By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel
ENCINITAS, California — In my original review of The Green Book, I wrote “There may be several screen awards lurking in the future especially for Viggo Mortensen..” Whoopee, last Sunday evening at the Golden Globe Awards I watched my prediction came true. The Green Book won three awards! Here is the announcement in the press.
“Green Book, the inspirational true story about a budding friendship between an African-American pianist and a white tough guy bouncer on a tour in the Deep South in the early 1960s,. It won three Globes, including best picture in the musical/comedy category.” Green Book’s” director, Peter Farrelly, made a plea for tolerance in his acceptance speech,. “We are still living in divided times, maybe more so now than ever,” he said. “All we have to do is just talk and not judge people”
I saw The Green Book movie several weeks ago and was so impressed I rushed home to write a review. Immediately after it was published, I received a personal response from Nick Vallellonga the movie’s co-director and writer thanking me for my article Here’s what he wrote, (what a treat!)
“Cantor Merel,
I am Nick Vallelonga, co-writer/co-producer of Green Book, and also the son of the character Tony Liu played by Viggo Mortensen. I just wanted to thank you for seeing Green Book and for your kind review. I appreciate it very much.
Nick”
The essence of The Green Book for me is the give and take between Don, the celebrated black pianist who hires Tony, a tough former night club bouncer to be his chauffeur for a two-month concert tour starting in the mid –west, and then facing blatant racism in the deep south of the 1960s.
Don is erudite with a doctorate in Music, and the center attraction of his instrumental trio. He is meticulous in speech, clothes, manner, and very private. Tony is street wise and bright but diametrically opposite of Don in culture, education. He is shown to be a racist at the very beginning of the movie.
Both Tony (Viggo Mortensen), and Don (Mahershala Ali) deserved special recognition, but Viggo Martensen was at the top of my list. Viggo was excellent in this movie and in every movie of his I’ve seen.
The message of The Green Book movie is the give and take between Don and Tony and how the journey changes their relationship, attitudes, and behavior. Their individual transformations are what makes the movie special.. If you have not yet seen this award-winning movie, I certainly recommend you seek it out.
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Merel is cantor emeritus of Congregation Beth Israel in San Diego. He may be contacted via sheldon.merel@sdjewishworld.com