“Guess Who” (Columbia Pictures)
Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac star in a remake of sorts of the Spencer Tracy/Katherine Hepburn classic “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” That movie had class, comedy and a strong message about bigotry and acceptance. “Guess Who” has none of the above. Rather it has cloying comedy, lukewarm acting performances, and no message other than when meeting your future in-laws try not to act like a complete dufuss.
Kutcher plays Simon Green, the boyfriend and soon to be fianc of Theresa Jones (Zoe Saldana). The young couple decide to go to Theresa’s home for the twenty-fifth wedding celebration of her parents, (Bernie Mac and Judith Scott). These parents are in for a shock when the young couple arrives as Theresa has not informed them Simon is white.
The whole movie plays off Percy (Mac) getting used to Simon being white. Some of the comedy gets pretty tasteless as the story progresses, and some of Kutcher’s idiotic actions don’t help. The usually dynamic Bernie Mac is hindered by a poor script and the lack of a base for his character.
It would help too if Kutcher and Saldana were believable as a couple but as written and shown, Theresa would be rid of Simon in about five seconds. She is everything he isn’t as far as likeability, poise and charm.
The movie meanders rather than progressing in a straight story line. There are side trips to a go-kart track, and a situation whereby Simon and Percy end up sharing a bed is overdone to the nth degree. Finally there is a singalong at the end that is totally embarrassing for the actors and the audience.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and sexual situations.
As a remake of a popular film, “Guess Who” is a disaster. As a stand alone movie comedy it is poor entertainment. Bernie Mac has made better movies and probably will again. Kutcher just continues to show how untalented he is. Maybe he can marry Demi and be a stay at home Dad and put us all out of our movie misery.
I scored “Guess Who” a guess what It’s bad 4 out of 10.
