jm10701 This is the stupidest movie I've seen in a very long time. All the characters, everything that happens to them, everything they do, and every word they speak is irritating, absurd and completely unbelievable.Rupert Grint and Nicholas Farrell are the only actors who show any restraint at all - Farrell probably from a strong innate sense of proportion and Grint probably from inexperience. But both Laura Linney and Julie Walters are so hammy that they made me cringe every time they opened their mouths.It's not their fault; it's the writer-director Jeremy Brock, whose moronic screenplay and ham-fisted direction are so annoying that I'm amazed to see that he continued to get work after making this awful movie. I haven't seen any of his other movies, and after suffering through this one I'll make sure I never do.

clare-skeldon Driving Lessons is a wonderfully light-hearted yet touching comedy. It centres around the bizarre and unexpected friendship that develops between a shy and mild teenage boy, Ben (Grint) and eccentric retired actress Eve (Walters). Ben is trapped in a mundane and unhappy life that is still being controlled by his overly protective Christian mother. Eve is an old woman who still clings on to her glory days as a well known actress, and refuses to be the sweet older lady that society expects her to be. The only similarity that connects these two characters is their loneliness, and when Eve employs Ben to do odd jobs around her house, a very unlikely friendship forms. What is great about the storyline is that it has a clear message; conforming to other people's ideas of how to live your life, be it through religion, your relationship with family, or who your friends are, doesn't guarantee happiness - it doesn't matter whether your life is deemed normal, if it makes you happy then you should do it. Who doesn't love a movie with good morals? What makes this film different and, for me, quite fantastic, is how rather than being a couple of small, bland characters in a big action packed plot, it is two well developed, 3 dimensional characters in a simple yet realistic story. While some may find the plot to be boring, I think there is a well established balance between the simplicity of the storyline and the depth and intricacies of the characters. All in all a great movie, I would recommend to anybody.

kiwitonita What a dreadful load a garbage. Luckily we paid no money to borrow the DVD so were able to skip repeatedly through this pitiful excuse without feeling too ripped off. The DVD cover said Hilarious - hmmm, if dreadfully slow, profane, idiotic acting is Hilarious then so be it. Don't believe the clowns who pen the movie description.Truly a sad piece of junk. Maybe some people here are so bereft of decency they can spot humour in a foul mouthed old bag and a stupid family with an agonising no plot, no talent script. Oops, there's another string of foul language Ha Ha Ha! Astonishing it gets more than 1 star. I have looked at IMMD for years but never felt prompted to register until now in order to rate this trash as it deserves.

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!