If you’re following the big fall films that are in awards consideration, then you’ve no doubt read about “Green Book.” And judging by the film’s box office staying power, you’ve probably already seen “Green Book.” So, for those that have seen it, and those who have yet to see the film, the family of Dr. Don Shirley want you to know the film is full of lies.
READ MORE: ‘Green Book’ Wins Best Film Of 2018 From National Board Of Review
For those not familiar with “Green Book,” the film follows the “true story” of driver Tony Lip and renowned musician Dr. Shirley, who venture on a trip through the Deep South during the early-’60s when racism was still the norm. The film earned rave reviews and serious Oscar buzz coming out of its fall festival run and has done well at the box office, mostly due to the great acting of stars Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali, as well as the crowd-pleasing tone that wavers between comedy and drama without ever fully getting into controversial territory. Basically, as many critics have pointed out, the film is your typical feel-good racism movie aimed at white audiences.
And for that reason, and many, many others, the family of Dr. Don Shirley thinks people should know that this “true story” that is likely going to get some Oscar love is not remotely close to the truth. Why? Well, it’s apparently due to the fact that director Peter Farrelly and writer (who is also the son of the real-life Tony Lip) Nick Vallelonga never once consulted with Dr. Shirley’s living relatives to help create the character for the film.
“It was rather jarring,” Edwin Shirley III (nephew of Dr. Don Shirley) said via Shadow & Act about watching “Green Book” for the first time.
In the film, Dr. Shirley is shown to be torn up about his race, leading to a dramatic scene where he questions his place in the Black community. However, Edwin Shirley and the remaining members of the musician’s family say that he was friends with Civil Rights activists and celebrities Dr. Martin Luther King, Nina Simone, Duke Ellington, and Sarah Vaughn.
But the most hurtful part of the film for Dr. Shirley’s family is the assertion that the musician was exiled from his family and had little-to-no contact with them. “That was very hurtful,” Edwin said. “That’s just 100% wrong.”
READ MORE: Viggo Mortensen Apologizes For Using The N-Word During Recent ‘Green Book’ Q&A
The musician’s last living brother, Dr. Maurice Shirley, says the plot point about the family being not present in Dr. Shirley’s life made him “furious” and that the film is a “symphony of lies.”
“At that point [in 1962 when the events of the film supposedly take place], he had three living brothers with whom he was always in contact,” Dr. Maurice Shirley said.
When asked if the “friendship” that is the centerpiece of the marketing campaign for the film is true, meaning if Tony Lip and Dr. Don Shirley were lifelong friends due to the events of the tour, Maurice’s wife, Patricia, said, “No, not at all.”
The family also says that Dr. Shirley would have been upset that the film even exists, as he flatly refused to allow the film to be made decades ago. “I remember very, very clearly, going back 30 years, my uncle had been approached by Nick Vallelonga, the son of Tony Vallelonga [aka Tony Lip], about a movie on his life, and Uncle Donald told me about it. He flatly refused,” said Edwin Shirley.
“God knows, [Dr. Shirley’s portrayal in ‘Green Book’] is the reason that he never wanted to have his life portrayed on screen,” Edwin said. “I now understand why, and I feel terrible that I was actually trying to urge him to do this in the 1980s, because everything that he objected to back then has come true now.”
This isn’t the first time that the Shirley family has spoken out about their disapproval. After one televised interview, Edwin Shirley says he received a phone call from actor Mahershala Ali, apologizing for the way the film portrays their relative.
“I got a call from Mahershala Ali, a very, very respectful phone call, from him personally. He called me and my Uncle Maurice in which he apologized profusely if there had been any offense,” said Edwin. “What he said was, ‘If I have offended you, I am so, so terribly sorry. I did the best I could with the material I had. I was not aware that there were close relatives with whom I could have consulted to add some nuance to the character.’”
It’ll be interesting to see if this story picks up more as awards season comes into focus, and “Green Book” inevitably gets recognition.