Every film festival has small films that you hope will get a wide release to the general public. This year's Tribeca Film Festival has a few of them. One of my favorites so far is "Driveways", a quiet story about simple relationships, especially one between a boy of about twelve and an elderly man.
Kathy (Hong Chau, "Downsizing) and her son Cody (Lucas Jaye, Netflix's Fuller House) have come to a small town in New York State. Kathy's reclusive sister, who she hasn't seen in years, has passed away and now it's up to Kathy and Cody to clean up her house that's in total disarray and get it ready for sale.
Del (Brian Dennehy, "First Blood") lives in a house on the other side of their driveway. Mostly, Del sits on his porch and stares out at not much of anything. Del is a Korean war vet who, when he's not on the porch, is playing bingo with his old buddies at a local hall.
It's going to take Kathy and Cody quite a bit of time to get the home ready to sell, so they have no choice but to remain there for a while. In addition to Del, we meet some of the other neighbors, including a nosy grandmother with obnoxious grandsons and two other kids who are nice. After some bad experiences with the obnoxious grandsons, Cody gravitates towards Del, who is happy to have someone new to talk to. After her initial trepidation regarding Del, she too warms to him.
The director, Andrew Ahn, does a marvelous job of keeping the story moving in a sweet but non-cloying way. Ahn is greatly aided by perfect performances by all concerned. Dennehy, a personal favorite of mine, runs between curmudgeonly and sweet, never drifting too far to either extreme. Chau does a great job keeping the balance between having to get the house ready, dealing with her son, and earning money, and the death of her sister. Jaye is totally believable as a young boy trying to figure everything out.
"Driveways" is not about big, spectacular events. It's about people having to adjust to their surroundings and situations. Sometimes, many small events can be more valuable and enjoyable to watch. "Driveways" is a gem.
| Movie title | Driveways |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2019 |
| MPAA Rating | NR |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | A young mother and her son have to clean out her recently deceased sister's home. This film's strength comes from great directing and perfect performances. |
