The Travelling Toe: "Learning to Drive" (movie critique)

LEARNING TO DRIVE
movie poster

The Travelling Toe and a friend ventured outside the normal comfort zone of the neighborhood multiplex to a different one just to be able to see "Learning to Drive".

The movie stars Patricia Clarkson who is Wendy, a very successful book editor and author in NYC. The movie opens with Wendy and her husband Ted (Jake Weber) having a heated argument as they enter the taxicab driven by Darwin (Ben Kingsley). Ted is telling Wendy he is breaking up with her and wants a divorce. Wendy thinks Ted is just going through another phase and that they have been together too long for them to split up now. But Ted tells Wendy he is serious and he is in love with someone else. Wendy starts crying and yelling and Ted finally jumps out of the cab leaving a distraught Wendy alone in the cab with a befuddled Darwin. He drives Wendy to her home and he gives her a card with his name and number on it in case she needs a cab. But Darwin is not just a cab driver, he also is a driving instructor.

Wendy decides she has to learn to drive so she can go see her daughter Tasha (Grace Gummer) who lives in Vermont. Wendy, being a typical New Yorker, never learned how to drive a car as she had public transportation to get her where she wanted to go. If a car was required then Ted was the designated driver. But now Wendy must find her way to becoming more self-sufficient and if she wants to see Tasha she has to learn how to drive. She comes across Darwin's card and arranges for him to begin giving her driving lessons. Darwin is extremely patient with her and encourages her to achieve her dream of passing the driving test and even purchasing a new car.

Through this chaotic challenge for them both, they begin to share their stories. Darwin, who is from India, is a political refuge. He had been in jail for many years and his family all killed except for a sister. The reason for his incarceration is that he was a Sikh in a Hindu country and there is deep conflict between the two groups . During one day's lesson, Darwin asks Wendy for help in choosing a gift for a woman his sister in India has chosen for him - as in an arranged marriage. He is rather apprehensive about the situation and not sure how much they have in common. But Jasleem (Sarita Choudhury) finally comes to New York and she and Darwin are married.

As the driving instructions continue on, Darwin and Wendy share many stories, secrets and out of it comes a deep friendship and better understanding of each other's lives. Also Jasleem, at first shy and withdrawn, begins to make friends in the neighborhood and changes as well.

This movie was fun to see and we both enjoyed it so much. We feel sure that this movie will not be a big ratings winner in the movie box office stats. However if you choose to see "Learning to Drive" you will be glad you did - well hopefully so.

The Travelling Toe gives this movie 1 big toe up with it's own seatbelt if Wendy is driving.

The cast: