Driveways 2020

Late one summer night in a quiet upstate New York neighborhood, Kathy, [Hong Chau], and her son Cody, [Lucas Jaye], pull up to a dark house with sleeping bags in tow. The power is out, so they head to a nearby motel. Del, [Brian Dennehy], an elderly widower who lives next door, watches from his upstairs window.

The next morning, Kathy calls the electric utility to restore power to her recently deceased sister April’s house; she intends to pack it up and sell it. She learns that April owed the electric company $900. Back at the house, they realize April was a hoarder.

Cody goes outside for water from a hose. Del warns him to turn the faucet the other way, and Cody complies, wetting his shirt. Kathy notices, misreading it as an offense, and tells Del she doesn’t let her son talk to strangers. Yet when Del’s ride to a local veterans’ event doesn’t show, Kathy takes him to the VFW lodge herself, all while venting about the electric bill.

Back at April’s house the next day, they discover Del has strung an extension cord across the driveway from his house to theirs. They also visit Charlene, a local realtor, to list the house. Kathy is hesitant to do a walk-through, but Charlene argues that the house doesn’t need to be staged, and she relents. Once inside, Charlene sees the state of the place and understands why Kathy hesitated.

That night, Cody asks Kathy about April; she explains she didn’t know her sister well since April was twelve years older. The next day, Cody meets two other neighborhood kids while cleaning some old furniture in the driveway. He also encounters Brandon, [Jack Caleb], and Reese, [James DiGiacomo], who imitate professional wrestlers. Their grandmother Linda, [Christine Ebersole], greets Kathy and recalls that April was a kind woman who preferred not to have visitors intruding.

Kathy and Cody decide to stop staying at the motel and begin sleeping in the house. Del helps Cody bury a dead cat and takes him to bingo at the VFW. Linda offers to watch Cody while Kathy runs errands. Cody, however, vomits rather than wrestle with Brandon and Reese, and runs away. Del shares a memory of vomiting himself as a young man on a troop ship during the Korean War, helping Cody understand Del’s quiet presence.

From there, Cody grows closer to Del, and he spends more time with the older man. Kathy succeeds in cleaning the house enough to live there and even hosts a yard sale. She suggests that, instead of selling, they could move into the house, and Cody supports the idea. Meanwhile, Del’s daughter—described as a judge in Seattle—tells him that a nursing-home space is available near her. Cody invites Del and the other neighborhood kids to a birthday party at a roller rink, but Del is the only guest, so they relocate the celebration to the VFW lodge, joining Del’s circle of friends.

Cody confesses to Del that they plan to move in, and Del explains he will move closer to his daughter and her wife. On the day Del moves out, he and Cody share a final porch conversation. Cody imagines a long road trip to visit Del, and Del smiles at the memory of a hitchhiking trip he took after leaving the Army. The talk folds into a reflection about how much time has passed, and how cherishable the moments with a neighbor can be.