Driving Lessons (2006)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Jeremy Brock

Writer:

Jeremy Brock (written by)

Release Date:

13 October 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

All Ben wanted was a job. All Evie needed was a friend.

Plot:

A coming of age story about a shy teenage boy trying to escape from the influence of his domineering mother. His world changes when he begins to work for a retired actress. |

Plot Keywords:

Teenage Boy | Actress | Coming Of Age | Recital | Hotel

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Rupert Grint	...	Ben Marshall
Fay Cohen	...	Old Lady 1
Ruby Mortlock	...	Old Lady 2
Don Wetherhead	...	Old Man
Laura Linney	...	Laura Marshall
Oliver Milburn	...	Peter
Tamsin Egerton	...	Sarah
Nicholas Farrell	...	Robert Marshall
Jim Norton	...	Mr. Fincham
Julie Walters	...	Evie Walton
Chandra Ruegg	...	Chandra
Ricky Champ	...	Tough Looking Man
Rupert Holliday-Evans	...	Store Manager (as Rupert Holiday Evans)
Harriet Brock	...	Child at Campsite
James Brock	...	Child at Campsite

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, sexual content and some thematic material.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | Ireland:15A | USA:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | UK:12 (edited version) | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Burnham Beeches, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

ContentFilm

Trivia:

When filming, Rupert Grint was only 16 which meant it was illegal for him to drive (the legal age in the UK is 17), so they had to film his driving scenes in private roads.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The bird that they look up at isn't a Skylark but a Swallow.

Quotes:

Laura Marshall: Camping? Why on earth would anyone want to go camping?
Robert Marshall: ...to escape.
Laura Marshall: You don't have to tell me what you did, I already know. Some people are wicked.
Ben: She isn't wicked.
Laura Marshall: She's an actress! I think that says enough.

Movie Connections:

References One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Soundtrack:

Lord of All Hopefulness

Moral and highly enjoyable

"Driving Lessons" sees two middle class quintessential British families meet head on, when Grint's character comes into contact with Evee, (Walters), a slightly deranged out-of-touch actress with an ego. Grint betrays his overpowering, and over-Christian mother, (Linney), and goes off travelling with Evee to Scotland, to accompany her on a trip to participate in a Poetry reading, something she claims could be her last, due to an illness.

Grint's portrayal of a caged youngster, brainwashed by an overbearing, and even hypocritical mother, is the masterpiece of this film. His portrayal of a downtrodden teen in search of his true morals, and happiness, is captivating to watch unfold throughout. The film is sharply shot, and well paced, with very few moments leaving you tired, an achievement, particularly considering the nature of the plot. Walters really grabs hold of her character with both hands, and successfully brings the audience to her side of things, emphasising Linney's ironic immorality throughout. Her role in "Driving Lessons" is enjoyable and memorable in every sense.

The plot develops nicely, leaving the audience cheering on Grint as he chases back to Evee's place during his lunch break during his stint at a local bookshop to apologise for his wrongdoings. The values in the piece are continued and brought out thoroughly up until the final drag, in a very consistent way. The overbearing, (and relieving), main idea being that religion doesn't lead to happiness, and certainly doesn't lead to morality.

The audience are left sympathising with the radical but lovable Evee, with her and Grint making an irresistible partnership on the big screen, transferred directly from their debut in the "Harry Potter" series. Charismatic and beautiful acting together with a tight and fact paced script make this a must-see this Christmas.