Guess Who
By: Mark Runyon | Category: DVD Archive | 05/09/05 | 08:23 AM
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Grade: B- |
Genre: Comedy
Summary: Guess Who is an enjoyable comedy that leaves some laughs on the table. It has the same feel as Meet the Parents even if it doesn't have that same cleverness about it.
When a smart comedy hits theatres that charm those box office dollars, it's always a bit of a mixed blessing. While it's nice to have a great comedy to cut you up with laughter, you also have to brace yourself for the inevitable onslaught of Hollywood copycats that will roll into production right after opening weekend. The film in this case is the side splitting Meet the Parents, and Guess Who is definitely dragging on the coat tails of its success. So what is the spin to give this film its own unique flavor? It is the interracial version, which has plenty of room for extra comedic material, yet Guess Who doesn't exploit this advantage as effectively as it should. |
Simon (Kutcher) and Teresa (Saldana) are madly in love and are engaged to be married. They are in a colorblind relationship in a world that is still focused on the racial lines that divide us. They are preparing to go away for the weekend to visit Teresa's parents as they renew their wedding vows after 25 years of marriage. At the ceremony, Teresa plans to unveil the happy news of her engagement to Simon. The only hesitancy Simon really has about the trip is Teresa's father, Percy (Mac). There is a picture in their apartment where Percy looks ready to rupture a blood vessel in his forehead while coaching Teresa's basketball game. At the time, they happened to be winning. In all her discussion about her boyfriend with her parents, Teresa has neglected to mention the minor detail that he's white.
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Guess Who |
| Starring: Bernie Mac, Ashton Kutcher, Zoe Saldana and Jessica Cauffiel |
| Director: Kevin Rodney Sullivan |
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From the details gathered from Teresa, they are ready to welcome Simon with open arms. He's a high-powered investment banker with a J.P. Morgan knock-off whose star is on the rise. What nobody realizes is that Simon quit his job the morning they left New York, setting up a lie by lack of omission to wedge firmly between our two young lovebirds. When they get to her parent's house, Percy mistakes the cab driver for Simon, ordering the actual Simon to cart the bags in. Once he finds out that Simon is Simon, he looks completely hoodwinked. To break the ice, Simon says, "Well, I wish Teresa would have told me that you guys were black. That would have saved an awkward moment." Percy stares through him seeming to say "Are you mockin' me, boy." Mac's Percy is one of the most intimidating figures I've seen on film. If this guy were slated to be my future father-in-law, I'd just pack it in and start the search for another woman. The loan officer in Percy has Simon sized up within 5 seconds of locking eyes on him. He doesn't like him one bit. I'm sure the color thing is a factor, but it's more a sense of distrust that he feels in Simon. Of course, he also harbors an innate distrust in anyone dating his baby girl.
Things don't get off to the best of starts. Simon gets caught in a lie about being an ex-Nascar driver, trying to show Percy that he is a sportsman in an attempt to win his favor. He thinks he's chosen a safe arena for his tall tale in the predominately redneck followed pastime, but what he doesn't realize is that Percy is a huge Nascar fan. Percy's distrust grows. As Simon and Teresa are unpacking, Simon stumbles upon Teresa's new lingerie and promptly tries it on. As Teresa is playfully trying to get it back, Percy walks in on them fully clothed on the bed in doggy style position. Percy promptly packs up Simon's stuff to get his butt out of his house and into a hotel. A Shriner's convention lands Simon back at Teresa's parents house bedding down on the basement pull away. Percy crawls right into bed with Simon. Visions of Planes, Trains and Automobiles begin flashing through your mind.
Our two stars are better known for their television work than their film, so we could really just refer to this as the Bernie and Ashton Show. They bring two contrasting comedic styles to the table that really rubs off on one another quite well. Kutcher, of course, plays the goofy, slacker that has become his trademark to Mac's stubborn, intimidating, stare you into submission style. Coming into this film, I really thought that Mac would roll right over Kutcher to make this a rather one sided affair, but Kutcher holds his own remarkably well against the veteran comedian. The overriding problem here is not our leads or the jokes that they pull from their satchel of tricks rather that they don't hang on to the humor long enough. They get you laughing then just move on to the next scene instead of squeezing every last drop out of that precious laugh.
The racial cards that are played are tastefully done and the laughs are pretty fresh. Simon telling black centric jokes around the dinner table was a funny, if uneasy, moment as was Teresa's sister asking about how sex was with a white man. Color is never far from anyone's thoughts. Some speak their minds while others conversationally stumble on their views. After it's all said and done, this film isn't about color at all. It's about a little girl wanting her father's approval on the boy she loves and wants to marry, simple as that.
Guess Who is an enjoyable comedy that leaves some laughs on the table. If you are a fan of Mac or Kutcher's work, you will like what you see in this film. It has the same feel as Meet the Parents even if it doesn't have that same cleverness about it. Also be sure to check out Crash, if you are interested in seeing a more serious portrait of how race influences our lives.
Buy or rent Guess Who now.
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