Wendy (Patricia Clarkson) never bothered to learn to drive. Why would she? The always-in-her-head book critic lives in Manhattan, where she has myriad public transportation options, as well as a husband who drives. But once her professor partner Ted (Jake Weber) abruptly dumps her for a young author, she must earn her license if she ever hopes to drive up to Vermont to visit her daughter (Grace Gummer, also known as the daughter of Meryl Streep who isn't inRicki and the Flash). And while the act of learning to drive also becomes a vehicle for Wendy's renewed independence, her Indian driving instructor Darwan (Ben Kingsley) has his own problems. Struggling to make ends meet, he rents space in his Queens home to several unnaturalized Indians. A turbaned Sikh, he's successful at shielding his housemates from the same authorities who repeatedly profile him as a terrorist. Despite Wendy and Darwan's disparate backgrounds — or maybe because of them — Learning to Drivehails a ride down a predictable romantic comedy road. But Clarkson and Kingsley's surprising chemistry and the latter's unforeseen comedic timing will astound you.
Comments are closed.
