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Movies / On DVD / Driving Lessons
Driving Lessons

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Driving Lessons (2006)

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Reviews Counted:73

Fresh:35

Rotten:38

Average Rating:5.2/10

Consensus: Though it has charm, Driving Lessons is a middling offering in the genre where the youngster coming of age meets a quirky senior who teaches valuable lessons about life.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for language, sexual content and some thematic material

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:08-09-2006

Synopsis: With his orange-colored bowl haircut and freckled cheeks, actor Rupert Grint (known by millions of pre-teens as Harry Potter's cinematic sidekick) is perfectly cast as Ben, an awkward teenage boy... With his orange-colored bowl haircut and freckled cheeks, actor Rupert Grint (known by millions of pre-teens as Harry Potter's cinematic sidekick) is perfectly cast as Ben, an awkward teenage boy whose reticence almost trespasses into total muteness. After a lifetime of being reined in by his overbearing, deeply religious mother (the always spot-on Laura Linney), Ben enters into the social world via his job as assistant to one spitfire of a diva, the washed-up actress Eve Walton (the inimitable Julie Walters of EDUCATING RITA fame). Walton, unable to accept the disintegration of her once-lauded career, chews up the scenery with her theatrics, culled from both plays of her past (think Shakespeare soliloquizing on cue) and creations of her imagination (she constantly invents stories to tell Ben, forgetting them only hours later). Yet it is exactly this overdramatic flair for life that awakens something in the actress's repressed assistant, and, for the first time, Ben begins to assert himself and his ideas. Of course, this is much to the chagrin of his pious, controlling mother, who struggles in her stern way to keep Ben on the leash she has worked so hard to tighten around him. First-time director Jeremy Brock is no stranger to writing roles for strong women, having penned the scripts for MRS. BROWN and CHARLOTTE GRAY (played by Dame Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett). He proves that his sensitivity to detail and nuance translates to his directorial persona, crafting a movie that is as impeccably acted as it is carefully written, creating a balance between comedy and heartfelt drama that resonates deeply. [More]

Starring: Laura Linney, Rupert Grint, Julie Walters, Nicholas Farrell

Starring: Laura Linney, Rupert Grint, Julie Walters, Nicholas Farrell, Oliver Milburn, Jim Norton, Michelle Duncan, Tamsin Egerton

Director: Jeremy Brock

Director: Jeremy Brock
Producer: Alessandro Camon, Edward R. Pressman, Julia Chasman
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

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Reviews for Driving Lessons

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/27/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Evie is a character in search of a film that’s strong enough to contain her -- and sadly this isn’t it.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
09/23/06
Alan Morrison
Alan Morrison
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
09/23/06
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

One of the finest British films of the year, Driving Lessons is a powerful calling card for Grint, who's just turned 18, and, indeed, for Brock's talent as a director. Here's hoping there's a long career in store for both.

Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
09/23/06
Joe Utichi
Joe Utichi
FilmFocus

Its heart is in the right place but Driving Lessons never quite gets into gear, despite a terrific performance from Julie Walters.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
09/23/06
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
09/23/06
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

Familiar fare, it has to be said, but the component parts are done reasonably well.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
09/23/06
Trevor Johnston
Trevor Johnston
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It may not pass with flying colours, but Driving Lessons still motors along likeably enough.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
09/05/06
Matthew Leyland
Matthew Leyland
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Full of strong themes and witty interaction between its excellent cast, but it comes undone.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
08/05/06
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Brock subscribes to the new school of British Imperialism: crafting cozy little trifles that conquer foreigners with preciousness.

Full Review Source: I.E. Weekly | comment Comment
07/02/09
Amy Nicholson
Amy Nicholson
I.E. Weekly
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Peter Keough
Peter Keough
Boston Phoenix

Driving Lessons is as dull as its title.

Full Review Source: Washington City Paper | comment Comment
03/06/08
Tricia Olszewski
Tricia Olszewski
Washington City Paper

They say that truth is stranger than fiction, but as we see in most autobiographical coming-of-age films, adolescent truth is just as boring as adolescent fiction.

Full Review Source: Cinematical | comment Comment
09/18/07
Christopher Campbell
Christopher Campbell
Cinematical

The highlight here is most certainly Julie Walters, who hams it up royally, and does a fine job of making her role as an aging actress more than just a cartoon character.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
07/02/07
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
06/16/07
Sydney Morning Herald

A warmly funny coming of age story as the ultra conservative clashes with the unconventional in a confluence of the unexpected

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
06/02/07
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
05/12/07
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Típica besteira de cinema independente que se julga mais inteligente e observadora do que é na realidade. O surpreendente é perceber que, enquanto Walters e Linney apelam para caricaturas, o jovem Grint oferece uma atuação sólida e envolvente.

comment Comment
04/13/07
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

Too many alcoholic outbursts and pitiful breakdowns wear down your patience.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
David Noh
David Noh
Film Journal International

The film is anchored by Walter's brilliant performance. She has a field day with this rambunctious, pampered yet terribly insecure woman. Grint is often reduced to playing straight man, but his reactions are priceless and the fact that he and Walters have

Full Review Source: Murphy's Movie Reviews | comment Comment
01/11/07
Ted Murphy
Ted Murphy
Murphy's Movie Reviews
 
 
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