By Faith McQuinn
DRIVING LESSONS falls into a familiar-yet-unnameable category of independent drama. Well, it was unnamable until a friend of mine — a fellow film buff — came up with a great label for the genre: “Commonwealth dramedy.” It’s usually a British film (hence the Commonwealth part) that generally centers on a somewhat odd, yet real, scenario with eccentric characters. That, my friends, is DRIVING LESSONS in a nutshell.
A coming-of-age story in the vein of HAROLD AND MAUDE (without the sexual tension), DRIVING LESSONS is about a young man named Ben (Rupert Grint) who’s been tucked quite securely under his mother’s (Laura Linney) wing for far too long. When she persuades him to find a job, Ben begins working for a retired actress named Evie (played brilliantly by Julie Walters).
I’m not going to lie; I wanted to see this movie because I love Rupert Grint. He’s always stood out as my favorite in the HARRY POTTER series, and I am delighted to say he doesn’t disappoint in DRIVING LESSONS. Grint plays Ben with so much perfected awkwardness that I found myself urging someone to give the kid a good shake to loosen him up. Walters’ zany Evie is the perfect balance to his character.
As the movie begins, we get a good mouthful of Ben’s life. His father is a minister; his mother the perfect minister’s wife. She’s extremely active in her church, and Ben is always by her side. His days are filled with Bible classes, volunteer work, practicing for the church play and getting driving lessons from his mother.
When Ben begins spending time with Evie, she quickly sucks him into her world. At first, just like with his driving, he’s scared out of his mind. When Evie tricks him into a camping trip, though, Ben finds a part of him that he didn’t know was there, and soon his driving — as well as his life — begins improving.
Like most Commonwealth dramedies, this film is a bit predictable. It’s pretty obvious that good things will happen to Ben,
and he will break out of his goody-two-shoes life to become his own man. But, who cares? The greatest thing about a good independent film is the story that gets you to that ending and the characters involved. Evie and Ben’s story is a wonderful one — a story that reminds us all that friendships can span generations and sometimes be more meaningful than family relationships.
Writer/director Jeremy Brock penned the script specifically for Walters and Grint, and it definitely shows. The familiarity the two have developed working together in the past shines on screen. This is probably the reason the middle of the movie is far better than the beginning. Ben’s life before Evie is mundane, and he sticks out like a sore thumb. Therefore, the scenes are plodding and awkward. Once Ben becomes a part of Evie’s world, the film definitely picks up, and makes up for the slow beginning.
This movie is adorable and endearing, yet it is definitely not for everyone. If you find yourself turning up your nose to the likes of STRICTLY BALLROOM or BLOW DRY, maybe you should stick to watching Walters and Grint in the HARRY POTTER series. But, if you like your stories small, quirky and wonderfully (if predictably) charming, give DRIVING LESSONS a try.