In Driveways, there are no big dramatic beats, no monologues, no screaming matches, no overt tear-jerking moments, or any of the usual traits you might expect from an American drama. Not that there is anything inherently bad about these elements, but there is something to be said about how refreshing the approach is with this film. What we get instead is a quiet slice-of-life film courtesy of writers, Hannah Bos and Paul Thurteen, and director, Andrew Ahn, that is deeply confident in its ability to get across an immeasurable sense of humanity and warmth through a fairly minimal setup and relaxed plotting.
We open with a mother and her almost-eight-years-old son, Kathy (Hong Chau) and Cody (Lucas Jaye). They go to the home of Kathy’s estranged and recently deceased sister, April, in order to clean it up, and put it on the market. Once they make their way inside, they find that it completely filled with stuff that April hoarded. Kathy can barely move before having a pile of things fall on top of her, and Cody even discovers a dead cat. While there, Cody strikes an unlikely friendship with an elderly neighbor, a Korean War vet by the name of Del (Brian Dennehy).
While the film is largely about the bond that forms between Del and Cody, we do occasionally meet some of the other neighbors. There’s Linda (Christine Ebersole), who displays some really strong “I want to speak to the manager/I’m not racist, I have a black friend” energy, her two aggressive grandsons, as well as a couple other kids, who prove much more easy going. However, Del is the kind of sensitive kid – so sensitive that he literally has a problem where he pukes in overwhelming situations – who seems to be much more comfortable when he’s around adults than anyone who is around his age.
This is one of those films where nothing happens, yet everything happens, you know the type. A lot does happen in this film, not necessarily in terms of plot, but in terms of the interiority of the characters. Everyone here is going through a major turning point in their life, and they handle them with a refreshingly calm and reserved and thoughtful approach. They talk things out, they open themselves up, they are honest about their feelings, and there’s a strong sense of empathy. It might sound saccharine describing it, but it does not come across that way on screen at all.
What ultimately grounds it are the performances. Of course, it’s impossible to dive into that without addressing the recent passing of Brian Dennehy, who has been a brilliant character actor since the late 70s. He was one of those guys who was always great, and made anything he was in just a little bit better just by being there, regardless of whether his role was big or small. Here, he lends his presence in a way that speaks volumes without getting too much history. The brief moments where he talks about his past are kept brief, but you feel every word on a deep level.
However, he doesn’t steal the film from under Chau and Jaye, who are both equally wonderful. Chau handles the portrayal of a strong willed, but tired mother trying to do right by her son with a soft but firm sense of resilience. Jaye delivers one of the better shy/sensitive kid performances that I’ve seen in quite a while. So much so that I saw a lot of myself in his mannerisms and demeanor, though I thankfully never had any puking problems.
I don’t want to give too much of Driveways away. Not because it contains any significant plot details, but because the pleasures of a film like this is to soak in its leisurely atmosphere. Ki Jin Kim’s observant cinematography combined with Katherine McQuerry’s patient editing, and the piano heavy score from Jay Wadley makes for a seemingly unassuming, but ultimately hard hitting experience that really takes you by surprise in how emotionally resonant it all turns out to be. Slice-of-life dramas are a tough nut to crack because when not done well, they can be incredibly tedious. That definitely isn’t the case for this film, and I look forward to whatever Andrew Ahn does next. Plus, given it being one of Dennehy’s last films, I’m reminded of the 2017 film, Lucky, which was one of the final roles for the brilliant Harry Dean Stanton, and it was a film that seemed like it was tailor made to be his last film. Driveways isn’t quite like that for Dennehy, but it still showcases his talent in a way that makes for a perfect farewell, adding a perfect bow to a film that is already an embarrassment of riches.