Alongside his brother Peter, Bobby Farrelly is partly responsible for some of the most iconic comedies of the 90s and early 2000s. Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, and Me, Myself & Irene are just a few of the endlessly quotable hits that captivated moviegoers across the United States. His latest film, Driver’s Ed, pales in comparison. Absent are the big swings of his earlier efforts, opting instead for a formula that’s been repeated ad nauseam.
The familiar story follows Jeremy (Sam Nivola), a film-obsessed high school senior infatuated with his college girlfriend. From a drunken dorm party, she hints at ending the relationship. In a fit of movie-inspired romanticism, Jeremy hijacks his driver’s ed vehicle (with his fellow students in the backseat) to drive to her school and win her back. He delivers an impassioned plea to his captives, and they eventually decide to come along to help, each learning something about themselves along the way. Jeremy’s companions are traditional teen comedy archetypes. Evie (Sophie Telegadis) is the pragmatic girl next door—her cynicism of romance painted by her father’s infidelity. Aparna (Mohana Krishnan) is the uptight valedictorian learning how to let loose. And of course, there’s a rebellious stoner named Yoshi (Aidan Laprete), mostly there for comedic relief outside of some forced emotional revelations that never quite land.
“In a fit of movie-inspired romanticism, Jeremy hijacks his driver’s ed vehicle…”
Movie lovers should be able to relate to Jeremy, whose bedroom walls are lined with film posters, including one from Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket. An aspiring filmmaker himself, you can’t help but wonder if he’s as interested in keeping his girlfriend as he is in finding a muse—the Karina to his Godard or the Thurman to his Tarantino. He and his passenger, Evie, have a clear chemistry, which only gets stronger as the film progresses. But in true cinephile style, Jeremy is set on seeing his grand, Richard-Curtis-esque romantic gesture through to its third act.
Thomas Moffett’s screenplay hits all the usual beats, never quite managing to surprise or dazzle the audience. There are some moments of comedic genius, but those are driven more by strong acting choices than the text. Kumail Nanjiani’s physical gags as the broken-armed substitute driver’s ed teacher are a real highlight, and Molly Shannon never disappoints with her over-the-top line deliveries. On the other end of the spectrum are a smattering of random bit characters, used in attempts for cheap laughs. Those laughs never come, and those moments make the already-disjointed story feel even more confounding. Moffett’s contrived attempts at Gen Z lingo stick out like teenage acne, shaking the audience from any shred of realism the film manages to conjure. Farrelly’s bland direction does nothing to pull us back in, but the performances do. It’s the core four who embark on this road trip that give the film a semblance of a soul. These young actors are fun to watch work, if only the material platformed their talent rather than holding it back.
Driver’s Ed is a film about learning to let your own experiences shape you. Real life doesn’t always play out like the movies, and the only way to figure that out is by going on the journey yourself. But Farrelly and Moffett fail to heed their own message, as this feels more like a rehash of the films that came before than its own unique quest.
"…There are some moments of comedic genius..."
