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Goodbye Solo (2008) 7.3
Ratings:
7.3/10 from 3,800 users
Metascore: 89/100
Reviews: 46 user | 94 critic | 25 from Metacritic.com Two men form an unlikely friendship that will change both of their lives forever. Director:Ramin Bahrani |
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Cast
| Credited cast: | |||
| Souleymane Sy Savane | ... | ||
| Red West | ... | ||
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Diana Franco Galindo | ... |
Alex
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Lane 'Roc' Williams | ... |
Roc
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Mamadou Lam | ... |
Mamadou
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Carmen Leyva | ... |
Quiera
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Peter N. Anyieth | ... |
DVD Seller
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| Jim Babel | ... |
Airline Interviewer
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Sarah S. Brooks | ... |
Passenger with Hat
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Lasheka Brown | ... |
Crack Passenger
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Todd Davis | ... |
Cab Passenger
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Alexandra Dimopoulos | ... |
Nurse
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| Neill Fleeman | ... |
Airline Interviewer
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Jamill 'Peaches' Fowler | ... |
Pork Chop
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Evelia Garcia | ... |
Bar Owner
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
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Storyline
On the lonely roads of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, two men forge an improbable friendship that will change both of their lives forever. Solo is a Senegalese cab driver working to provide a better life for his young family. William is a tough Southern good ol' boy with a lifetime of regrets. One man's American dream is just beginning, while the other's is quickly winding down. But despite their differences, both men soon realize they need each other more than either is willing to admit. Through this unlikely but unforgettable friendship, GOODBYE SOLO deftly explores the passing of a generation as well as the rapidly changing face of America. Written by Anonymous
Plot Keywords:
friendship | senegalese | north carolina | job interview | movie theater |Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
26 August 2009 (Belgium) See more »Also Known As:
Solo See more »Box Office
Opening Weekend:
$38,042 (USA) (27 March 2009)Gross:
$871,275 (USA) (6 November 2009)Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
|Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
Color
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William: [passenger] Why you laughing?
Solo: [driver] I'm not laughing just now.
William: No, No! You told me it would cost $200. Well I'll give you a thousand, to take me out there on October 20th.
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Did You Know?
Goofs
The protagonist's taxi is shown on the Linville Viaduct. This is not on the route between Blowing Rock and Winston-Salem. See more »Quotes
[first lines]William: [passenger] Why you laughing?
Solo: [driver] I'm not laughing just now.
William: No, No! You told me it would cost $200. Well I'll give you a thousand, to take me out there on October 20th.
See more »
"The basis of optimism is sheer terror." Oscar Wilde
The two improbable "travelers" in Patrice Leconte's Man on the Train seem like old men at a nursing home compared to the dynamic layers of regret and hope between Senegalese cab driver Solo (Souleymane Sy Savane) and grizzled old man William (Red West)in Goodbye Solo. Solo takes him on several rides in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, culminating in a life-changing one in the Smokey Mountains.
This tense little drama of ordinary people has a distant relationship to Beckett and Pinter, whose dramas introduce unknown forces and people who change things, even if those elements don't appear. Iranian director/writer Ramin Bahrani, along with co-writer Bahareh Azimi, has neatly shown the quotidian events of Solo's life, from the joys of a loving step-daughter and new son to strain of trying to become a flight attendant. Upon the entrance of the troubled William into his life, Solo deals with his urge to help William overcome depression and disappointment and Solo's own existential uncertainties.
Goodbye SOlo has large ambitions about showing the need to understand the end of life for the desperately disappointed and the beginning of a happy life for the positive, optimistic newcomers in the great melting pot. Solo remains hopeful in both arenas despite the forces allied against him, finding strength in his alliance with William just as characters in Beckett and Pinter find theirs.
The coda is as impressive as any other this year: the top of one of the North Carolina hills is circumscribed by an eccentric wind that seems to blow up and back at the same time, figuratively signaling the end and beginning. Solo and step-daughter Alex take comfort in the danger of the wind and precipice adjoining the safety of each other.
The message is clear—life goes on, sometimes dangerously, sometimes beautifully.