Driving Lessons

Name: Driving Lessons
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Released: October 13, 2006
Duration: 98 min
Rating: 56
Cast: Julie Walters, Laura Linney, Rupert Grint

2006

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Ratings

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7.3

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7.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Ratings

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Driving Lessons

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Movie Details & Credits

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: October 13, 2006 | PG-13

Starring: Julie Walters, Laura Linney, Rupert Grint

Summary: An intensely personal rites of passage story about the influence that an older actress has on an awkward young teenager, the son of a vicar, when he goes to work as her assistant. (Sony Pictures Classics)

Director: Jeremy Brock

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 98 min

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Critic Reviews

Ruthe Stein

With the aid of a charmingly offbeat story and a jolly good dialect coach, the stars leave you thinking, well done. Their spirited performances help cover up glaring holes in the plot. Read full review

Chuck Wilson

While Driving Lessons' writer-director, Jeremy Brock, sticks to the all-too-familiar template of such tales, he's given Walters her best role since "Educating Rita." Hamming it up with the precision of a master, she makes this somewhat plodding film a pleasure, as does young Grint. Read full review

Ronnie Scheib

Basically conservative yet titillatingly "eccentric" British laffer could succeed in the "Full Monty" import slot. Read full review

Connie Ogle

Despite its slight and vaguely silly premise, Driving Lessons turns out to be sweet, never cloying, and amusing in an understated British way. Read full review

Gene Seymour

Driving Lessons follows the well-worn path laid down by other, better movies while making strained, ludicrous things happen toward the end. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

This coming-of-age movie, is a clumsy contraption, but it's nice to see Rupert Grint coming out from under that colorful thatch, and coming, not a moment too soon, into an appealing pre-maturity.

Steve Davis

Because screenwriter-director Brock fails to create a moving relationship between its mentor and student in life's lessons, the film hardly resonates five minutes after it's over. Read full review

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User Reviews

LesleyY.

Dec 3, 2006

I have seen this film numerous times, and while the US version is still good, it's highly lacking in the fact that the swear words were dubbed. That said, the film is highly underrated by critics in that they can't seem to get past the fact that conceptually, it's been done I have seen this film numerous times, and while the US version is still good, it's highly lacking in the fact that the swear words were dubbed. That said, the film is highly underrated by critics in that they can't seem to get past the fact that conceptually, it's been done before. Yes, we know that the road-trip has been done, we know the parallels to Harold and Maude, we know, we know, we know. What the critics are overlooking is one of the hardest things to do with a film, that Brock has managed to execute immculately: deep, intimate character development with very little blatant exposition. It gives its audience a lot of credit, showing us the characters and allowing us to realise who they are instead of shoving their attributes down our throats. Definitely of note are the performances by the actors and actresses, all able to pull off Brock's vision of characterisation flawlessly. Laura Linney was perfect, just the right blend of totally out-there crazy and believably broken; Julie Walters shone in her best role since Billy Elliot. And then there's Rupert Grint. This kid is so beyond Potter. His ability to get into the head of the character of Ben, and to show that to us in such an honest and unpretentious way, had me seeing stars. Both he and Walters deserve Oscar nods for this work. The movie is heavy, but not heavy-handed; it's light without being trite. (No, the rhyme was not intentional.) Go see it. You'll be glad you did.… Expand