How Green Book overcame controversy to become feel-good, Oscar-bound triumph

Oscar-bound Green Book quickly went from “feel-good movie of the year”, to “controversial film of the year”. Its star Viggo Mortensen didn’t have had a clue of the off-screen drama awaiting him.

Green Bookquickly went from “feel-good movie of the year”, to “controversial film of the year.

Back in November’s first flush of award season, Green Book was the film to watch, and Viggo Mortensen couldn’t have had a clue what off-screen drama lay ahead. But Green Book quickly went from “feel-good movie of the year”, to “controversial film of the year”.

Based on a true story set in the 60s, it’s about Jamaican-born jazz pianist, Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), who hires Italian-American bouncer-turned-driver, Tony ‘Lip’ Vallelonga (Mortensen) for a tour through the racially-charged Deep South’s perilous waters. An unlikely friendship ensues between driver and musician.

Mortensen, 60 and naturally lean, packed on 21kg to play Vallelonga. And while wanting to stay true to the character, he was careful to be respectful to the community from which the local legend hailed.

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“There was no question that the script was incredible, I was blown away the first time I read it, much like I felt about Captain Fantastic (2016). But I was nervous, I have to admit, because I’m not Italian-American and I didn’t want to do a caricature. And also, there are some really good Italian-American actors out there,” he shrugs.

Viggo Mortensen, Peter Farrelly, Linda Cardellini and Mahershala Ali at the Golden Globes. Picture: AP

With a hyper-aware sociopolitical climate at play, was director Peter Farrelly not worried about a backlash over not hiring the real thing?

“There was no one who was right,” he explains. I thought Travolta wasn’t right, and I thought of that guy who does the superhero movies, Mark Ruffalo, but Viggo is my favourite actor, period. He did Eastern Promises. He can do anything.”

“It was difficult keeping the weight on. At first I really enjoyed it,” Mortensen laughs. “But I got tired of having to eat so much. My technique, and it’s a horrible thing to do healthwise, is that I’d have a big meal just before going to bed with a couple of desserts.”

Two months after this interview with Mortensen, he attended the Golden Globes with the rest of the Green Book cast. Much backslapping and a genuine camaraderie was evident backstage as the film nabbed a Best Supporting actor win for Ali, a Best Comedy or Musical for the film, Best Screenplay, Best Director, plus Mortensen received a Best Actor nomination.

Last weekend it also won Best Picture at the Producer’s Guild of America Awards, boosting its chances of taking home the same coveted category at next month’s Oscars.

It should be noted that Farrelly is one half of the famed Farrelly Brothers, the fraternal duo who directed such infamous gross-out comedies as There’s Something About Mary (1988), Me, Myself & Irene (2000), Dumb & Dumber (1994) and Dumb & Dumber To (2014).

In contrast, Mortensen is an actor’s actor known for weighty roles in films such as A History Of Violence (2005), The Road (2009), and the Lord Of the Rings trilogy.

Mortensen wasn’t convinced he was the right man, but Farrelly is nothing if not determined. “Viggo was my number one pick. I’ve been trying to get Viggo in everything I’ve ever done but he’s always turned it down. This time I wrote him a letter. ‘Dear Viggo, please read this. This is a departure for me and nothing like what I’ve done in the past’.”

After some back and forth, Mortensen signed on.

The script was penned by Vallelonga’s son, Nick, based on his father’s recollections but, on the day of the film’s release, the Shirley family insisted the big-screen relationship depicted between Shirley and Vallelonga was pure fiction.

Mahershala Ali as Dr Don Shirley and Viggo Mortensen as Tony Lip in Green Book.

Mortensen defends Vallelonga.

“Nick had the story for 25 years before he brought it to Peter (Farrelly). He had promised Don Shirley that he wouldn’t tell the story in a movie until Don had passed away, out of respect. Don endorsed it and said that everything was true. As you can see in the movie, he was a very private person, a discreet person and didn’t want any element of the movie discussed until he was gone.”

Even worse was to come — an old Twitter post by Vallelonga agreeing with Donald Trump, long before he was president, that he saw Muslims celebrating on 9/11. Vallelonga has since deleted his account. Mahershala Ali, meanwhile, is Muslim, which further complicates the issue.

And then, following Green Book’s very good night at the Golden Globes, stories emerged of behaviour by Peter Farrelly during the promotion of There’s Something About Mary in 1998 which does not sit well in these #MeToo times. On more than one occasion — as confirmed by his leading lady Cameron Diaz — Farrelly exposed his penis. Now more than 20 years later, he insists he is mortified by his actions and has apologised for them.

Regardless of the noise that trails the movie, Green Book warrants an unbiased view. Says Mortensen, “Look, sight unseen, people see the trailer and they hear it’s a Peter Farrelly movie and they hear it’s among other things, very funny at times, and while it’s a ‘feel-good movie’ and there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s so much more. It’s disturbing on a number of levels, it’s thought-provoking and in some parts you might want to look away.

“But this is just a great story about two people that existed. A film like this doesn’t come along often and in this particular time in our history, it’s a valuable and profound story we can all learn from.”