License to Drive (1988)
*** (out of 4)
Even though he failed his driver's test, a teen (Corey Haim) decides to steal his grandfather's Cadillac because the girl of his dreams (Heather Graham) asked him out on a date. After picking up his two best friends (Corey Feldman, Michael Manasseri) they head out for what's suppose to be a good time but they hit one disaster after another. This was one of my favorite movies before I hit 16-years-old because it was always a fun movie to watch and fantasize about what my first day out with a driver's license would be like. Watching the film now I was a little surprised to see how well it stood up and especially by how many of the jokes still pack a lot of laughs. This movie was clearly made to get the two Corey's together and they do a terrific job but the main reason for this is that the screenplay is so spot on and smart in terms of what happens. I think the screenplay perfectly builds up that teen spirit of being a dork and wanting the most beautiful girl in school. It perfectly builds up all the fun stuff that one does when they get a car. It perfectly builds up the two friend characters who are constantly want to do more and more simply because they're not the ones who own the car. The performances in the films are extremely good with Haim doing a great job with the nerd role. That shyness and laid back style of his perfectly fits this character and it's really the perfect mix for all the craziness that's going on in the movie. Feldman, to no shock, plays the wilder one and the two of them blending their styles makes it easy to see why they were so popular together. Graham isn't too bad either as she gets quite a few good scenes. Another major plus is Richard Masur and Carol Kane who play Haim's parents. They are both perfect in their roles and really add a lot of great laughs and especially Masur who pretty much steals the film with his lovable bear type performance. The soundtrack is totally 80s with The Breakfast Club doing a cover of The Beatles' "Drive My Car" and we've got Billy Ocean's smash "Get Out of My Car" and even a couple Sinatra songs added for great effect. This film isn't an Oscar-winner and it will never be confused as one. It is a great throwback to the 80s with some extremely good performances and a winning screenplay and that alone makes it worth viewing.
