MovieChat Forums > Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) Discussion > Two characters in the film I never under...

Two characters in the film I never understand


The African-American girl that helps Tillie in the house and her friend that picks her up later...I never understand what their characters meant in the film as a whole.

If you're not taking any steps forward, you're not moving at all.

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Is it possible they had more scenes that were cut for some reason? I didn't understand either.

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I thnk Dorothy is there to show what kind of girl many people think John should marry. Someone of his own race. Plus there's a cute scene where John makes Joey jealous when he first sees her. That interaction showed me that they really do care deeply for each other.

The scene with the delivery boy shows us that Dorothy is not like Tillie. She's young and enjoys it. Tillie would never accept a ride from a white boy and probably not even from a delivery driver, even if he was African American.

We're seeing a broad spectrum of society and race in this film. The only thing we don't see is someone that's violently opposed to other races and mixed marriages.

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It was a great movie with a very noble purpose.

In addition to what Mr.Tobey Said i think the scene with Dorothy serves one more purpose. I think Dorothy doesn't like the idea of Joey and John. She gives them one look. I don't know if any of you catches it. I think she is thinking that Joey is stealing The successful attractive black guy from her or from black girls in general.

But of course i may be mistaken. I am not american so i would never the american society as Americans.

Thanks

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I think it's to show a generational gap. The young black girl and young white delivery boy interact freely and naturally seeing no difference between themselves, they are just having fun but Tillie doesn't like it. It draws a parallel with John and Joey, two more young people where race doesn't matter.

Siri

Don't Make Me Have to Release the Flying Monkeys!


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Absolutely doesn't matter. But, unfortunately it mattered to other generations and also mixed marriages were conspicuously absent. It would be noticeable, regardless of judgement, like a d I suppose this is what bothers me about this movie. Every action, word, suggestion or implication centers around assumed racism. It is so forced, that everyone is racist or should be. It draws a bead around it like a target.

For me, this movie would have been so much better if we got to watch the young couple fall in love, over a longer period of time, before they announced their marriage. more natural, less contrived. It would make it more realistic that John would fall for this vapid, spoiled girl, in any case.

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