As road trip movies go, it's a gem, and my new fav Christmas movie to watch again next year.

Rating: 10/10 (31 December 2018)

First, how could you possibly go wrong with the co-stars Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali; the latter, star of the 2017 Oscars best movie, Monlight, a tv series and tv movie star in his own right, the former also twice nominated for best actor, Oscars, the same year Moonlight won the best picture and again for his leading role in the 2007 movie 'Eastern Promises'. Well... I don't think you can.
Now as you may have read, the film is based on a true story. What you probably didn't know is whose story; it's that of Tony Vallelonga, father of the movie's writer Nick Vallelonga. You'll learn more about that in the final credits, and don't miss the photos, the ones I'm sure Nick treasures. If you watch it at home, pause to read the explanations below the photos. By the way, Nick Vallelonga has 50 movie credits, so it's not as if he just came out of the woodwork to tell his dad's story.
For a biography/comedy/DRAMA, and right before Christmas, this was perfect timing. Not only does the movie end with a family Christmas dinner, the mention of making it back on time for that day is a big part of the road trip movie. The ending, though, somewhat predictable, felt great; if you can pull off a no big surprise ending with this much feel good effect, there has to be something special about it. There is.
Many little details all along the movie are both a sign that all parties involved cared to do a good job and a mark of good writing (Brian Hayes Currie and director Peter Farrelli collaborated on, for Nick Vallelonga's script); they did and it was. Viggo and Mahershala delivered excellent performances, and as it's the job of good actors, they made their characters believable. Their scenes together were akin to the chemistry we experienced with Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy in 'Driving Miss Daisy' (1990 Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Actor in a leading role, to mention just a few of the Oscars won). Since I've already crossed the spoiler line earlier, I'll just add the very last words spoken in 'Green Book', by the lovable and good looking Linda Cardellini, as a 'tell' of just how perfect the movie was: "Thank you for helping' him with the letters." If you haven't seen the movie, it will mean little to you, granted; however, if you have seen it, you know what I mean by perfect.
It's a road trip movie but not the comedy road trip movie you'd expect. It's one of those character development motion picture, the kind us movie lovers crave. And, another spoiler, it promotes moral values, like courage, yes courage, to name one. Oh how thrilled Viggo and Mahershala must have been when they were sent the script for their respective parts and read it for the first time.
Do I recommend you see it? Don't go by my word, check out IMDb, Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes ratings and take it for granted they can't all be wrong.