The Outhouse (Symbol)
At one point on their tour, Don is told that he is not allowed to use the indoor bathroom at the home of the people who are hosting his concert, and is instead expected to use an outhouse in the backyard. The hosts respect him enough to want him to play music for them, but they do not respect him enough to let him use their bathroom, as they hold racist views. The outhouse symbolizes the disrespect that Don must endure on the road as they enter the South, a place where segregation still keeps white and black spaces separate.
Music (Motif)
As Don Shirley is a widely acclaimed pianist, music is a major motif in the film, and in between scenes we often see Don sitting down at the piano and playing virtuosically. He is truly a virtuoso in that he can play all different kinds of music with incredible skill, and throughout the film, music is what coheres the story and keeps Don going even in difficult circumstances.
Whiskey (Symbol)
On the road, Don requests that Tony make sure he has a bottle of whiskey in his hotel room every night. Tony is surprised that Don would want a new bottle every night, and later sees Don sitting alone on his balcony at the hotel, drinking the whiskey. The whiskey becomes a symbol for Don's isolation and loneliness, a tonic for his feeling of being outside or not belonging.
Kentucky Fried Chicken (Symbol)
On the road in Kentucky, Tony sees a Kentucky Fried Chicken and gets excited. He is surprised to hear that Don has never had fried chicken. Tony alludes to the stereotype that black people love fried chicken, and insists that Don try some. The fried chicken in this instance represents multiple things. In Tony's eyes, fried chicken represents Southern black culture, something he believes Don must be acquainted with. To Don, the chicken represents the side of black culture that he does not connect to, having lived in New York City and made a career that has afforded him the finer things. When Tony and Don share the fried chicken, it represents their growing willingness to meet one another in the middle, to share things, and pursue a friendship.
Jade Stone (Symbol)
Tony steals a jade stone, which Don scolds him for. Then later, as they drive through the storm to get back to New York in time for Christmas Eve, Don tells Tony to put the stone on the dashboard for good luck. In this moment, the stone becomes a mystical symbol, a representation of their safe passage home. Then later, when Don returns home to his empty apartment after declining an invitation to Tony's apartment for Christmas dinner, he looks at the jade stone. In this moment, it represents the fact that Don, usually so self-sufficient, misses Tony and wants to be connected to other people for the holiday.
