Year: 2018
Director: Peter Farrelly
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, and Linda Cardellini
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, and Linda Cardellini
Tagline: Based on a true friendship
Synopsis: An Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver for a black classical pianist who is going on tour in the 1960s deep south.
Synopsis: An Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver for a black classical pianist who is going on tour in the 1960s deep south.
Review
Unless you are a film aficionado, you may not have heard of Green Book, which is too bad. You'll probably hear more about it once awards season rolls around, because it is an excellent film worthy of recognition.
The title comes from The Negro Motorist Green Book, which included hotels and restaurants where blacks were allowed in the Jim Crow South.
The tagline for the film explains that this is a true story. It is the story of how Tony "Lip" Vallelonga and Don Shirley forged a lifelong friendship. It is quite the story, since you could hardly imagine two more different men from two more different backgrounds. Yet as they spend time together, talk to each other, and listen to each other, they develop a mutual respect and friendship. There is tremendous hope in such a story.
As the filmmakers have pointed out, the film isn't necessarily meant to be about race relations in the 1960s. It's about the experiences of these two men. It's about how (admittedly racist) Tony changes because of this road trip with Don, as he gets to know him and as he sees how he is treated. Time after time, Don is welcomed as an esteemed guest, only to be told he cannot use the restroom, eat in the restaurant, or even be out after dark.
According to the articles I've read, the story is highly accurate, aside from some tweaks to the timeline. Tony's son, Nick Vallelonga, was one of the screenwriters and producers. Over the years, he recorded his father's and Dr. Shirley's stories so he could eventually tell them. Don Shirley told Nick to tell the truth -- all of it. His only stipulation was to wait until he had passed away. (He and Tony died within months of each other in 2013.)
Although the film is a drama and addresses some weighty themes, it also has touches of humor. Tony and Don have an excellent banter throughout. And both Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali are fantastic in their roles. (I barley recognized Aragorn.)
The film is rated PG-13 for mature themes and some violence and also for Tony's incessantly bad language. He primarily likes the S word but he also says the F word at one point.
If you are looking for a well-told drama, I highly recommend Green Book. It's an inspiring story of friendship that is especially timely in our increasingly divisive world.
*** Spoiler Section ***
When Tony and Don get pulled over for the second time by a police officer, my thought was, "Not again. They did nothing!" So when the officer informs them they have a flat tire, it was a wonderful, hopeful moment that reminds us that there are still plenty of good people in the world, then and now. The officer directs traffic around them and even holds a light for Tony as he fixes the tire.
I also loved that, at the end, it is Don driving while Tony -- exhausted -- is asleep in the back. It says so much about the friendship they've developed.
The title comes from The Negro Motorist Green Book, which included hotels and restaurants where blacks were allowed in the Jim Crow South.
The tagline for the film explains that this is a true story. It is the story of how Tony "Lip" Vallelonga and Don Shirley forged a lifelong friendship. It is quite the story, since you could hardly imagine two more different men from two more different backgrounds. Yet as they spend time together, talk to each other, and listen to each other, they develop a mutual respect and friendship. There is tremendous hope in such a story.
As the filmmakers have pointed out, the film isn't necessarily meant to be about race relations in the 1960s. It's about the experiences of these two men. It's about how (admittedly racist) Tony changes because of this road trip with Don, as he gets to know him and as he sees how he is treated. Time after time, Don is welcomed as an esteemed guest, only to be told he cannot use the restroom, eat in the restaurant, or even be out after dark.
According to the articles I've read, the story is highly accurate, aside from some tweaks to the timeline. Tony's son, Nick Vallelonga, was one of the screenwriters and producers. Over the years, he recorded his father's and Dr. Shirley's stories so he could eventually tell them. Don Shirley told Nick to tell the truth -- all of it. His only stipulation was to wait until he had passed away. (He and Tony died within months of each other in 2013.)
Although the film is a drama and addresses some weighty themes, it also has touches of humor. Tony and Don have an excellent banter throughout. And both Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali are fantastic in their roles. (I barley recognized Aragorn.)
The film is rated PG-13 for mature themes and some violence and also for Tony's incessantly bad language. He primarily likes the S word but he also says the F word at one point.
If you are looking for a well-told drama, I highly recommend Green Book. It's an inspiring story of friendship that is especially timely in our increasingly divisive world.
*** Spoiler Section ***
When Tony and Don get pulled over for the second time by a police officer, my thought was, "Not again. They did nothing!" So when the officer informs them they have a flat tire, it was a wonderful, hopeful moment that reminds us that there are still plenty of good people in the world, then and now. The officer directs traffic around them and even holds a light for Tony as he fixes the tire.
I also loved that, at the end, it is Don driving while Tony -- exhausted -- is asleep in the back. It says so much about the friendship they've developed.
Quotable Quotes
- "Pick it up, Tony." "Squirrels woulda eaten it anyway." "Pick it up." -- Tony and Don regarding litter
- "He's a doctor of piano or something." "You can do that?" -- Tony and Dolores
- "That's like clinging a cow bell at the end of Shostakovich's 7th." "That's good?" -- Don and Tony
- "If I'm not black enough and if I'm not white enough and if I'm not man enough! Then tell me, Tony, what am I?!" -- Don
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