Kutcher stars as Simon Green, an intelligent, successful stockbroker who falls for Theresa Jones (Zoe Saldana), a struggling artist who is the apple of her daddy’s eye. The two plan to marry and decide to break the news at Theresa’s parents’ 25th anniversary party.
Percy Jones (Mac) is leery of any man Theresa dates. Doing his homework, Percy runs a credit check on Simon and likes what he sees. Percy believes that finally his beautiful daughter has picked a man with a future. Unfortunately, there’s one little bit of info Percy failed to uncover while running Simon’s background check. Simon’s definitely not the mix of Denzel Washington and Colin Powell Percy was hoping for. Though Percy claims to be open-minded, finding out his daughter is dating a white guy is almost too much for him to handle.
What could have been a one-joke storyline works because Kutcher and Mac balance each other out and work incredibly well together. Ashton and Bernie share a bed, share a dance, and share their views on love and life. The two men even battle it out on a race course, literally crashing through barriers on their way to understanding the other’s position and accepting the fact that love is indeed color blind.
The women of “Guess Who” more than match the film’s male stars. Saldana, Scott, and Kellee Stewart (who plays Theresa’s sister Keisha) all have minds of their own and aren’t just reflections of the men in their lives. They’re portrayed as strong and independent women, which is a refreshing twist on this kind of romantic comedy fare.
“Guess Who” is one of those movie’s that takes you by surprise. You read the list of credits, see Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac, and think you know what you’re getting yourself into. But “Guess Who” is a pleasant surprise. Ashton Kutcher’s at his most endearing and Bernie Mac is the best he’s been in a feature film.
I have to confess that I've never watched “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” so I can’t offer up a comparison of the two films, and I have to trust Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac’s description of this version as the more comedic of the two. There are some serious moments, including a dinner party scene that’s cringe-inducing, but most scenes are played for laughs, as befitting a movie starring Mac and Kutcher. However, all parties involved manage to get the point of the movie across without slamming you over the head. The message is never lost and the film does a great job of showing how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go, while balancing the fact the audience is just looking to have a little fun.
GRADE: B
"Guess Who" was directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan and is rated PG-13 for sex-related humor.
