Neighbors (1971)

A liberal upper class white married couple (Jane Wyatt, Andrew Duggan) are selling their home in an upper class all white suburban community. A black couple (Cicely Tyson, Raymond St. Jacques) are interested in buying the house. The white couple invite the black couple over to show them the house. But what transpires, none of them are prepared for. Based on a play by Arkady Leokum and directed by Fielder Cook (A BIG HAND FOR THE LITTLE LADY). This is a potent drama about race relations and how we (both black and white) perceive other races. The white couple are rather smug in their own liberalism and self congratulatory about being not being prejudiced and welcoming a black family into the community. But not only are the black couple not "grateful" for the gesture, the husband's black rage against the white race begs the question, why would he want to move into an all white neighborhood if he's not interested in assimilating? The failure of both sides to understand the other can only lead to disaster. The acting is excellent by the four leads, each character unique in their mindset. Topical in 1971, it's not dated at all.