Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Viggo Mortensen | ... | Tony Lip | |
Mahershala Ali | ... | Dr. Donald Shirley | |
Linda Cardellini | ... | Dolores | |
Sebastian Maniscalco | ... | Johnny Venere | |
Dimiter D. Marinov | ... | Oleg | |
Mike Hatton | ... | George | |
P.J. Byrne | ... | Record Exec | |
Joe Cortese | ... | Gio Loscudo | |
Maggie Nixon | ... | Copa Coat Check Girl | |
Von Lewis | ... | Bobby Rydell | |
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Jon Sortland | ... | Rydell Band Leader |
Don Stark | ... | Jules Podell | |
Anthony Mangano | ... | Copa Bouncer Danny | |
Paul Sloan | ... | Copa Maître D' Carmine | |
Quinn Duffy | ... | Mikey Cerrone |
In 1962, Tony "Tony Lip" Vallelonga, a tough bouncer, is looking for work when his nightclub is closed for renovations. The most promising offer turns out to be the driver for the African-American classical pianist Don Shirley for a concert tour into the Deep South states. Although hardly enthused at working for a black man, Tony accepts the job and they begin their trek armed with The Negro Motorist Green Book, a travel guide for safe travel through America's racial segregation. Together, the snobbishly erudite pianist and the crudely practical bouncer can barely get along with their clashing attitudes to life and ideals. However, as the disparate pair witness and endure America's appalling injustices on the road, they find a newfound respect for each other's talents and start to face them together. In doing so, they would nurture a friendship and understanding that would change both their lives. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)
I understad why a lot of critics don't like this film, but at the same time I feel like they're making up their minds about what they think the movie is - or should - be about. They (who disagree with the film) will say that it diminishes the horrors that the black community faced in America during the 50's - and because of that they think it's a bad film. But I thought it was a good film; in my opinion it's not a movie about Shirley and his struggles facing ruthless racism - it's about Tony Lip's psychologically reforming journey changing his mind about black people through the witnessing of Shirley's experiences. And it's that central story line the critics are disagreeing with and eschews the whole film on the premiss that it should've been about something else (Shirley journey - not Tony's).
There are thousands - if not millions - of films about racism towards black people and their culture, and Green Book had a different perspective than the rest of them - by not focusing on the racism but on how the racism changed a man who wasn't a target of it. But that's obviously a big no-no according to these critics.
To me Green Book is about a white man thoroughly changing his whole mindset about something that he'd been condition to abide to his whole life.