Guess Who's Coming To Dinner Analysis

In Kramer’s Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, Joanna Drayton (Katharine Hepburn) returns home early from her trip to Hawaii after meeting Doctor John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) to tell their families they will leave to get married in Geneva the following day. After receiving the shocking news Matt and Christina, Joey's parents, must decide whether or not that they can accept her decision. After Matt crashes the car after getting ice cream, he decides it isn’t a good idea for the couple to get married. John’s father feels the same way but despite everything, both mothers are in favor of of John and Joey’s happiness. Matt ends the conversation when he gives a speech about how no matter what anyone thinks about their relationship, they love each other

When they arrive at the diner, Matt has a specific flavor of ice cream in mind but accidentally orders a new flavor he has never had before and Christina gets a coffee. When Matt tries the “Boysenberry Sherbet” he realizes this is not the flavor he was expecting. As he calls the waitress over he realizes that he actually likes the unfamiliar flavor. The quick transition from a visual disdain to a fondness of the strange desert shows that although this was something unexpected that was forced upon him and it was initially unpleasant, he makes the best of the situation and comes to enjoy it. This mirrors how he was forced to come to terms with his daughter's choice to marry John and comes to realize that it is not as bad as he thought since there is not much he can do within the day. The fact that Christina gets coffee, something that is very basic, and drinks it without causing a scene opposing the commotion her husband causes shows that after the initial shock she was all for Joey's decision and did not have to change her views to welcome it, contradicting the change Matt was forced to go