DRIVER'S ED -- Bobby Farrelly's Too Old To Do Teen Comedy

Review by Steve Barton II

Without the presence of John Hughes, teen comedies haven’t hit the consistent peaks they once did. We get the occasional generational classic like Mean Girls and Superbad, but nothing has reached those heights for the new generation. While there are many talented artists who are young, fresh and hungry to prove their worth, we gave the wheel to 67 year-old Bobby Farrelly who was one half of the legendary Farrelly Brothers director duo. Bobby did co-direct comedy classics like Kingpin and There’s Something About Mary, yet Driver’s Ed is only his third solo outing in the director’s chair. Driver’s Ed follows a group of high school teens who end up on a wild road trip in the driver’s ed car to go visit Jeremy’s (Sam Nivola) girlfriend who is away at her freshman year of college. Jeremy is struggling with their long distance relationship and brings his newfound friends along on this wacky adventure.

The bright spot in Driver’s Ed is the cast of young actors playing the diverse and dynamic group of teens. While the characters easily fit into the archetype of each stereotypical teenager made famous by The Breakfast Club, this cast still makes it feel fresh. Each actor bounces off their counterpart well and it helps the sometimes cringy dialogue work with their authenticity and chemistry. Each character brings their own special flare, but the major standout was Aidan Laprete as the stoner kid, Yoshi. He delivers a mostly subtle, sarcastic comedic performance, but he also reveals some emotional depth midway through the movie and he might get the audience to drain their tear ducts. Along with the young adults, they added some comedic heavyweights with Kumail Nanjiani & Molly Shannon to fill in the supporting roles and deliver tons of laughs. Molly never ends a scene without saying something ridiculously stupid or funny that you can’t help but laugh at.

The major issue that this movie has is the writing is a bit too familiar and doesn’t have anything new to say. With the characters being familiar archetypes, you can easily predict where they’ll end up by the end and the hurdles they encounter on the way. While it may be paying homage to the old 80s comedies that we rarely get in the 2020s, the writer could’ve tossed in a few more twists and turns to make the adventure feel more fulfilling and less rehashed. The chemistry between the actors saves it from being just another paint-by-numbers slog from the oversaturated genre. Driver's Ed may have even benefitted from the humor going a bit more crude and nasty, but Farrelly plays it safer here and the film suffers from being too watered down. 

Overall, Driver’s Ed is a fun revisit to the teenage comedy scene, but nothing that’ll be considered a classic by any stretch of the imagination. Bobby Farrelly and Thomas Moffett do their best to recapture the magic that John Hughes had bottled up in his heyday, but the well is starting to dry up for them. The kid cast has some promising talent to keep an eye on for their future prospects, but Kumail and Molly continue to prove their comedic value in their respective roles. If you're in the mood for a simple, feel-good comedy that isn’t too absurd but also tests the boundaries of wacky and crude, call the Driver’s Ed team to get you to your local theater. 

Driver’s Ed is in select theaters and VOD starting May 15th! 

Rating: 3/5