Tribeca: Hong Chau in "Driveways" and "American Woman"
Murtada Elfadl reporting from the Tribeca Film Festival
Almost 18 months after the release, we are starting to see the results of Hong Chau’s breakout role in Downsizing. At the Tribeca Film Festival this year, Chau is top-billed in two movies Semi Chellas’ American Woman and Andrew Ahn’s Driveways. The two give this adept performer a chance to showcase her talent and prove she’s ready for leading lady status.
Despite the top billing Chau is not the lead in Driveways. She plays Kathy, mother to shy 8 year old Cody (newcomer Lucas Jaye) whose unlikely friendship with the curmudgeonly widower next door Del (Brian Dennehy) is the primary narrative of the film. Del becomes their neighbor when they travel to a new town to clean and sell Kathy’s late sister’s house. Their stay is longer than they planned and Del becomes an integral part of their lives...