Laikals The greatest movie ever made..!

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Diamond Brocks (diamondbrocks) All in all, the movie Driving Lessons directed by Jeremy Brock is a decent movie in my opinion, meaning that it is not bad nor is it excellent. It has a fairly complex storyline because there are a few situations going on in the movie, but if you pay attention to the overall plot and moral of the story, you will probably "like" the movie, although it is not the best movie of all time. It is a story about a teenage boy, Ben Marshall (actor Rupert Grint who starred as Ron Weasley in several Harry Potter movies). He lives in a fairly unhappy home with a father who is a priest and a mother who is overly religious, which often distracts her from her maternal duties as well as the emotions of her family. Ben is told to find a job to help take care of an elderly man that they have taken in (due to Ben running his wife over while his mother was giving him driving lessons). Ben comes across a gig with a retired actress, Evie Walton, who will pay to help get a little work done around the house. You will notice in the movie that Ben is virtually unhappy because people are always pushing him to do things in a way that is not his own. Evie, through numerous encounters with Ben, has taught him to do what makes him happy and it doesn't have to be the way other people tell you to do it. This is the overall moral to the story. I have left out a lot from the storyline, because you have affairs going on, more people getting ran over by cars, love then hate, trees and Jesus, etc. I dislike the movie for this because most of the people involved in these different scenarios, you never get to hear from again. So the story seems unfinished, in a sense. These situations may also cause you to become lost, or steer away from the main story that is being told. The reason why I say it is decent is because if you pay attention to the whole plot itself, as well as the title, it fits. The movie is literally called Driving Lessons, and while actual driving lessons are given in the movie, the metaphorical meaning behind the title is of a boy being taught to be his own man. That is the one thing that I can appreciate about this movie. I would recommend this movie to other people who like a good simple story involving only a few exceptional characters and a great moral, regardless of the rather boring or confusing storyline.

ryanwilson_c30 Driving Lessons is a typical release in the "quirky misfit finds quirky mentor" subgenre of the coming-of-age film, and after the 2000s, this particular kind of movie isn't much to look at. While this particular kind of film might seem inspirational to some, seeing these same character types interact in this manner ends up being clichéd and just plain tired. However, this film has power in its execution, and it provides a delightful atmosphere; even at its bleakest, it has hope and a wonderful lust for life, which ultimately makes this film genuinely enjoyable. This film is about introverted Ben Marshall, who in-between learning how to drive takes up a job serving retired actress Evie Walton, who deals with her own personal demons. He struggles to stay true to his religious family while learning how to thrive with Evie's eccentric guidance. Rupert Grint and Julie Walters make this film work, and although their characters may seem archetypal, their performances hold up the rest of the film. At least for me, it was an honest delight to watch their relationship grow from the beginning to the end. Both Grint and Walters play the respective roles of Ben and Evie with so humbled and warm that it just feels good to watch these two in action. However, the rest of the films' aspects are lost in the wake of the two leads; the other characters are in my opinion somewhat underdeveloped; even though they are refreshing, we only get that in bursts and it doesn't nearly seem as natural as Grint and Walters' performance. The film's main theme of driving your own destiny and being your own advocate are tired; although writer/director Jeremy Brock puts this point across, it's stale; the audience can understand a theme, but it takes a little more effort to make it memorable than I felt Brock gave in the final product. Fortunately, a lot of what is missing in this movie is strengthened by a truly unique script; Jeremy Brock apparently based much of it on his own experiences working for British actress Peggy Ashcroft; maybe it explains why this portion of the plot seems stronger than the other half featuring Ben's religious family, but it does allow for some good emotional grab. The soundtrack is decent, nothing to write home about or detract from, but the inclusion of a band like Salsa Celtica is unique for something so explicitly British. We do also get to see a lot of the United Kingdom's countryside, which serves for a lot of good imagery. All in all, Driving Lessons, while not particularly groundbreaking or otherwise ingenious, is an enjoyable, pleasurable film. I do believe it could have stood more development in the sense that it could have more to say, but is a treat to watch nonetheless, and is something I think would be a good choice for a positive watch.

jourdanramirez In my composition 1 class, we watched the movie Driving Lessons which was written and directed by Jeremy Brock. I have never even heard of this movie before my professor had my class watch this movie as part of an assignment. This movie is about a 17 year old named Ben. In the beginning of the movie, he is taking a driving test, and failing it. Ben's parents take in an old man, Mr. Fincham, who ran over his wife. Trying to be a good Christian, she wants to help him out. Ben's mom asks that he gets a job to help the old man out. When Ben gets a job with Dame Evie, his life suddenly changes for the better. He doesn't realize it at first but by the end of the movie, Ben realizes everything Evie did for him. I truly believe that the reason Ben is the way that he is has to do an awful lot with his mother. She treats him like she is a little baby and doesn't really want him to grow as a person. I think because of how strict she is, Ben is afraid to do anything or stand up for anything that he wants. Working for Evie has taught him to stand up to his mom and by doing this, Laura Marshall, Ben's mother, backs off. Evie was the best part of Ben's life because she helped him grow without him realizing it."To me a week is a year, every moment a blessing." Evie Walton says this to Ben during the movie. I think this is a great quote because it is what Ben is doing. He is growing, using every moment to expand. Evie doesn't want Ben to waste his time. This is an example of Evie is helping Ben grow.I personally did not like this particular movie. I thought the plot was initially a good idea but I did not like the way Brock presented it. It bored me the entire time. The actors chosen, however, were a perfect match for their characters. Rupert Grint plays a very awkward, shy, and not in his element kind of character. I thought he did a very nice job making the audience feel what he feels on a day to day basis. Maybe the reason I didn't like this movie was because of this. I am not fond of movies that are sad and depressing because it affects my mood. I am more into the positive feel, happy-ending kind of movies.

Neil Turner If you enjoyed Harold and Maude, you should enjoy Driving Lessons for it is a clone of the 70's film that has become somewhat of a cult classic. Unfortunately, Driving Lessons is not nearly as good as its predecessor but it's not from lack of good acting along with outstanding music that thoroughly adds to the enjoyment of the film.Ben is an extremely introverted teenager, and it's no wonder that he is. He is the son of a cuckolded minister and a mother from hell. Ben's mother is a person who uses religion as a club to pound her son's ego into little pieces while his cowardly father looks on silently or escapes to his office to hide.After being told by his harridan of a mother to get a job, Ben answers an ad to be an assistant for an elderly woman. It turns out that the woman, Evie, is a colorful kook who is a retired actress. She takes Ben under her somewhat bawdy wing, and their adventure begins.Unlike his mother who only sees elements in Ben to criticize and berate, Evie sees an intelligent, introspective, young man with the heart of a poet. Through a series of both comic and poignant events, Ben grows to appreciate his own worth.It is the superior acting that gives this coming of age story a step up from most of the genre. Ben is played by Rupert Grint who has been seen in the Harry Potter films. He is the perfect age and has the perfect look for the part of Ben. Ben's transformation from a downtrodden youth to a strong young man is totally believable due to Grint's beautiful acting.Julie Walters plays Evie with a real kick. She shows us a woman who has become almost a prisoner of her former life who, through her relationship with Ben, begins to look more forward than backward. Walters exudes both spirit and pathos in showing us a woman facing her own latter-life crisis.Laura Linney gives a great performance as the mother. This is a woman whom you wish would be plowed down by a dump truck on a busy street or struck by lightning. It is to Linney's merit that she does not try to make the character in the least way sympathetic. She is not afraid to have her character be hated by the audience. That is one of the signs of a very good actress.If you have seen Harold and Maude, you know that a sexual relationship develops between the young man and the older (much, much older) woman. There is no such relationship in Driving Lessons. I have read the opinions of some critics who feel that this is a cop-out to our politically correct age. Perhaps, but I don't think that it hurts the overall story for their relationship to have been platonic. Walters gives us a woman who certainly might have been physically attracted to this young man, but instead, is overwhelmed by his giving, poetic spirit. This is easy to believe and understand.Driving Lessons is not a great film, but it certainly is an enjoyable hour and a half that I recommend for your viewing pleasure.A note: I have mentioned Harold and Maude several times in this review. If you haven't had the extreme pleasure of seeing this intriguing film, rent it and watch it as soon as possible!