Many people felt that the dynamic between the Draytons and Poitier's character would have inevitably resulted in a happily-ever-after film ending because Poitier's character was so perfect, respectable, likable, and proper. Some people went as far as saying Prentice was "too white" not to be accepted by the Draytons.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rich |first=Frank |author-link=Frank Rich |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/opinion/02rich.html |title=Guess Who's Coming to Dinner |newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 1, 2008 |page=10 |access-date=September 13, 2023}}</ref> It was also criticized by some for these reasons at the time, with African-American actor [[Stepin Fetchit]] saying that the film "did more to stop intermarriage than to help it."<ref>{{cite book|last=Kurlansky|first=Mark|author-link=Mark Kurlansky|title=1968: The Year That Rocked the World|year=2004|publisher=[[Ballantine Books]]|isbn=978-0-345-45581-9|location=New York|page=113|oclc=53929433}}</ref> Kramer's intention of the film was to de-bunk stereotypes placed against people of color, but some scholars argue that it  created new stereotypes in its portrayal.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Blum |first=John M. |date=1969 |title=Cinema for Whom? |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3331699 |journal=Journal of Aesthetic Education |volume=3 |issue=3 |pages=13–19 |doi=10.2307/3331699 |jstor=3331699 |issn=0021-8510|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In a 1986 review of the film by ''The New York Times'', [[Lawrence Van Gelder]] wrote: "the suspicion arises that were the film made today its makers would come to grips a good deal more bluntly with the problems of intermarriage. Still, this remains a deft comedy and – most of all – a paean to the power of love."<ref name="homevideo">{{cite news |last=Van Gelder |first=Lawrence |author-link=Lawrence Van Gelder |title=Home Video – New Cassettes: Big Stars and Big Bands |newspaper=The New York Times |page=28 |date=October 12, 1986 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In his 1967 review of the film, Champlin wrote "questions do arise" about the treatment of intermarriage, which he observed was "made palatable to the greatest number" by creating a "comfortably old-fashioned picture." Champlin pointed to the extraordinary stature of the Poitier character, and said that he was left with a "nagging uneasiness that the problem has not really been confronted or solved, but only patronized."<ref name="Champlin"/>

On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 71% based on 38 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "More well-intentioned than insightful in its approach to interracial marriage, ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' succeeds thanks to the fizzy chemistry of its star-studded ensemble."<ref>{{cite web |title=Guess Who's Coming to Dinner |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/guess_whos_coming_to_dinner |access-date=September 13, 2023 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has an average score of 63 out of 100 based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guess Who's Coming to Dinner |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/guess-whos-coming-to-dinner/ |access-date=December 19, 2023 |website=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col"| Award<ref name="NY Times">{{cite web |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/21044/Guess-Who-s-Coming-to-Dinner/awards |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603021428/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/21044/Guess-Who-s-Coming-to-Dinner/awards |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 3, 2010 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |newspaper=The New York Times |year=2010 |title=NY Times: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner |access-date=December 27, 2008}}</ref>
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="10"| [[40th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Stanley Kramer]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| [[Spencer Tracy]] {{small|(posthumous nomination)}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| [[Katharine Hepburn]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| [[Cecil Kellaway]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| [[Beah Richards]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen]]
| [[William Rose (screenwriter)|William Rose]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]]
| [[Robert Clatworthy (art director)|Robert Clatworthy]] and [[Frank Tuttle (set decorator)|Frank Tuttle]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]]
| [[Robert C. Jones]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Song Score or Adaptation Score]]
| [[Frank De Vol]]
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[American Cinema Editors|American Cinema Editors Awards]]
| [[American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Feature Film – Dramatic|Best Edited Feature Film – Dramatic]]
| Robert C. Jones
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="4"| [[22nd British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Best Actor in a Leading Role]]
| Spencer Tracy {{small|(posthumous nomination)}}
| {{won}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|Best Actress in a Leading Role]]
| Katharine Hepburn {{small|(also for ''[[The Lion in Winter (1968 film)|The Lion in Winter]]'')}}
| {{won}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
| William Rose
| {{nom}}
|-
| United Nations Award
| rowspan="2"| Stanley Kramer
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="3"| [[David di Donatello]]
| [[David di Donatello for Best Foreign Film|Best Foreign Production]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actor|Best Foreign Actor]]
| Spencer Tracy
| {{won}}{{efn|Tied with [[Warren Beatty]] for ''[[Bonnie and Clyde (film)|Bonnie and Clyde]]''}}
|-
| [[David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actress|Best Foreign Actress]]
| Katharine Hepburn
| {{won}}{{efn|Tied with [[Faye Dunaway]] for ''Bonnie and Clyde''}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[20th Directors Guild of America Awards|Directors Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film|Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures]]
| Stanley Kramer
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row"| Fotogramas de Plata
| Best Foreign Performer
| [[Sidney Poitier]]
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="7"| [[25th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama|Best Motion Picture – Drama]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director|Best Director – Motion Picture]]
| Stanley Kramer
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama]]
| Spencer Tracy {{small|(posthumous nomination)}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama|Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama]]
| Katharine Hepburn
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture]]
| Beah Richards
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Motion Picture]]
| William Rose
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress|Most Promising Newcomer – Female]]
| [[Katharine Houghton]]
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[Karlovy Vary International Film Festival]]
| [[Crystal Globe (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)|Crystal Globe]]
| Stanley Kramer
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2"| [[Laurel Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Top Comedy
| {{nom}}
|-
| Top Male Dramatic Performance
| Spencer Tracy
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[National Film Preservation Board]]
| colspan="2"| [[National Film Registry]]
| {{won|Inducted}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[1967 New York Film Critics Circle Awards|New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| Spencer Tracy
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row"| Online Film & Television Association Awards
| colspan="2"| Hall of Fame – Motion Picture
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2"| [[20th Writers Guild of America Awards|Writers Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written Drama|Best Written American Drama]]
| rowspan="2"| William Rose
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Written American Original Screenplay]]
| {{nom}}
|}

'''[[American Film Institute]] lists'''
* [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies]] – {{abbr|No.|Number}} 99<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/movies100.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=September 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412113202/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/movies100.pdf |archive-date=April 12, 2019}}</ref>
* [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions]] – No. 58<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/passions100.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions |publisher=American Film Institute |access-date=September 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624052654/http://afi.com/Docs/100Years/passions100.pdf |archive-date=June 24, 2016}}</ref>
* [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers]] – No. 35<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-cheers/ |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers |publisher=American Film Institute |access-date=September 13, 2023}}</ref>