Driveways (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Driveways' (directed by Andrew Ahn) is a gentle drama about shy 9 yr. old Cody & the friendship he develops with a gruff elderly man who lives on the other side of the driveway. For the boy, that pebble stone driveway is insignificant; for the elderly man next door ... those pebbles represent a lifetime of memories. Cody (Lucas Jaye) & his single mom, Kathy (Hong Chau, of Downsizing), travel across the country to dispose of the house & belongings of Kathy's recently deceased sister, April. The two women hadn't been close, but nothing has prepared Kathy & young Cody for what they find -- it seems that Aunt April was a hoarder. The house is chock full with furniture, antiques & mounds of junk -- all making the place nearly uninhabitable.
What seemed like a quick pack it up & sell the house project has become so much more. And so, the enormous clean up begins. As the days drudge on, Cody begins an unlikely relationship with Del (Brian Dennehy, in his final role), the widowed elderly man who sits on his front porch next door. At first, Kathy was apprehensive of Del, but she'll take him over their other neighbor, passively bigoted Linda (Christine Ebersole). For Cody - lonely, timid, yet wise beyond his years, and the proud, octogenarian Korean War vet who is now on his own – this friendship becomes meaningful & transformative.
Korean-American director Ahn does a wonderful job presenting the emotions of the 3 main characters who are stuck in transition & caught-up in feelings of anxiety & uncertainty about their futures. Divorced, depressed Kathy experiences intense emotions as she sorts through April's belongings; missing out on the sister never knew. Cody is very smart, but overly sensitive with a social anxiety disorder. So to see him react so positively to the attention & affection of an older male figure is just heartwarming to see. In one early scene, Kathy comes home to find Cody on Del's porch reading. Del comments, "He's good company". And that's probably all she ever wanted for her son - to connect to a male. Their friendship deepens when Del comes to Cody's birthday party {kids don't show-up} and takes him & Kathy to the local VFW building where he & his old buddies play bingo -- it winds up being a birthday that Cody will never forget. As for Del, Cody represents a breath of fresh air, someone to take his mind off of his own personal demons, & a grandchild figure. Things change, though, when Del's daughter shows-up with news that will force him into a potentially unwanted transition.
Young Lucas Jaye is a total natural as Cody and a huge part of the reason why this film works as well as it does. He grabs our heart & never lets go. Hong Chau is great as troubled Kathy. Though she has many stresses, perhaps she'll be able to keep her head above water, after all. And Brian Dennehy is excellent in this - what a last performance to go out on {he passed away 1 month before this film's release}. I love his interactions with his buddies, particularly 90-something Rodger, played with astounding skill & humanity by character actor, Jerry Adler. Dennehy's pies de resistance scene occurs near the end with a porch scene that may likely bring a tear to your eye as his recounts his regrets & offers Cody counsel.
What a lovely, genteel film this is. Running just 78 minutes before credits roll, I was invested in these characters from beginning to end. It is a film about family, aging, regrets, life transitions, unlikely friendships, and even a little bit about small town America. Not a lot "happens" in 'Driveways', but while it is short on plot, it is long on feeling. The dialogue - however sparse - and the happenstance that does occur in the story offers more context & heft than most verbose films of a long run time could ever hope to impart. This is a sweet little film that moved me greatly and I hope that it finds an audience.
What seemed like a quick pack it up & sell the house project has become so much more. And so, the enormous clean up begins. As the days drudge on, Cody begins an unlikely relationship with Del (Brian Dennehy, in his final role), the widowed elderly man who sits on his front porch next door. At first, Kathy was apprehensive of Del, but she'll take him over their other neighbor, passively bigoted Linda (Christine Ebersole). For Cody - lonely, timid, yet wise beyond his years, and the proud, octogenarian Korean War vet who is now on his own – this friendship becomes meaningful & transformative.
Korean-American director Ahn does a wonderful job presenting the emotions of the 3 main characters who are stuck in transition & caught-up in feelings of anxiety & uncertainty about their futures. Divorced, depressed Kathy experiences intense emotions as she sorts through April's belongings; missing out on the sister never knew. Cody is very smart, but overly sensitive with a social anxiety disorder. So to see him react so positively to the attention & affection of an older male figure is just heartwarming to see. In one early scene, Kathy comes home to find Cody on Del's porch reading. Del comments, "He's good company". And that's probably all she ever wanted for her son - to connect to a male. Their friendship deepens when Del comes to Cody's birthday party {kids don't show-up} and takes him & Kathy to the local VFW building where he & his old buddies play bingo -- it winds up being a birthday that Cody will never forget. As for Del, Cody represents a breath of fresh air, someone to take his mind off of his own personal demons, & a grandchild figure. Things change, though, when Del's daughter shows-up with news that will force him into a potentially unwanted transition.
Young Lucas Jaye is a total natural as Cody and a huge part of the reason why this film works as well as it does. He grabs our heart & never lets go. Hong Chau is great as troubled Kathy. Though she has many stresses, perhaps she'll be able to keep her head above water, after all. And Brian Dennehy is excellent in this - what a last performance to go out on {he passed away 1 month before this film's release}. I love his interactions with his buddies, particularly 90-something Rodger, played with astounding skill & humanity by character actor, Jerry Adler. Dennehy's pies de resistance scene occurs near the end with a porch scene that may likely bring a tear to your eye as his recounts his regrets & offers Cody counsel.
What a lovely, genteel film this is. Running just 78 minutes before credits roll, I was invested in these characters from beginning to end. It is a film about family, aging, regrets, life transitions, unlikely friendships, and even a little bit about small town America. Not a lot "happens" in 'Driveways', but while it is short on plot, it is long on feeling. The dialogue - however sparse - and the happenstance that does occur in the story offers more context & heft than most verbose films of a long run time could ever hope to impart. This is a sweet little film that moved me greatly and I hope that it finds an audience.