Green Book is another powerful movie that explores a very unique relationship at a time where our country seems to want to be torn apart and divided even more than it unfortunately already is. Green Book tells the true story of an Italian husband and father Tony Lip (played by Viggo Mortensen) living in Bronx, NY, who is a quintessential example of the prideful household provider. Tony is part of a big family and provides for his own by using his unique skill set to work security at a major New York club. When the club is indefinitely shut down, Tony is forced to explore other employment options. One such opportunity always available to Tony is to provide man power for the several gang-related tasks his extended family is seemingly always involved in; but, he chooses to keep his options a bit more open than that.
Surprisingly enough, a friend of Tony informs him that interviews are being held for an open driver position of a renown Doctor Don Shirley (played by Mahershala Ali). Upon going to the interview, Tony is shocked at the level of grandeur said doctor lives in. The doctor, who turns out to be African American, is in his own right pleasantly surprised and sees in Tony the necessary grit to not only drive him across the Deep South but also be a “problem fixer” of sorts. Tony holds his own racially insensitive sentiments; but, he knows how useful his skill set would be to the doctor and barters a higher pay day. After bidding his family farewell, Tony embarks on this several month-long trip across a number of racially divisive US states trying to not only only get the doctor to all of his appointments; but, also to keep him alive long enough to do so. The audience follows along this most unexpected journey, witnessing tense moments both between the two gentlemen themselves and also between them and other residents of the Deep South.
This most uncanny and unexpected pairing of mind and muscle runs just over 2 hours, providing several moments of both comedic relief and racially divisive breakthroughs that make this movie such an entertaining and uplifting journey to go on. The duo learns so much about themselves through their learning of each other; and, it’s a dynamic that I wish never had to end. You should certainly watch this movie and prepare yourself to face some of the uncomfortable realities that were so pervasive just a few decades ago, but which still linger on today. Green Book gets 4 reps out of 5 and should be seen by as many people as possible, in whatever capacity, as soon and as often as possible.
Have you "picked up" the Green Book yet? How did you make it through?
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