Driveways (2019) User Reviews

"People say things, but it doesn't matter."

[yusufpiskin · 8/10 · 25 May 2020]

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.

Fractured Lives

[ThomasDrufke · 8/10 · 30 December 2019]

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

Real...

[zeelu-89550 · 7/10 · 11 May 2020]

A story of the young and the old... Two souls that are in way different times of their lives, but connect to give each other something they both so desperately need, a friend. Great story, and great acting, it's a must watch.

A sweet film about the friendship between a boy and a man. Dennehy has rarely been better.

[JohnDeSando · 24 May 2020]

"Drive a little slower. Take your time. Take a good look at stuff." Del (Brian Dennehy)

Driveways is an internet film taking its time letting us know that friendship and love have no racial or age boundaries. We've seen this motif before: 8-year-old Cody befriends laconic octogenarian neighbor Del (it's not too much Gran Torino or UP) with the least sentimentality among the three and the least dialogue.

Yet, the love that envelops them, even with Cody's single Asian-American mom, Kathy (Hong Chau), who is not a stirring mother, is so unprepossessing that like Cody at his 9th birthday, life has happened in small increments, almost imperceptibly. The life including bullying kids and cleaning up a recently-deceased Aunt's mess of a home takes on a romantic sheen as the duo experience kindly neighbors and a comfortably-cleaned home.

In a small way it's like Seinfeld without the laughs-it's about nothing or rather the little things of life that begin to make up a happy life. Firecrackers in the backyard by the bully boys seem more like a celebration of a new life for Kathy and Cody than a bombardment. It's also a fine addition to the coming-of-age canon, a staple from Star Wars through Driveways.

It's one of Brian Dennehy's last roles (he recently died), but one of his finest because it doesn't require him to use his former football- player heft or his menacing sheriff mien as in First Blood. The friendship between Cody and veteran Del is the real deal. Del has one nostalgic speech that you wish more of because he is talking, as in the opening quote, about enjoying the small parts of life whether you're 8 or 80.

"Small" as in Driveways, where the titular constructions are more than the separation between suburban homes-they're what binds them.

Lovely..

[bryangary65 · 7/10 · 25 June 2020]

....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

A Masterclass in Subtle Filmmaking

[Neon_Gold · 9/10 · 24 June 2020]

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.

Very good movie

[nejcmihelic-08200 · 7/10 · 1 November 2021]

A film with a touch of humor and a slow yet fast enough rhythm of events to keep you awake/fallin' asleep. Modern, just right fast and very interesting to see. Thanks to Brian Dennehey, however, this film is one of those that "steals" your attention all the way to the end. In other words, the same thing is said in a slightly different way: Brian is the one who makes us say to ourselves: "eh, if I've already started a movie, I'll watch it to the end". 😉

A quiet, small and extremely touching movie about good people

[RMurray847 · 8/10 · 8 January 2021]

I've realized over the decades that there's a particular type of movie that I respond to emotionally perhaps more than any others. That doesn't mean I cry more when I see them, or that I'm more on the edge of my seat or anything like that. It's a feeling inside that makes me remember the movie long after I've finished. I call them my "Trip to Bountiful" movies. MANY years ago, when that film came out, I said to my parents that I REALLY like it and recommended it. My dad asked, "What is it you liked so much?" and I said "It's a little movie about everyday people being very kind to other everyday people." The main character goes through a journey that's difficult for her, and she makes it when strangers she meets along the way are simply kind to her. It moves me.

DRIVEWAYS is that kind of film. Single-mom Asian-American Kathy (Hong Chau) and her eight year old son Cody (Lucas Jaye) arrive in a small, upstate New York town to clean out the house of Kathy's recently deceased, much older sister. The two sisters have barely known each other as adults, and Kathy immediately discovers that her sister was a hoarder, so the job of cleaning the house in order to sell it immediately becomes 10x more daunting than she expected. Kathy doesn't earn much money (she is a medical transcriptionist) and so the little family must camp at the house. The neighbor to one side is a busy-body (Christine Ebersole) but to her other side is Del, a Korean War vet widower (Brian Dennehy) who lives a life of quiet, occasionally broken by trips to the VFW to play bingo.

He befriends Cody, a very intelligent young man who is also extremely socially shy. He's not, I don't think, on the spectrum...he's just very reluctant to make friends his own age and very intimidated by the notion of of "boys physicality", as in rough-housing. The nosy neighbor has two rambunctious grandsons, and their wrestling activities (pretty normal stuff for boys of ~10 years old) causes so much anxiety in young Cody that he vomits! Del, who isn't looking for a friend, still easily takes this studious kid into his home so his mom can take care of the chores she needs to. The three form a bond that comes SO naturally, and it one based on mutual kindness and mutual need. Del didn't know he needed this kid (and yes, his mom too) to be part of his life and Kathy sure didn't know she needed an 80-something widower to help her son.

The movie is great in many ways, but one of the things I enjoyed most is the character of Kathy. She has a believable economic situation; a job she can do remotely but that doesn't pay incredibly well. She is a far from perfect mom: she cusses in front of her kid and really is at a loss as to how to bring him out of his shell. But she also knows that she must love him and show him he is loved if he's ever to overcome his shyness. AND, on top of that, she sneaks off to go to the bar just to blow off some steam. She's smart and has a razor-sharp sense of sarcasm. But she's vulnerable and you can really FEEL how close she is to the family not being able to make it financially. Hong Chau is a revelation in this film, and I look forward to seeking our more of her work.

Young Lucas Jaye is very good as well...one might say he's even a little TOO polished as an actor (at his age!). Or it could be that his character is the most extreme of the 3. I understand his mother well, and I understand Del. But do I 100% buy the character of Cody? Well, maybe I only buy it 95%. Still pretty good.

And Brian Dennehy is so good. In about 5 seconds, you feel his pride, his loneliness, his sadness and his intrinsic goodness. He isn't one of the cliched characters of the gruff old man who softens after long resistance to the charms of opening up and making new friends (this isn't Eastwood in GRAND TORINO). He's quiet and keeps to himself, sure. But he is quick to make himself useful to the family. He takes the boy in and gives him just the right balance of "treating him like a man" and treating him like a kid. Nothing earth-shattering happens. There are no scenes of having to rush the kid to the hospital or chasing off bullies or anything "big". It's just a series of everyday encounters and kindnesses exchanged back and forth.

This movie is slow paced, but not for one moment did my interest flag. It's only 83 minutes, for starters, but I immediately cared about all three characters and everything they did was presented so specifically that I really felt I was looking in on the private lives of three "small" but enjoyable people.

In the end, the feeling of the film is the lesson the film has to offer. Life goes on, and it's often filled with uninteresting things, and occasionally darkened by bad things (death of a spouse, a cluttered house, money problems). But it is also full of little joys brought about by simply hanging out with other people and treating them kindly. It's just a feel-good movie. The end is quietly bittersweet. As I said life goes on, but is a mixture of highs and lows. We see that played out quietly but powerfully. And Dennehy gets to make a "speech" at the end that's a bit stunning. It's quiet but powerful and is unexpectedly moving.

If you want to see a good movie about good (but flawed) people grappling with life's highs and lows, one with plenty of humor...please check out DRIVEWAYS. I sure enjoyed the heck out of it!

Enjoyable enough, but we've seen this story before.

[psp1119 · 6/10 · 24 July 2020]

I enjoyed this movie. It was well-acted and directed, and got to your emotions at times. But, I felt like I was watching a formula film, and that I'd already seen the same story in many other films before. Single mom with shy but smart kid, they form friendship with elderly person from a different background.

A Mellow Brian Dennehey

[gsandra-26876 · 8/10 · 14 November 2020]

This is one of the cinematic gems you find every once in a while when you're poking around looking for something good. This is it. Dennehey gave a tender, thoughtful performance here and was backed up by fine support from Lucas Jaye and Hong Chau. Highly recommend.

Sickening profanity and for what?

[JoeMovieWatcher · 7/10 · 3 January 2021]

This could have been a really nice movie except for the foul language throughout including foul language in front of kids

Subtle

[don_nazarino · 8/10 · 20 October 2020]

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.

Chicken soap of the soul

[ks-60500 · 6/10 · 24 May 2020]

Kinda think about life, death, encounter, separating when watching this movie. It's normal we all die but what people we met in life matters. I didn't rate too high of this movie as I compare to St Vincent. It doesn't mean this a bad one. It's peaceful and mix feeling when watch this kind of movie, touching soul ones.

There is charm and beauty in simplicity.

[alejandro-bonilla · 5/10 · 26 May 2021]

There is charm and beauty in simplicity. For me this is the success of the film, despite not considering the story of my liking, the direction manages to get emotion in a still shot, that's art.

A farewell gift from the great Brian Dennehy

[harry_tk_yung · 19 May 2020]

Brian Dennehy, who died last month at the age of 81, deserves the description "great" just as much as Anthony Hopkins, or anybody else in that exquisite class of top-notch actors. I mention Hopkins only because of the physical resemblance.

With little that resembles drama or plotline, "Driveways" is a movie that you are unlikely to forget, especially during moments you happen to be sitting all by yourself, reflecting on life. One critic characterises it as "sweet and unassuming". Another uses the word "gentle" a few times. This is a story essentially about the friendship between a smart and sensitive 9-year-old boy and a widower war veteran maybe 8 times his age. The movie "plot" starts with a single mother Kathy moving temporarily to a small town with her 9-year-old son Cody (a marvellous Lucas Jaye) to sell a house left by her recently deceased sister. Kathy is played by Hong Chau who had a Golden Globe nomination for "Downsizing" (2017) and a key role in TV mini-series "Watchmen" (2019). She has also made solid contribution to the TV series "Treme" (2012) and "Big little lies" (2017). The initial encounter of mother-and-son with the house can be described as "shocking", with reference to the horrendous state of the interior. While Kathy agonizes over the job dead sister April as left her with, Cody seeks temporary escape outside, trying to get a drink of water from the garden hose. Sitting at the porch of the next house idly is Del (Brian Dennehy) the aforementioned veteran. Noticing the boy's difficulties, Del nonchalantly mouths "the other way". Cody follows the instructing, turning the control anti-clockwise, and gets his water sprouting from the hose. Back inside, Kathy asks Cody how his shirt gets wet and he replies "the army guy". Kathy brings Cody around the house to approach Del, saying to the man that it is not advisable for his son to talk to strangers. "Did he bother you?" she added. "No", comes the quiet, unassuming answer. "Did you spray him, sir?" "No" again, quietly. From that point on, the relationship of mother-and-son with this new neighbour is continuously upbeat. I shall be remiss if I try to relate or describe the minimalistic events marking the growth of the warm, gentle relationship between Del and Cody. That will take away the viewers' wonderous first-hand experience. Just one example, if I am allowed. Kathy organizes a birthday party for Cody at a skating rink but his two young friends fail to show up, due to things beyond their control. Only Del comes. Seeing that the skating rink is really noisy, he brings mother and son, together with the birthday cake, to his favourite bingo game at the V.F.W. hall and even gets him teamed up with his old buddy Rodger to circumvent the rule that kids are not allowed to play bingo. Incidentally, in another scene, Del and Rodger reminds me of Sandy and Norman. You know what I mean if you have seen Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin in the award-winning TV series "The Kominsky Method". Through these slices-of-life anecdotes, some funny, some poignant, we learn how two people 60 years apart can draw out the best from each other. A little "sub plot" is Kathy's remorse of her neglecting April, and getting comfort from Del who helps her to reacquaint with her sister, even if only in spirit. Without any artificial contrivance, the final scene, between Del and Cody, makes you silently weep and smile, both. While this is not Dennehy's very last movie, it is a fitting farewell gift from him to the audience.

Gently depressing

[verna-a · 7/10 · 21 March 2022]

Anyone who reads the synopsis knows this is going to be a sentimental film, and so it is, but not in a heavy-handed way. The female lead (Hong Chau) is the woman who arrives in town with her young son to clear out the cluttered house of her recently-deceased (and estranged) sister. Neither mother or son are the type to make friends easily, but they do slip into relationships with other people, especially an elderly neighbour (Brian Dennehy). The film has a gently elegiac note and seems to be about endings (the sister's life, and the neighbour's independent life) but there are hints of beginnings. I had some resistance to the timeline of the work on the house eg why not order a skip straight away? And why not dispose of the dead cat immediately, and in a responsible way? I'm always puzzled why working people in the US are depicted as never being able to afford things - of course with the exception of pizza etcetera. And why not retain some furniture in the house? That's just me, I always take a practical view! Regards the acting, as the mother Hong Chau is fine, the kid (Lucas Jaye) is great, and Brian Dennehy as the neighbour could do this sort of thing in his sleep. I'm fine with having devoted some time to watching this film. As an older person I certainly spend time contemplating my end and worrying about the burden my stuff is going to be to those I leave behind. But I would recommend that younger viewers find something more cheerful to watch.

A strong, gentle film

[Red-125 · 9/10 · 8 February 2021]

Driveways (2019) was directed by Andrew Ahn. It's story about a difficult situation transformed into something positive because of people being willing to help and trust each other.

Hong Chau portrays Kathy, a single mom. She travels from Michigan to Upstate New York to clean the home of her recently deceased sister. She learns that her sister was a hoarder and the house is a disaster.

Kathy has a nine-year-old son, Cody, portrayed by Lucas Jaye. Cody is a good kid, but he's sensitive to loud noises, and doesn't make friends easily.

Brian Dennehy plays Del, the next door neighbor. He's a Korean war veteran who sits quietly on his porch, and hangs out with his buddies at the VFW. He and Cody bond, which seems natural in the movie.

Kathy and Cody are Asian-America. I wonder if they're supposed to be Korean-Americans. That would be an interesting twist, because Del fought in Korea.

The movie proceeds in an interesting and quiet way. No car chases, no dramatics, no disasters. Driveways is a solid narrative film with great acting, especially by Lucas Jaye, who is a star child actor.

The movie was offered virtually by Rochester's excellent Little Theatre. It worked well on the small screen. The film has a solid 7.4 IMDb rating. I thought it was even better than that, and rated it 9.

Quiet, sweet

[elision10 · 7/10 · 26 December 2020]

The pleasure of this movie is that it moves slowly along without any sharp turns that some directors deem necessary for "action." Not everything works, and some parts are awkward or predictable. I also subtracted a star because of the usual Hollywood reverse racism nowadays -- all of the minor white characters are people you wouldn't want to know, and all of the minor minority characters are people you would. But that doesn't detract much from the film.

Who are your neighbors and family?

[KdramaInStudio · 10/10 · 3 January 2021]

This is a warm, sad and sometimes funny movie about life on an old street in a mill town where people live forever and still don't know who lives next to them. It's about sisters who grow up and know everything about each other only to move apart and never know each other again until one has to clean up the property of the other. It's about a helpful person who enters your life and silently helps you move on from sadness. It's about staying not leaving and befriending others in moments of importance in life. When my daughter was 9 we spent it with my grandparents. They doted on her and my grandma made her a cake. It was just the 4 of us and it was the specialists of all birthdays. That's how this movie is. #Life. #Friends. SINGLEparenting

A lovely surprise

[sps-70659 · 7/10 · 3 July 2022]

You look at the synopsis, you think, ho hum, seen it all before, but you would be a bit wrong. Do watch it.

It gains surprising depth and punch over its short 120 minutes, and the other two principals lift, to lend grace to Dennehy's final film.

Succinct and Compelling

[Megan_Shida · 8/10 · 4 June 2020]

Roughly an hour and twenty minutes, this movie does not waste effort or time. It is a compelling story of friendship, life choices, and aging, all accomplished in a neat and tidy little package. The acting from your three leads is terrific and the directing is on point, as the film engages the viewer in three stories about life at three distinct ages, and the opportunities that emerge for empathy and friendship between them. I recommend this film, as well as Spa Night by the same director.

Closing the gap between different states of life circle - boyhood, manhood and old-age through a simple bond of neighborhood.

[SAMTHEBESTEST · 7/10 · 7 May 2021]

Driveways (2019) : Brief Review -

Closing the gap between different states of life circle - boyhood, manhood and old-age through a simple bond of neighborhood. Driveways is a beautiful film for all ages, even for those who don't understand subtle theories of filmmaking. Someone who understand deep thoughts told without any dialogues in cinema will find it extraordinary for sure. It tells the story of a woman who has come to the house of her late sister to pack it up and prepare it for sale. While there, her young son strikes up a friendship with an elderly widower living next door. This neighborhood bond isn't a new thing, we have seen it before and we'll see it more often but here in Driveways it has quite different perspectives. A 9 years old boy befriending an old man isn't a new thing i guess (spare me if I'm wrong) and it uses their age factors very smarty at the end. It was like, you know a conversation between boyhood and old-age about manhood which is a future for boyhood and a past for aged one. One recalls the memories and feels like he hasn't lived enough and the other one has time to live but isn't enjoying it. These things had me spellbounded. I'm not sure every viewer will get the same meaning as me, they might understand something different according to their age group and experiences about life as they would be finding themselves in one of the characters. All three leading actors Hong Chau as Kathy, Lucas Jaye as Cody and Brian Dennehy as Del delivers natural performances. The screenplay is little slow but it has short runtime of 80 minutes so i don't think it should bother you. But it comes to the point very late, i mean like last 5 minutes so you must hold yourself before that. Andrew Ahn has made an excellent human drama that teaches you a lot about life-circle. It's short but still good enough.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

What a beautiful last film for Dennehy

[TheDome81 · 9/10 · 11 August 2021]

Brian Dennehy had a lengthy career, both on the stage and screen. He played a wide range of characters from tough sheriffs to the kindly alien in Cocoon. In this film, he lives a pretty boring life as an aging widower. His day constitutes mundane tasks, the highlight being an afternoon of bingo at the local VFW hall.

One day, a single mom with her young son Cody (Lucas Jaye) moves in next door. She's inherited the house from her recently deceased sister, and has the monumental task of clearing out all her junk and putting it on the market. Cody, who's smart and exceedingly shy, starts talking to Dennehy and the two become fast friends. It morphs into one of those cross-generational relationships that are truly heart warming. This is a rare feel-good movie I didn't want to end. And it's the perfect swan song to wonderful career.

Cliche, boring, unoriginal

[dahita-54585 · 1/10 · 14 May 2021]

I watched this movie mainly for Brian Dennehy being in the cast. I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, this movie is bad on so many levels it was a pure waste of time.

First off, Lucas Jaye and Hong Chau are a bit of a disappointment. They aren't believable in their characters and won't be nominated for an award for this movie, at least not for their acting skills. Brian Dennehy saves the day, but not the movie. Next, the cliche issue. The ignorant white nosy lady next door, the two white redneck kids, the bingo playing seniors, the nice and kind black lady (let's stay in tune with today's themes!), they are all in there. Every single character is conventional, just adjusted to today's "diversity" flavor of the month. A good example of how unoriginal this movie is, is when the white nosy lady asks her Asian-looking neighbor "where are you from?", to which Hong Chau answers "Michigan", and gets a surprised look in return. Sigh.

The result is an uninteresting, dull, boring movie that brings absolutely nothing new to the table.

A Truly hidden gem that will be enjoyed by many

[davidjzellis · 9/10 · 21 August 2020]

This is one of those rare films that feels and looks timeless every character feels real and relatable.

This very understated film has many emotional moments that don't make you feel manipulated and are very much earned, all the actors from the child actors to the walk on parts do not deliver any false notes.

Finally yes this was the last film of Brian Dennehey as I understand it and I think towards the latter part of his career he was very under utilized and this reminds us of what a true one of a kind talent he was.