Review of Driving Lessons (2006) by Kaitlyn B — 20 Nov 2013

There were certain parts and pieces in the movie "Driving Lessons" that I was not thrilled by, but overall, I did enjoy this movie. The parts of the movie that intrigued me the most were the excellent actors and actresses, the random humor, and the beautiful scenery. I also enjoyed the overall plot and idea of this movie.

I really liked how perfectly each actor or actress matched his or her part. Rupert Grint did a wonderful job playing his character, Ben. I thought Grint fit the image of the "awkward teenager" and did a great job expressing how each awkward teenager feels about certain situations. For example, when Ben senses that something between his parents is not quite right, he shuts down and keeps to himself. I think this represents how most teenage boys are. Grint also showed his acting skills when Ben was sharing his love poem to Sara. He showed how boys this age are a little unsure of themselves and how to talk to girls. Laura Linney, who played Ben's mother, also did an exceptional job portraying the stereotypical "controlling mom". She did this by acting as if she controlled the house and everything that goes on in it. She bosses Ben around to do things for her, like helping out at the church and even getting her some groceries. She also shows this controlling mom figure by lying and shutting the door on Evie, the woman who Ben has been keeping company. I think Linney was a great choice for the unpleasant mother of Ben role.

The random spurts of humor in "Driving Lessons" were another entertaining part that grabbed my attention. Evie, played by Julie Walters, is the somewhat kooky older lady that Ben keeps company. She plays the most humorous role in this film with her funny yet a little inappropriate comments. I think the director, Jeremy Brock, made a smart move when adding Evie's funny sayings throughout the movie. The humor was unusual and not similar to other comedy movies, which is why I enjoyed it. For example, when Evie swallowed the car key and told Ben "..the key will be back with us in the morning! I'm as regular as clock work." was humorous and grabbed my attention.

Lastly, the overall idea and plot was something I liked throughout this movie. I loved the fact that they shot this film in England because it made the scenery like something I have never seen before. I also thought that the plot of the movie was very interesting and kept me wanting for more after each scene. I was very intrigued to see how Ben was going to be after taking care of Evie. I thought it was a good idea to incorporate the encounter of Evie and Laura, because they were the two opposites throughout the film. I also liked how Ben driving Evie everywhere related back to the beginning of the story, which was about his driving lessons.