Driving Lessons 2006

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: Despite its slight and vaguely silly premise, Driving Lessons turns out to be sweet, never cloying, and amusing in an understated British way. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Writer-director Jeremy Brock has backloaded much of the hero's family conflict into the final scenes, which collapse under the weight. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: This coming-of-age movie, unlike Evie's sleek old Citroen wagon, 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. Read more

Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: Driving Lessons is a poignant miniature that offers [Julie] Walters a chance to be typically wonderful - saucy but deep - and [Rupert] Grint to stretch quite commendably. Read more

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Read more

Annemarie Moody, Arizona Republic: Driving Lessons, with perfectly cast actors, a poignant and often hilarious script and original music, is a study in how fun British humor can be. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: Everybody in the movie is so tightly wound that Walters seems a model of actorly limberness. Read more

Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle: Driving Lessons doesn't represent a zenith in the subgenre, and it trades on some feeble character ploys, but it's a kick to watch Julie Walters do a barmy-charmer bit on Rupert Grint. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: Amiable performances and a gentle, generous chemistry between Walters and Grint make the ride pleasant. Read more

Gregory Kirschling, Entertainment Weekly: Linney is too sensitive and capable an actress to play a stock villain like this. That everyone in the movie dislikes her makes you dislike everyone in the movie. Read more

Nancy Churnin, Dallas Morning News: This ensemble delivers, engaging in repartee like Roger Federer plays tennis. Read more

Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly: Brock subscribes to the new school of British Imperialism: crafting cozy little trifles that conquer foreigners with preciousness. Read more

Chuck Wilson, L.A. Weekly: While Driving Lessons' writer-director, Jeremy Brock, sticks to the all-too-familiar template of such tales, he's given [Julie] Walters her best role since Educating Rita. Read more

Gene Seymour, Newsday: Driving Lessons follows the well-worn path laid down by other, better movies while making strained, ludicrous things happen toward the end. Read more

Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger: It's sad to see actors like Walters and Linney mired in such undignified, one-note roles. The movie is an object lesson in the lack of good parts around for actresses, even on the indie front. Class dismissed. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Linney hits a single note for her uptight character, while Walters travels the scale indiscriminately. Her outsized eccentric darts from amusing to grating. Only Grint is just right, as the boy they, and the film, can't do without. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: Barely worth the trip. Read more

Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle: 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 more

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: [Brock] sticks to the inspirational formula of contemporary English sentimental comedies: that real life has little relevance. Read more

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: It's an exercise in calculated high-quirk in which the most egregious forms of stereotyping -- particularly along gender and religious lines -- attempt to pass for 'human' behaviour. Read more

Trevor Johnston, Time Out: Familiar fare, it has to be said, but the component parts are done reasonably well. Read more

Ronnie Scheib, Variety: Pic relies on chemistry that fairly crackles between the principals to successfully deliver its teen hero from familial repression and rescue its pubescent lead from child-star roles. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: The movie's life-affirmative agenda is ploddingly clear. Read more