Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hours, 9 minutes
Director: Peter Farrelly
Quick Impressions:
Immediately after the movie I said to my husband, “If Mahershala Ali is really playing the piano, then he will definitely win Best Supporting Actor.”
He’s not.
I’m pretty sure he’ll win Best Supporting Actor, regardless, but cursory research reveals that his piano double is Kris Bowers who also scores the film. Apparently the two of them worked closely together for months, and you can tell massive effort was expended here because Ali really does appear to be playing those songs. (It’s not like you sometimes see in old movies where the person at the bench is visibly playing one chord, yet somehow the audience hears “Flight of the Bumblebee.”)
Ali doesn’t need to play the piano to earn an Oscar, though. His acting is quite enough. I just watched Moonlight last week, and the versatility punctuated by these two performances alone is Meryl Streep level stuff. Ali deserves the Oscar, and unless Academy members think he’s been awarded too recently, he will probably win. (Plus, as much as I loved Justin Hurwitz’s score for First Man, learning just how much Kris Bowers contributed to this film makes me think he deserves a nomination, too.)
In all likelihood, Green Book is going to get several Oscar nominations, almost certainly for Actor and Supporting Actor, possibly even for Director and Picture, probably for Screenplay.
But you don’t have to care about the Oscars to enjoy this film. After the frenzy of the Thanksgiving holiday, my husband and I picked this film over Boy Erased because we wanted something low stress and upbeat. Green Book is a big crowd pleaser that feels like it traveled here from a simpler time, back when movies told stories in a straightforward way so that audiences could enjoy them. Yes, such films can be described as “formulaic” or “contrived.” But that’s a negative way of talking about the very quality that makes them so easy to watch and digest. Green Book really seems like the sort of movie my Grandpa would have taken me to see back when I was a kid. The action may happen in the early 1960s, but the movie reminds me of the popular fare that graced screens in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Tonally, (thematically, too), it’s like Driving Miss Daisy meets My Cousin Vinny, kind of a feel good/buddy/road trip comedy/Christmas movie about race relations and homophobia in the Civil Rights Era South.
Oddly enough, just a couple of hours before I saw Green Book, my parents, my sister, and I were deeply involved in a discussion that coincidentally touched on so many major themes and elements in this film.
“I never thought of myself as a white man growing up,” my dad said. “I just thought of myself as a man. It wasn’t until I met someone who said, ‘I am a black man,’ that I started to wonder, ‘Well what am I then?'” He then added reflectively, “Of course, later I found out that I grew up in a sundown town.”
“What?” my sister and I wondered.
In other words, African Americans were not allowed out on the street after 5:00 pm.
“But I never learned that until I was an adult,” Dad continued. “I found out at a class reunion just a few years ago. It explained why there was only one African American family at our school, and they didn’t really participate in any sports or activities.”
This was stunning news to my sister and me. I truly can’t imagine a world like that. It’s annoying enough when you can’t buy a bottle of wine in the city limits or teenagers have some ridiculous curfew. Can you imagine? “Oh sorry. It’s night time, so you’re not allowed to exist now. In fact, since we’re having this conversation, you must be a criminal.”
I think many young white people today legitimately aren’t aware of these sorts of shifty practices. Even my Dad wasn’t aware of it, and he lived through it himself! And he’s only sixty-six. It’s not like he grew up going to cotillion with Scarlett O’Hara. (He’s actually from a small farm town in central Missouri.)
In the same conversation, my sister mentioned Dr. Charles Eastman, a Native American physician who treated patients after the Battle of Wounded Knee and wrote about feeling displaced, not fully belonging to either community (white European or Native American). That idea of not having a community comes up in Green Book, too.
The movie is informative, moving, funny, and always entertaining. It’s almost like the opposite of a guilty pleasure. You feel good about enjoying it because it’s so edifying and wholesome. Granted the whole thing is a little bit contrived. (It’s unabashedly a movie, and it’s directed by one half of the Farrelly brothers, the guys responsible for films like There’s Something About Mary and Shallow Hal. The comedy here is toned way down but definitely present.) Still, Green Book is based on a true story and written by Nick Vallelonga, the son of Viggo Mortensen’s character Tony Lip.
The Good:
Speaking of Viggo Mortensen, he could win an Oscar for his work here, too (recent debacle over his surprisingly thoughtless, poor choice of words in an interview notwithstanding). Most people know Mortensen from being the only reason my sister watched Lord of the Rings, but he’s such a talented person. He’s good at everything (except giving interviews, apparently). I remember reading more about him back when he played Aragorn and discovering that, basically, if you can think it, Viggo Mortensen can do it. He writes poetry, composes music, paints, speaks all the languages, rides every horse. He’s seriously overqualified to be the King of Gondor, and he’s also given so many other great performances. What action scene can compare to that naked knife fight in Eastern Promises? He probably deserved an Oscar for that (nominated) performance, and he just might win an Oscar here (though the competition is fierce).
Mortensen packed on the pounds to play Tony “Lip” Vallelonga. (Christian Bale appears to have gained even more weight to play Dick Cheney in Vice. If both get nominated, they should have a hot dog eating contest on stage at the Oscars. Isildur’s heir may be a latter day Renaissance man, but when it comes to gaining and losing weight for roles, Christian Bale is king.)
Mortensen’s take on Tony Lip is a pretty thorough transformation, though. No matter how many times he eats second breakfast, you never look at him during the movie and think of Middle Earth. He completely transforms himself into this extremely quirky, charismatic bouncer/driver/b.s. artist/family man. (Granted, even with the extra weight and deglamorized appearance, Mortensen remains pretty attractive which helps add to his character’s charm.)
I feel like Ali has the showier role, which somewhat overshadows how difficult Mortensen’s part actually is. Consider for a moment that this guy Tony Lip is a racist who regularly manipulates the truth for his own advantage and boasts about it. (He doesn’t consider this lying.) He also habitually steals, yet considers himself a person of great integrity. In an early scene, he takes an action that clearly illustrates the disgust and fear he feels when interacting with African American men. He throws two of his wife’s drinking glasses into the trash just because African American workmen have touched them with their mouths. So it’s not just that Tony repeats racist stuff his peers say to get along with the in-group. He really is deeply disturbed by the idea of drinking out of the same glass as someone of another race.
(I personally could relate to his discomfort here. While I am not intentionally racist, I am a huge germaphobe. I’ve never been diagnosed with OCD, but that’s because I don’t mention it to my psychiatrist. I sometimes secretly throw away perfectly good items that have been somehow contaminated, too. My hangup is not race. It’s potential illness. For example, I only use soup spoons because once someone in our family had a cold sore and used a normal sized spoon. How could I be sure it was cleaned thoroughly enough by simple washing? Now everyone is well, but breaking my habit feels dangerous. I know my fears are not rational, but that doesn’t make them go away. So even though what Tony does is reprehensible, I kind of get it.)
My point about Tony, though, is that he truly believes African Americans are somehow dangerous to him. Why else would the idea of drinking from the same glass (even after it has been washed) disgust him so much? He doesn’t make a theatrical display of throwing away the glasses. He does it secretly. He doesn’t do it to fit in with the guys. He does it because he feels something bad will happen if he drinks out of the same glass as an African American.
This is pretty gross. He isn’t just repeating racist stuff to fit in with his friends. He really believes it. In his heart, he believes African Americans are Other enough to infect him somehow. The movie also shows us that Tony really is a thief and a liar, even though he does not think of himself this way.
And yet Mortensen must make the audience love Tony, even when he’s doing stuff that signals they should not identify with him. That type of blatant, over-the-top racism is so offensive to today’s audience. Young people have been trained to find that appalling, almost shockingly bad. (Worse than smoking!) It’s not that kids today don’t know about racism. (Apparently unbeknownst to Viggo Mortensen, people still use appalling ethnic slurs and commit horrific acts of racially motivated violence.) It’s that characters who do stuff like that in today’s movies are usually bad people, not protagonists we want to spend two hours hanging out with.
Knowing the premise of the film, we’re pretty sure that Tony is being introduced to us in this way so that we can watch him grow and change as the story progresses. But he takes a long time to change, and we don’t know that he completely changes. (By the end of the story, he’s befriended an African American man, so he surely will not throw away glasses drunk from by African Americans in the future. But how does he feel about people from the Middle East drinking from his glasses? Does he have any beefs or concerns about other ethnic groups from which he does not have close friends? What about Boston Red Sox fans? We hope Tony has changed completely, but we don’t know for sure.) To enjoy watching Green Book, we have to enjoy spending all our time with Tony, warts and all. And when the story starts, Tony has a number of incredibly conspicuous warts. Mortensen somehow makes this work. He wins the audience’s love and affection without hiding the glaring flaws of Tony Lip. And he makes it look easy.
After the movie, my husband said to me, “I kept thinking, ‘I’m not sure I should be laughing at this. This is awful.'”
And even though Mortensen imbues Tony with fabulous charisma, some parts of the movie are awfully cringey. It’s sort of weird to watch Tony first assume, then insist that Dr. Shirley must love fried chicken, for example. The awkwardness of such scenes kind of reminded me of Forest Gump, the way Forest innocently tells stories and makes remarks with no awareness that the subject matter might be sensitive for the person listening.
Part of the cringiness, of course, comes from the stereotyping of Tony Lip as the oblivious, racist, uneducated stereotypical Italian American New Yorker. To be honest, I would not be convinced this is a real man, had his son not written the screenplay. Some of the misconceptions Tony has about Dr. Shirley seem offensive to African Americans. That he has these misconceptions sometimes seems offensive to Italian Americans. (Granted, one point Green Book seems to want to make is that people should reach out with open hearts trying to understand one another, rather than immediately getting offended and shutting down.)
Mortensen and Ali have such fantastic chemistry that we’re willing to overlook a lot of this. For a film about racism, Green Book is very gentle. That’s why a pretty broad audience should be happy to embrace it. The movie is really forgiving and gives everyone a path toward kindness and acceptance. That’s a lovely idea, the concept that even if you start out as bad as Tony Lip, you can always change for the better. (It’s a very Christmassy sentiment. Ebenezer Scrooge would love this film!)
Plus Tony Lip is not a bad person. He loves his wife and family. He honors his word. He’s a friendly guy with good intentions generally. He just has some serious character flaws, but as time goes on we see that most of his racial prejudices come from lack of experience with people of other races. His behavior after he rescues Dr. Shirley from the YMCA is extremely telling of his character. He is more understanding of things within his realm of experience.
One thing Green Book does very well is show us that a racist is not necessarily an evil person who sets out to be wicked and cruel. Tony is not hateful, but if the African American workmen had seen him throw the glasses they drank from in the trash, the behavior would have read as hateful. When Tony does see the pain caused by racist acts, he begins to reevaluate his own actions. In the beginning of the film, though, he’s not a monster. He’s just ignorant. This is not to say he’s never caused anyone pain with his casually racist behavior, just that hurting people is not his intention.
Sometimes people get backed into a corner until they’re forced to yell defensively, “I’m not racist! I’m a good person!” But Green Book approaches this from the point of view of growth. “With experience, my ideas are changing. My understanding was limited by my own experiences. Maybe I was wrong about some things. I’ll strive to be a better and kinder person going forward.” The great part about being kinder is, kindness really has no lower or upper bound.
For a while, I got a bit suspicious as I watched. I thought, “Yeah, okay, this is cute, but I hope it’s not just like a weird play on Driving Miss Daisy. And I hope Dr. Shirley isn’t unassailable, and Tony isn’t just some caveman who needs to be tamed.”
But Ali’s character changes as the story goes on, too. For one thing, he’s revealed to us more and more, but he also grows and changes because of his relationship with Tony and their experiences together.
One thing I loved about the movie right away was what a great job it did of convincing me I was experiencing 1962 in New York and the Deep South. I’ve never been to 1962 America except in movies and books, so I don’t know if this portrayal is entirely accurate, but it’s definitely immersive and feels authentic because it’s so atmospheric.
At the end of the movie on the return to New York, I joked to my husband, “I’ll bet this is how most New Yorkers feel about the South right now.” I know I’m a little wary about parts of the South myself (probably unfairly), and I’m from Texas!
Best Scene:
I love the moment when Dr. Shirley offers Tony Lip a raise out of desperation. He is so vulnerable. He really needs Tony, and both of them understand this. It shows on their faces. Still, he can’t resist a dramatic reveal of his foreign language skills. He strives to maintain the appearance of being the one in control.
Ali plays this moment so well. His face conveys his intense need.
This is also a truly nice moment for Tony. For once, he gets to make great display of his noble qualities. But the best part is, the nobility is not born from a desire to show off, but from genuine kindness, decency, and a sense of growing friendship and mutual respect. It’s a brilliant scene, perfectly played by Mortensen and Ali.
Best Scene Visually:
When we see Dr. Shirley through the triangle of his Steinway, pouring his passion into his music after being insulted in a store, the movie all comes together for me. This may be Mahershala Ali’s best scene. It’s the most memorable moment of Green Book for me.
Best Action Sequence:
Tony Lip throws a pretty mean punch, but probably the most exciting action of the film comes when Dr. Shirley and Tony venture out to the Orange Bird. This scene isn’t violent, but Dr. Shirley is really doing something meaningful here. (And the part in the parking lot afterwards is so satisfying because you’re like, “I knew it!”)
Also Ninja Devoe manages to make quite an impression as the bartender. For me, she was the only actor in this movie who actually jumped out and left an impression other than the three big stars.
Most Oscar Worthy Moment, Mahershala Ali:
After Tony says something unbelievably stupid one night on the road, Dr. Shirley gets out of the car and gives an impassioned Oscar speech in the rain. It is a moving moment. I’m not meaning to detract from its power, but it definitely feels like an Oscar clip. I prefer the scene when he pounds through his anger and frustration on the piano.
Another extremely powerful moment comes when Dr. Shirley reminds Tony that unlike the others, he was outside the room by choice.
Mahershala Ali has so many powerful moments. The entire movie is just a showcase for Ali and Mortensen, and Ali has the part that seems more obviously destined for Oscar gold.
Based on the films I’ve seen so far this year, I personally would nominate Mahershala Ali, Timothée Chalamet, Adam Driver, Richard E. Grant, and Daniel Kaluuya for Best Supporting Actor. Any of these actors would make a deserving winner, and pitting their performances against each other is a strange endeavor. I mean Kaluuya pops up a few times in a film he shares with ninety thousand other people, whereas Ali is on screen so much he’s practically committing category fraud. (I will acknowledge that if Green Book has one lead, it’s Viggo Mortensen (though I do think it’s a bit more honest to say Green Book has two leads), but still, Ali is on screen a lot).
He will definitely get a nomination, and he seems very likely to win.
Most Oscar Worthy Moment, Viggo Mortensen:
Mortensen certainly does disappear into this character. Sometimes he seems a little too stereotypically Italian, to the point that you wonder, “Is that really authentic?” (Imagine if Boris and Natasha ever teamed up with Mario and Luigi to get Rocky and Bullwinkle.) But that is the way Italian Americans from New York often act in movies and on TV. I have never lived in New York in 1962 (or at any other time), so I can’t be sure he’s actually overdoing it. I mean, the accent and mannerisms are incredibly similar to Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinny. (I’m not sure if I’m saying that to argue Mortensen’s accent and mannerisms are authentic or to suggest they’re played up for comedic purposes.)
At any rate, I like the performance. I like the character. Tony Lip is fun to watch, and he makes some personal discoveries that are genuinely moving.
My favorite scene featuring Mortensen is one I’ve already mentioned, when Dr. Shirley tries to renegotiate Tony’s salary.
I have no idea who should win Best Actor this year. Ethan Hawke just won a Gotham Award for First Reformed, and I did actually love that performance. When I saw it, I thought it was career best work. Then again, I haven’t watched at least half of Hawke’s movies.
Bradley Cooper is so impressive in A Star is Born, but I liked Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody better. (That’s because he was pretending to be Freddie Mercury, though.) I’ve really liked Ryan Gosling and Robert Redford. I don’t know. Good thing it’s not up to me.
If Mortensen wins, I won’t be disappointed. He deserved an Oscar for that naked knife fight in Eastern Promises (such an underrated film), and he’s very captivating here.
Most Oscar Worthy Moment, Linda Cardellini:
In a year this competitive, I’d be stunned if Linda Cardellini actually manages to sneak into Best Supporting Actress, but sometimes that happens when voters actually watch the movie, and they’ll probably watch this one for Ali and Mortensen.
Cardellini does a lot with a relatively small role. She shows us nonverbally that Tony’s wife does not share (or truly approve of) his initial racism. Probably best is the scene in which she reads and reacts to his first “improved” letter. I still think her role is pretty small for Oscar consideration, but I’ve always liked her.
The Negatives:
Is it ever this easy? A really racist Italian stereotype takes a job for a pedantic African American genius who relentlessly tries to improve him, Henry Higgins style. After roadtripping through the Deep South, these two unlikely companions become lifelong best friends, and racism is solved (as long as you stay in New York).
That’s a pretty unkind and unfair description of the film, but Green Book really might come off this way to some viewers and rub them the wrong way.
There’s something a little too perfect about the whole thing. It may be based on a true story, but I think the “based on,” there is key. This is very much a Hollywood movie. It is designed to make the audience laugh, cry, and leave feeling uplifted and enlightened (probably more enlightened than they actually have been).
This is one of those movies like The Blind Side, Driving Miss Daisy, The Help. You know what I mean. It’s this really uplifting story that focuses on what’s positive and inspiring and heart warming (and kind of minimizes the impact of anything that isn’t). Most people like movies like this, but there’s a manufactured quality to it all.
Green Book would be a really different movie if it showed us some of the scenes it omits. We see Tony rush to a bar where Dr. Shirley is getting roughed up, but we don’t see what’s happening until Tony arrives. We see Tony appear at the YMCA to get Dr. Shirley out of an embarrassing arrest, but we don’t see the moment Dr. Shirley was apprehended. We see Tony throw a punch at a cop, then almost immediately we cut to a jail cell several minutes later. We see Tony drive Dr. Shirley across town to use the bathroom, but we don’t see what the outhouse looks like. We don’t see anything too violent or graphic or ugly. We don’t even see what happened to the hat check girl who “lost” the hat. This would be a much scarier, uglier, messier story if the audience stayed with Dr. Shirley instead of Tony.
I think it would make a real difference to see these things. It would change the viewing experience considerably (and up the movie’s rating to R). Think, Tony and Dr. Shirley escape the clutches of some racist Southern policemen using a magical Get Out of Jail Free card. But we don’t see what ultimately happens to the person who helps them.
With all the violence left in, this would be a really different story. I find it far more enjoyable as is, but when you watch a movie like this, you’ve got to recognize its limitations. Otherwise you turn into one of those complacent people who’s like, “I’ve got fill-in-the-blank friends, so there’s no problem.”
Of course, when you consider that this film was directed by one half of the Farrelly Brothers, its handling of difficult material seems remarkably sensitive and nuanced. I mean, have you seen Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, Me, Myself & Irene, Shallow Hal, Fever Pitch, Stuck on You…? (There are like a million more. I’ve liked almost all of these movies to varying degrees, but they’re not exactly Oscar material.)
To be fair, most of Peter Farrelly’s work has a distinctly heart-warming side, but he’s definitely tackling trickier material than usual in this film.
Overall:
My husband now says Green Book is his new favorite movie of the year, and I really liked it, too. This is fun to watch and so uplifting that you can’t help but succumb to its heart-warming charm. Viggo Mortensen is probably going to get an Oscar nomination, and I think Mahershala Ali really might (deservedly) win.