Casablanca's Rick Blaine said that "the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world." The movie industry, as a whole, tends to reject this philosophy. Dozens upon dozens of films about characters who "find themselves" have been made, all tributes to personal struggle - and Driving Lessons joins the parade in an effort that ultimately fails.
The film follows actor Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter films) as 17-year-old Ben, the son of a hypocritical evangelical Christian (Laura Linney), who takes a summer job helping an old actress named Evie Walton (Julie Walters) around the house. The two become fast friends, sharing a sometimes creepy but usually sweet relationship. Through Evie's influence, Ben begins how to unwind, rebel, drive, and most importantly, find himself. And through Ben's care and devotion, Evie regains the dignity which life has so tragically robbed from her.
Lessons is executed in a way that, for the most part, keeps the story touching, and the acting is good enough to make the film mildly interesting. Julie Walters's performance is stunning, and, surprisingly, Grint can actually act. Unfortunately, it is too hard to let go of the film's unimaginative premise to really get invested in the characters, no matter how real they seem, and Lessons rings uncomfortably false.
Aside from a cross-dresser who worms his way into the story, the film's obligatory comic relief warrants no more than a pity chuckle here and there. The worst part of Driving Lessons is simply that it feels like it's been done before: a lost teenager befriends an unlikely companion and, in the end, comes into his own. Ben, for example, finds his inner poet and tells off his mother. Points for Ben, but no points for an industry that needs to stop recycling old ideas.
