Driveways

....Gentle film about growing up and building relationships

Believable performances by Hong Chau as the single mum and young Lucas Jaye as her son, and both bonding well with Dennehy

This is the type of indie movies others should strive to be. It is such a carefully crafted piece of work that you can tell means a lot to its creators.

It is a simple story that isn't all that fresh but in other ways it is. There is lots to read into about these characters especially the young lead. They painted such a picture of this character that you infer other things that are not pointed out to you.

The way they use the costumes in the first shot to show that this family doesn't exactly have lost of money but showing us the holes in the boys top and the beat up pair of shoes on the woman feet. It is so subtle and you may miss it but it gives it so much more than just being like "We have no money, we are poor".

The score is really subtle and suits the film really well as i think that word encapsulates this whole movie. It isn't all flash and guns blazing. It has things going on in the background that are sad and heartbreaking but it doesn't bring them to the front of the movie much as i think he wanted to show that they go on in life and people don't want to talk about it.

There isn't so much of a plot as there is a theme. Time is the theme of this movie and how you wish you could slow it down or go back and change things. From the sisters not talking to the man wanting to tell his wife things.

It is really poetic and it is a shame that it has not reached a wider audience because i honestly think it does its job so well.

When "slice of life" movies are done right, they typically rank very high on my year-end lists. Driveways isn't necessarily about one particular thing or theme. But it certainly pulls on the heartstrings, asks you to think as an audience member, and ultimately sends you off with a beautiful last 15-20 minutes or so. It reminded me of films like St. Vincent and Sunshine Cleaning in the best ways, and I'm glad that being a Film Independent Member allowed me the opportunity to see this movie so that I can hopefully spread the word to other film fans who would also enjoy it.

8.8/10

The greatness of this film lies in its modesty. And its existential depth is at the very heart of its narrative sobriety. In a low profile performance of exceptional restraint, profoundness and precision - like an old samurai - Dennehy is at the top of his game. He shows us for one of the last time before his death the great actor he was, despite his "B movie / Movie of the Week" reputation.

Halfway film that helps to establish the films central relationship. Up until this point, the story kind of plugs along at a really slow pace. Once this moment hits (revolving around a birthday party), the film finds something pretty special.

The story follows a struggling single mother and her 8 year old child as they have to take care of her sisters estate. Arriving as strangers to this town, a very cluttered house, and a quiet, they meet the quiet, elderly man who lives by himself next door. As the 8 year old son lingers in the shadows of a mom who is barely hanging on, he begins to gradually strike of a friendship with the man next door.

The performances are really subtle, but once this relationship begins to establish itself, the chemistry between the young boy and the elderly veteran emerges as something very genuine and honest. They are by far the best part about this film, which leans into a very understated script.

It's the symbolism of the driveways though that hits the hardest. In some sense you have a young man who has his whole life ahead of him. On the other end you have a man who is nearing the final years of life. Separated by driveways, these journeys find a way to intersect through shared expeience. Both are lonely, and both find needed companionship in the other. And both are able to breathe new life into these shared perspectives from their side of the journey.

Trust me when I say, if you are someone who is touched by these kind of multi generational stories you are guaranteed to find a few tears here, even if the story itself doesn't blow you away. And that is a testament to the films heart, which it has in spades.