Tries to pull off a safe approach to a complicated issue (spoiler-free)

Rating: 7/10 (6 April 2019)

This was a good film and on an EMOTIONAL LEVEL I did enjoy it. The performances were amazing yet I loved Mortensen's one better (hard to believe he's Danish).
The big problem about it though is that it tries to be too safe and kid-friendly. At times it really feels like it was written as a cristmas miracle story for kids to enjoy.
It kind of wants be a serious story about the morale and the people of the time, but everyone besides the main duo are too cartoonish to be beliveable. It kind of brings up the issues of racial segregation but it's afraid to show real racist white people and the negatives from the other side. It shows hard working African Americans on the field to give contrast to the Doc (and to show later that he doesn't feel like he belongs to anyone, even his own people) but it falls into some sort of social justice commentary, when the whole point of capitalism was to give equal opportunities, so if the Doc was educated, worked hard and was paid well it doesn't mean he has to feel guilty before those hardworking farmers. The YMCA reveal scene was kind of made to show why Frank is called "Tonly Lip" but the set up was so unnecessary forced I can't really tell why they went for it in the first place. The ending was cartoonish and family friendly, which is ok, but it really goes on big stretches with some stuff, like the Doc wishing a Merry Christmas to his butler Amit, who's clearly far from being a christian, I mean... You see? It's clearly trying to hard not to offend anyone.
I loved that movie, mostly for the duo, the dialogue and overall chemistry between them, great stuff. But the social commentary, the simplification, the idea behind making this a "based on a true story" movie... If they were real people - show us what they were, if not - make this a separate story "inspired" by real events.
I just wish it was so much more grounded, I'd enjoy it much more.