Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Page #9

to speak privately with John?

Well, no.

Because it's important that

you understand what's happened here...

and what I'm terribly afraid

is going to happen.

May I explain the situation to you

or try to?

Yes, please.

I wish you would.

First, I have to ask you...

Forgive my being so abrupt

and so direct.

Are you shocked

by the fact that John...

that your son is involved

with a white girl?

Surprised.

It never happened before.

I guess it never occurred to me

that such a thing might happen.

But it wouldn't be true

to say that I'm shocked.

Are you?

Well.

I think I was at first

this afternoon.

Because it came

as a complete surprise to us too.

But now I know

how they feel about each other.

Joey's still very young...

but she's not a child.

And they're...

deeply in love

with each other.

Are you about to tell me...

that you'd be willing to approve

the marriage but your husband won't?

Is that it?

Yes, that's it.

My husband won't either.

I wish there were more time...

if only so that we could adjust

to the situation.

But the way things are,

there just isn't any time.

If we're going to accept

the thing at all, it seems to me...

we'll have to trust

the two of them...

and accept that they know

what they're doing.

And, Mrs. Drayton...

my husband just won't do that.

They seem to be having

quite a conversation out there.

It might do no harm

if we could have a few words.

Yeah, sure.

We can go in my study.

Will you excuse us, please?

I'll have another drink

if you will, Doctor?

If you'll excuse me, I'll go up

and throw a few things together.

Like for the next ten years.

Mr. Drayton...

I don't know you at all, and

I certainly wouldn't want to offend you.

But are you some kind of a nut?

Are you going to tell me that you

approve of what's been going on here?

- I wasn't going to tell you that at all.

- Because if you do...

You may be a big, successful

newspaper publisher...

and I'm nothing but

a pensioned-off mailman...

but you are right out of your mind.

I have a pretty good idea

of what my father is saying to him.

But I wish I knew...

You were talking with him upstairs.

Have you any idea what

Mr. Drayton is saying to my father?

I can tell you one thing.

I was very sorry to hear...

that you intend

to withdraw from the situation...

if you encounter any opposition.

She's up there packing.

Your mother

would like to speak to you.

This is a mess.

Where's Joey?

- She's upstairs, my dear.

- I'm going up.

Everything is ready

whenever you all are ready.

We're not ready, Tillie.

Well!

What you're saying is that you feel

practically the same as I do about this.

That's right.

But even so...

this is a hell of an unhappy situation

for both your son and my daughter.

I think it would be best

if you talked to John yourself.

I said that...

if they didn't approve,

there'd be no marriage.

I set the terms, Mama.

They don't disapprove.

Only Mr. Drayton.

Are you sure?

She said she'd even drive

the two of you to the airport.

I've lived with your father

for almost 40 years.

God willing,

there'll be a lot more.

And even though...

I've only known about this situation

for one hour...

I feel the same way

Mrs. Drayton does.

She says Joanna

will never give you up.

I guess...

it depends upon

how much you want her.

Want her?

I want her, Mama.

You know what it's been like for me

these past eight years?

I felt like I never wanted

anybody again.

But, Mama...

these last few days with her...

it's like I'm alive again

and it's marvelous.

Excuse me, Doctor.

Your father wants to talk to you.

- Does he?

- He's in my study.

I've been talking to your husband.

He seems pretty much upset

by all this.

I know.

Your wife says you are too.

Not upset, exactly.

It's a very difficult problem.

For whom?

For you and my husband?

I think you'll solve your problem,

all right.

All you have to do is tell them

you're against them.

That's all.

And you'll have no problem.

You're not going to tell me

you're happy about this relationship?

This is not a night

for talking about happiness.

This is an unhappy night.

You've been talking to Christina.

I know how she feels.

Can you imagine for one minute that

I want to see either one of them hurt?

No more than my husband does.

But hurt they're going to be.

Worse than my husband knows.

I think worse than you know too.

I tell you he's as much

against this thing as I am.

Maybe more!

Son, you've got to listen to me.

I'm not trying to tell you

how to live your life...

but you've never

made a mistake like this before.

You've been nothin'

but a source of pride...

for me and your mother

your whole life.

But you don't know what you're doin'.

This affair here...

It all happened too fast.

You said so yourself.

But you've got to stop and think.

Have you thought what people

would say about you?

In 16 or 17 states you'd

be breakin' the law. You'd be criminals.

And say they changed the law.

That don't change

the way people feel about this thing.

For a man who all his life never

put a wrong foot anywhere...

you're way out of line!

That's for me to decide, man.

- So just shut up and let me...

- You don't say that to me!

You haven't got the right to ever say

a thing like that to me.

Not after what I've been to you!

And you know that,

and I know that.

Yeah, I know what you are

and what you've made of yourself.

But I worked my ass off to get the money

to buy you all the chances you had!

You know how far

I carried that bag in 30 years?

75,000 miles.

And mowin' lawns in the dark so you

wouldn't have to be stokin' furnaces...

and could bear down on the books.

There were things your mother should

have had that she insisted go for you.

And I don't mean fancy things.

I mean a decent coat.

A lousy coat!

And you're gonna tell me

that means nothin' to you...

and you could

break your mother's heart?

What happens to men

when they grow old?

Why do they forget everything?

I believe...

those two young people

need each other...

like they need

the air to breathe in.

Anybody can see that

by just looking at them.

But you and my husband are...

You might as well be blind men.

You can only see

that they have a problem.

But do you really know

what's happened to them?

How they feel about each other?

I believe...

that men grow old.

And when the...

When sexual things no longer matter

to them, they forget it all.

Forget what true passion is.

If you ever felt what my son...

feels for your daughter,

you've forgotten everything about it.

My husband too.

You knew once...

but that was a long time ago.

Now the two of you don't know.

And the strange thing...

for your wife and me...

is that you don't even remember.

If you did...

how could you do

what you are doing?

I don't care what your mother says.

Maybe she's gone haywire too.

This is between you and me.

That's the first thing you've said

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