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Wednesday, Mar. 30, 2005 | ||
What do you think of this story? | Guess What? I didnt hate it!
From the previews for this film I thought I was in for a long and tedious movie-going experience. I was pleasantly surprised when the cast turned on the charm and delivered a cute little update of the very dated original. Guess Who starring Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher has a good deal to say about prejudice on every level and does it in a light-hearted way. In the end, its our differences that make us interesting and this romantic comedy amusing. In a sense, this is Meet the Parents- Part Three, but I found this cast of characters likeable whereas Deniro and company just made me wince for ninety minutes. Sure Mac is overbearing, but he has a lovable side. Kuctcher is actually pretty funny as the odd man out displaying a knack for comedic timing he has only been able to use on That Seventies Show. This is by no means heavy hitting satire. Thats O.K. Sometimes you catch more flies with honey. I usually dont like something this sugary sweet. I prefer my comedy with a severe dose of cynicism. On the other hand, when it comes to romance and a message as important as tolerance, Ill take it with all the caloric trimmings. The scene that everyone seems to be singling out as the most memorable is the dinner sequence where Kutcher is goaded into telling tasteless racial jokes until he has told one too many. It demonstrates the sensitivity level still existant between people of different color in this country. I found it interesting that there was no offense taken when Kutcher was referred to as a cracker and bird droppings. Well, its almost white. The grandfather says with a laugh. The joke is ignored, but the entire family gets riled at Kutchers solicited remark. I hope what the director means with this exchange is that when we can ALL drop the name-calling, perhaps there will be some real healing. Regardless of this uncomfortable moment, everyone gets past their prejudices enough to have a nice time. For me, personally, the best thing I took from this light-hearted entertainment was that being cool with who you are and what you are is the most attractive thing of all. If thats seems too heavy-handed for a movie like this, then just go for the laughs. Theres enough for everybody. | |
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