#TIFF25: “DRIVER’S ED” REVIEW

By Amanda Gilmore

Director Bobby Farrelly’s latest is an endearing romantic comedy that pays homage to the classic 80s comedies we’ve loved.

It follows high school senior Jeremy (Sam Nivola) whose relationship has become a long-distance one due to his girlfriend Samantha (Lilah Pate) attending college as a freshman. After a call that may or may not be the break-up call, he impulsively plans to make a grand romantic gesture to keep her. He steals his driver’s education car with the three other students inside and heads to her campus. But will he make it before his principal (Molly Shannon) and driving instructor (Kumail Nanjiani) catch them? And if he does, will Samantha still want the relationship?

Driver’s Ed is a fun teen rom-com that brings us back to young love. How intense it feels, but how fleeting it all is. Nivola plays the lovelorn Jeremy with empathy. He’s a young man holding out hope when those around him are aware that hope is probably lost. The group of driver’s ed students forced to come along on his love quest is an impressive ensemble of young talent. Particularly, Aidan Laprete, who plays drug dealer/stoner Yoshi. Laprete delivers a brilliant deadpan performance that also gives layers to this usually stereotypical character.

The real scene stealers are Shannon and Nanjiani. Their years of talent and charisma playing off-beat characters if perfectly suited to these quirky high school tropes. Shannon is at her typical best, and Nanjiani performs the driving instructor as a bright light of positivity while literally going through the worst time in his life. We just wish there were more time with them.

Overall, Driver’s Ed is a cute road-trip Rom-Com that we may feel like we’ve seen before…but hey, don’t fix something that isn’t broke.

Driver’s Ed screens at TIFF:

Fri. Sept 12 at 9:30 PM at Roy Thompson Hall

Sat. Sept 13 at 3:00 PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales

Sun. Sept 14 at 9:05 AM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto