STEADY NOW // A FILM REVIEW OF "DRIVEWAYS"
DRIVEWAYS, the new film lovingly directed by Andrew Ahn, has the distinct honor of being one of Brian Dennehy's final film roles. The barrel chested powerhouse actor passed away this year, leaving behind a hell of a career, both on film and in the theatre. And although there a couple more films in the can to still see Dennehy in, I would be hard pressed to find a film better than this to honor his legacy. Sweet and soft, unassuming and quiet, DRIVEWAYS sneaks up on your emotions and leaves warm waves of tenderness in their wake.
Hong Chau stars as Kathy, a single mother raising her eight-year-old son Cody (Lucas Jaye). She's driven her and her son out to her late sister's home to take care of things. Kathy didn't really know her sister, not as an adult, and to her stunning surprise she walks into a trash-filled house of a hoarder. Not only that, but due to a barrage of non-paid bills, the electricity has been turned off. In other words, Kathy has her work cut out for her. Her son Cody, a boy that seems decades older than his young eight-years (his own mother calls him "Professor") finds fitting in with a couple of local boys challenging. But when he meets his next door neighbor Del (Brian Dennehy), he finds an immediate kinship. And it works both ways. Del is a Korean war veteran, proud to have served but also spending his days alone in his home after the passing of his wife. He finds a soft, enlightening company in Cody, and all three of their lives quietly blossom unexpectedly in the smallest and deepest of ways.
The film (with a delicate screenplay by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen) doesn't ever rush a moment. It instead spends moments digging into real life moments, the small moments, the quiet changes that we often don't notice until they've almost faded away. Watching this trio of actors bloom together on screen is a wonderful treat. Hong Chau is a steady and loving presence. Lucas Jaye avoids every pitfall trap of the child actor. Much like his on screen persona, he seems wise beyond his years and truly holds the heart of the film in his hands. And the subtle, affecting performance by Brian Dennehy gives the film its soul. His quiet stares lets us in on a lifetime full of great memories but sudden regrets. He's a man at the end of his life, contemplating everything and Dennehy is simply wonderful. A pitch-perfect final monologue ends the movie with a rarity: a perfect ending note. We don't get wonderful films like DRIVEWAYS often, but how I wish we did.
GRADE: A
WRITTEN BY Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen DIRECTED BY Andrew Ahn STARRING Hong Chau , Lucas Jaye, Brian Dennehy. Now available on VOD.