Family movie night? There's an app for that
Download our new mobile app on iOS and Android.
Green Book
By Sandie Angulo Chen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Crowd-pleasing drama explores race, class, friendship.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Green Book
Community Reviews
Based on 20 parent reviews
The review for "Sex, Romance & Nudity" is technically correct but intentionally misleading.
What's the Story?
Inspired by a true story, GREEN BOOK takes place in 1962 and follows Tony "Lip" Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen), a white, Italian American New York City bouncer who takes a temporary job driving black concert pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) as he travels throughout the Midwest and the Deep South on a concert tour. The movie's title refers to a (now historical) guide for what Tony calls "traveling while black": The Green Book is a directory of restaurants and accommodations that cater to African Americans throughout the segregated South. As the vulgar, working-class, and admittedly racist Tony and the incredibly well-educated, intelligent Dr. Shirley get to know each other on the road, they challenge stereotypes and grow to form an unlikely friendship. But the farther into the South they travel, the more they're forced to deal with everything from Jim Crow laws to hate crimes.
Is It Any Good?
Mortensen and Ali both give fabulous performances in this feel-good road-trip drama that's part buddy comedy, part history lesson, and part social commentary on friendship and race. Director Peter Farrelly, best known for raunchy comedies like There's Something About Mary, brings out the humor in Tony and Dr. Shirley's interactions; he allows the actors to shine in completely opposing ways. Mortensen, who reportedly gained more than 30 pounds for the role, immerses himself in showy Bronx bravado, while Ali is a picture of nuanced restraint, with plenty of emotion simmering beneath the surface. Both portrayals are award-worthy, as are Ali's musical performances (he went through extensive piano training to pull them off).
It's not easy to revisit a time in history when gifted black artists could entertain all-white crowds but not sit or dine among them -- or even use the same bathroom. Dr. Shirley refuses to lower himself via vulgarity or even by listening to popular music (he can't tell Aretha Franklin from Chubby Checker), and he fully understands that the moment he steps off stage, he's just another black man to the white audiences who moments earlier applauded his talent. While Tony isn't in the role of the dreaded "white savior," Green Book's story is more about him than Dr. Shirley, who's infinitely more self-aware -- and also more of a mystery. It feels like a bit of a missed opportunity that Dr. Shirley's personal life isn't explored via more than a couple of references to his estranged brother and a failed marriage and one poignant monologue about not fitting into either white or black society. Especially considering that viewers meet nearly all of Tony's large Italian family, including his more open-minded wife, Dolores (Linda Cardellini), to whom he writes (with help from Dr. Shirley) increasingly poetic love letters from the road. Really, the entire movie is a love letter of sorts -- to a friendship that's a reminder that the world needs more empathy and human connection ... not to mention mind-blowing music.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Green Book. What effect does it have? What does it mean for the story? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
How does the movie address and handle the topics of race and segregation? What about class? How does Dr. Shirley defy others' prejudices and expectations?
Which characters do you consider role models? What character strengths do they display? How do both main characters show empathy?
Some have criticized the movie for the fact that, despite the title, it focuses more on Tony's life than Dr. Shirley's. And some of Dr. Shirley's relatives have taken issue with how he's portrayed in the film. Why do you think filmmakers might choose to alter facts when making a movie? How can you find out more about what happened?
How have things changed since the movie's 1960s setting? How haven't they?
Movie Details
- In theaters: November 16, 2018
- On DVD or streaming: March 12, 2019
- Cast: Viggo Mortensen , Mahershala Ali , Linda Cardellini
- Director: Peter Farrelly
- Inclusion Information: Black actors, Female actors
- Studio: Universal Pictures
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: History
- Character Strengths: Empathy
- Run time: 130 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: thematic content, language including racial epithets, smoking, some violence and suggestive material
- Awards: Academy Award , Common Sense Selection , Golden Globe
- Last updated: December 15, 2022
Inclusion information powered by
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Drama Movies That Tug at the Heartstrings
Great Movies with Black Characters
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate