I use the word fun because most of those films don't have happy endings, and they are not inspired by tales about how much easier life was at that time. For historians of Black American History, the title itself is a stark reminder of the annual production and distribution of "The Negro Motorist Green Book" from 1936 until just after the Civil Rights Act was passed. The book was created to help African Americans travel by indicating where colored folks could stay without incurring the wrath of racist white folks, which at the time (and even into the present day) was not always true. Racism is a system that perpetuates itself. Honest stories about how racism affects society at large can be painful, educational, and - at least in this case - amusing.

Based on the true story of an unlikely partnership between a Black musical artist and an Italian tough guy who drives him to gigs on a tour, with the elegant Mahershala Ali as the former and a filled-out Viggo Mortensen as the latter, "Green Book" manages to slide truths about racism in between its beautiful homages to American landscape, and also to the period through costumes, set dressing and props. The heavy-handed portrayals of Tony Lip as an Italian with an Italian family in an Italian neighborhood, and his love for Italian food are comical and nearly as campy as Dr. Don Shirley's introduction as a well-to-do Black artist with fancy taste, impeccable style and a disconnect with common Black folks. Both men regard each other at their first few meetings as one-dimensional cartoons, but eventually, they come to a steady mutual respect.

Coming out before Thanksgiving, a holiday centered around family and food, at a time when the poison of racism in the Soul of America has political ramifications that blend into the recent Midterm Elections, is a gutsy move. Although the production could have leaned into a more woke retelling, "Green Book" pleases by not proselytizing as hard as it could. While intersectionality is explored and that needs to be applauded - since the hardships that Tony faced as a poor immigrant is very different from the struggles that Dr. Shirley experienced as a well-off Black man - I was most satisfied when Viggo Mortensen was ripping into Italian food while Mahershala Ali performed exquisitely elegant eye rolls.