FILM REVIEW: License to Drive

We’ve always been a fan of car based movies; we love the quirky Dude Where’s my Car through to the action packed Fast & Furious series & this 80s film – License to Drive – doesn’t disappoint.

The film revolves around 16 year old Les (Cory Haim) & the aftermath of him failing his all-important driving test (we’ve all been there & it is heartache!). After scoring a date with the aptly named Mercedes (Heather Graham), Les has neither the courage nor sense to cancel & what follows is a calamitous night of misfortune; the majority being suffered by Les’s ‘borrowed ride’ – his Grandad’s classic Cadillac. Les’s friends & a cast of random night urchins turn what should have been a perfect first date into a disaster; if you imagine ‘Harold & Kumar get the Munchies’ but with an 80’s feel, you’ll have a pretty good idea of the type of cast…just less stoners!

As you’d expect from an 80’s film, there is an abundance of big hair, cheesy dialogue & questionable ethics – an unconscious Mercedes being stuffed in the boot of the car, so the guys can try & chat up some girls comes to mind.

I found the film to be a decent coming of age film & a top notch cameo by a certain James ‘Uncle Phil’ Avery (Fresh Prince of Bel Air) did nothing but improve the film.

It was also nice to see a young Heather Graham before her roles in the hit US comedy cult series Scrubs & her role as Jade in The Hangover

At 86 minutes the film is just the right length, it has a few laughs and is a film I’d definitely watch again.

The DVD is being released on 30th July by the DVD distributor Second Sight, these guys specialise in classic & cult cinema & re-releasing them on modern format. If you’re into any sort of cult cinema, I’d recommend you take a look at their collection - www.secondsightfilms.co.uk

Unfortunately there is a chance that those born in the 90s or later may not really get the film, or think the story slightly mundane, however for those born in the 80s we’d definitely recommend it!