Love is full of surprises

When I chanced upon Sidney Poitier being given a tribute in the Academy Awards and guesting in the Oprah Winfrey Show a few years back, I immediately sensed that he was no ordinary Afro-American Hollywood actor. And so while I surfed the cable one late night and saw Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner where Poitier was lead actor, I did not pass up the opportunity since I am one of those "night owls" anyway.

The movie instantly became my favorite because it tackled a sensitive issue. Yet, it was very entertaining and easy to watch because it was presented in a light and heartwarming fashion. Moreover, the characters were very ably portrayed by a wonderful powerhouse cast.

The movie tackled the very ticklish issue of racial discrimination. It was not about black slavery alright but about interracial marriage. Poitier portrayed the highly- respected Afro-American doctor Joey Prentice, known in the medical circle as a doctor/lecturer whose avocation was helping the indigent. Along his various travels around the world, he would meet and instantly fall in love with a rich, vivacious yet very level-headed Caucasian American in the person of Joanna Drayton played by the lovely Katherine Houghton.

Their love affair became a whirlwind romance because the two would decide to get married after just ten days of courtship but only after informing Joanna’s parents of their plans.

As parents, how much more pressure can you handle if you learn that the man just introduced to you in your own home will marry your daughter in a few days’ time? Adding to the dilemma is the fact that he is of "inferior" color. Mind you, Joanna’s parents Matt and Cristina Drayton, as superbly portrayed by the great tandem of Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn, were very sensible people. But they were still tight-lipped and shellshocked with what just hit them.

Joanna, who always maintained a sunny disposition, did not even entertain thoughts of disapproval from her parents. She thought that she was merely informing them of her wedding plans without much fuss from them. Dr. Prentice had another idea though. Being older and more realistic, he felt there may be opposition in the Drayton household. On his own. he secretly made a deal with Joanna’s father: they would only push through with the wedding with the full blessings and consent of Joanna’s parents. This move alone showed the purity of Dr. Prentice’s intentions towards Joanna. He had utmost respect for her parents’ feelings.

Dr. Prentice’s uncertainty was not unfounded though. Joanna’s father would immediately investigate the authenticity of his credentials and after finding out that he was not a fake, Mr. Drayton talked to him (Dr. Prentice) man to man. The father’s apprehensions were diverted towards the difficulties his daughter may experience because society especially during those days frowns on interracial marriage. On that fateful day alone, a haughty employee/family friend had to be fired by Joanna’s mother because she made an unfavorable remark towards Joey. Even the Afro-American household help was sarcastic towards Joey the whole time. She felt he was not up to par with Joanna and he was just taking advantage of her.

When Joanna caught Joey talking to her father on the phone, she instantly took the opportunity to invite Joey’s parents to dinner that night without informing them that she was white. Joey’s parents just could not believe what they saw when they met her at the airport. Worse, Joey’s father was almost furious in the car during the whole trip.

While dressing up for dinner, Mr. Drayton was so clumsy and irritable because he was about to announce that he was not in favor of the wedding. When Joey’s parents arrived, awkwardness and tension filled the room after the usual exchange of greetings. Sensing trouble, Mrs. Drayton took hold of Joey’s mother and asked about her feelings towards the matter while the fathers huddled in another room. It turned out that the women were seeing the glass half-full while the men were seeing it half-empty. The women softened up because of the love they saw in the couple’s eyes. The men, however, could only see the daunting challenge the two will face as they meet society head-on.

To save the whole thing from being an explosive situation, Mrs. Drayton asked Mrs. Prentice if she could enlighten Mr. Drayton about the whole situation. Mrs. Prentice appealed to Mr. Drayton’s emotions. She reminded him that the Drayton couple had also been young once and had experienced passion and romance as well. He surely could not so soon have forgotten the spark and their love for each other and would be so selfish in denying his daughter the true happiness he himself had all these years in being with his wife.

Melodramatic as it may be, the speech was effective in changing Mr. Drayton’s stance. In front of everyone, he recounted everything that happened that day. Although he still had apprehensions about the matter, he finally approved of the wedding after weighing everything when cooler heads got the better of him.

What made the movie more interesting aside from being a "feel good" one and Poitier’s presence. is the theme of racial prejudice. Being a Chinese-Filipino, I kind of connected with it because Filipino- Chinese marriages are still not totally acceptable by everyone, especially the very traditional Chinese families. However, I could not agree more with the movie’s ending because with almost everything being equal just like in this movie, it is so much worth taking the risks and fighting for your love. The superiority or inferiority of one’s race just exists in the mind.

With regards to the differences in culture, it is really up to the two individuals to decide if they can adapt and adjust to their respective lifestyles. Since the world is becoming smaller, life would be so much easier if everybody would just support their loved ones, especially in matters of the heart.