License to Drive
License to Drive is a 1988 American teen comedy film written by Neil Tolkin and directed by Greg Beeman in his feature film directorial debut. It stars Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Heather Graham, and Carol Kane. The film was in production in late 1987. It was released on July 6, 1988, in the United States and grossed over $20 million at the North American box office. It was distributed by 20th Century Fox. PlotSouthern California teenager Les Anderson tries to get his driver's license to impress his crush, beautiful Mercedes Lane. He fails the knowledge portion of the exam but inadvertently causes a computer surge. Les's failing marks are thought to be irretrievable, but the Department of Motor Vehicles lets him pass the exam after comparing him to his twin sister's high marks. He eventually passes the road test, but his real test scores are finally retrieved and his license is revoked. Les tries concealing the truth from his parents, but his mother finds out the truth and his father grounds him for two weeks. Les had previously made plans to drive his grandfather's prized 1972 Cadillac Sedan de Ville and decides to sneak away anyway for a joyride with Mercedes. Mercedes gets drunk and then she and Les accidentally cave in the hood of the car after dancing on it. She passes out; Les panics and goes to his best friend Dean's house to have him fix the dent in the car's hood. Dean persuades Les to continue the joyride along with their friend Charles, but are unaware Les still does not have his license. The three put Mercedes in the trunk of the car and continue their night on the town, causing even more damage to the Cadillac. Meanwhile, Mrs. Anderson wakes up her husband late in the night announcing she is in labor. The next day, Les drops off Charles and Dean at their homes. Mercedes wakes up and believes that the night prior was a dream. Les drops her off at her house where they share a kiss. Les gets in trouble with his father Robert after returning home with the damaged Cadillac. Mrs. Anderson is still in labor, but since the car's transmission will not shift into drive Les is forced to drive his family to the hospital in reverse. She is taken into the hospital but a crane fails outside and a falling steel girder crushes the Cadillac, much to the shock of Les and Robert. Sometime later, Mrs. Anderson gives birth to twin babies, and the family tries to explain the state of the Cadillac to Les's grandfather, but Grandpa laughs it off as he reveals he has severely damaged his son's own BMW in an accident. Robert gives the BMW to Les and jokingly tells him to take good care of it. Although Les thanks his father, he has changed his mind and doesn't want it anymore. Mercedes pulls up in a white Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet and picks up Les. He gets in her car and drives away, implying that he eventually got his license. Cast
ProductionScreenwriter Neil Tolkin initially wrote the script under the working title ‘’To Live and Drive in L.A.’’, and focused on the universal teenage desire for freedom and independence, which, in suburban American culture, is almost entirely symbolized by getting a driver's license. Tolkin structured the story around this milestone, contrasting the agony of failing the test with the reckless liberation of stealing a car for a high-stakes first date. Tolkin's screenplay, dated as a third draft in September 1987, was acquired by Davis Entertainment and 20th Century Fox, who recognized its potential as a fast-paced teen comedy, a lucrative genre at the time. The studio brought on Greg Beeman to direct, marking his feature film directorial debut. The modest production budget was set at approximately $8 million. License to Drive was released in July 1988, hitting its target summer demographic and earning over $22 million domestically, securing its place as a successful, if critically maligned, entry into the 1980s teen movie pantheon. Principal photography took place in Southern California in late 1987. The setting was crucial, as Los Angeles and its suburbs are synonymous with car culture, making the loss of driving freedom all the more impactful. The production centered heavily on the automotive mayhem involving the grandfather's immaculate 1972 Cadillac Sedan de Ville. Numerous stunt cars were used to show the vehicle's escalating destruction throughout Les's disastrous night. The action sequences, including the memorable chase and the final reverse-driving scene, were designed to be over-the-top physical comedy. ReceptionBox officeIt earned $22,433,275 at the North American box office,[1] against a production budget of $8 million. Critical responseLicense to Drive received generally negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 24% approval rating based on 25 reviews, with an average score of 4/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Despite a hard-working cast and a premise that will appeal to its teenage target demographic, this deeply silly comedy only has a License to Drive audiences to seek out better films."[2] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 36 out of 100 based on 9 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[3] Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert gave the film two and a half out of four stars and described the film as "more-than-passable summer entertainment, especially when it identifies with the yearnings of its young heroes to get behind the wheel." He said the first half of the film was "very funny" but the second half was "much more predictable".[4] Music
Songs played in the film, but not on the soundtrack
Home mediaLicense to Drive was first released on VHS by CBS/Fox Video on December 15, 1988.[5] It was notable that some VHS versions of the film replaced the Nia Peeples song "Trouble" with "New Sensation" by INXS. A special edition DVD was distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment in the United States on May 3, 2005. Special features included interviews with Corey Haim and Corey Feldman, audio commentary with Greg Beeman and Neil Tolkin, deleted scenes, TV spots, theatrical trailers, and the film's screenplay (DVD-ROM). On January 17, 2012, Anchor Bay released the film on Blu-ray. Unmade sequel and trilogyIn an interview on Larry King Live, on March 10, 2010, the day of Corey Haim's death, Corey Feldman revealed that he and Haim had been developing a sequel, titled License to Fly, an idea initiated by Haim. Feldman also stated that there were tentative plans for a trilogy, with a third installment called License to Dive.[6] RebootAs of 2017, Fox Studios and Davis Entertainment were developing a female-driven reboot based on the film.[7][8] See alsoReferences
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