License to Drive down Memory Lane!

Recently I saw Zee MGM playing the movie 'License to Drive' and I remembered when I saw it first and how...



The year was 1998.

I was preparing for one of my toughest exams - Quantum Chemistry.
While I was lost in the world of theorems and equations, my brother had his own exams in school. So there we were, two worried, exasperated, and really tired souls burning watts of electricity during midnight.


Sometime around 2:15 A.M., we decided to give our tired eyes and brains some rest and have a cup of tea with some telly watching to revive our energy and spirits.


While flicking through channels, we paused at a movie showing a kid going through his driving license test. OK. Wonder Years, another cocky American kid! Let's check it out for 5 minutes before we get off?

But, hey, the kid is funny, the situation is funny, the circumstances are familiar but tickling with their warped sense of humor. It happened to me too, when I was going through the test. Not that bizarre, of course!

So 5 minutes stretched to 15, 30, 60 minutes...till we were rolling around the floor stifling our laughter with our hands, lest the noise travels to our parents' room or neighbors. It was 4 AM in the morning, remember?!

So here are my reasons you should watch this movie:

1. The comedy is cute, funny, and familiar. Situations are bizarre but rocking. There are some superb car-driving scenes (not the Fast & Furious variety) but believable.

2. We all want to return to that age when we were so young and carefree. Imagine...your first crush with the hottest girl in school; when the opinion of your friends mattered more than anyone else's; when they said, "Dude, you're so cool," everything righted in your world; when you were grown up enough to think you could make your own decisions, but still worried about the wrath of your dad when he would find out....Well, this movie transports us back to that time.

3. Fantastic characters played by a brilliant cast. My most memorable chracters:

• Les Anderson - The kid who appears for the driving test and fails (due to his cockiness and over-confidence). However, one request from his high-school crush for a long drive during the night is enough to make him break all the rules and go for a romantic ride with his fair damsel. But little did this knight knew that his adventure would go so horribly wrong - his girlfriend gets drunk and passes out, his nerdy friends nearly get him beaten up, he nearly gets arrested, and his car is hijacked by a drunk driver.
• Mercedes - Heather Graham looks like a Barbie Doll in a silly, frilly pink outfit. Though she's more heavily made up than should be allowed, she still looks like every boy's fantasy. She doesn't have much to do in this movie, but she's very convincing in her role and... did I say pretty?
• Dean - The friend to whom Les brings around the car for some repair work and advice when Mercedes passes out. Dean is hilarious, the ultimate friend who motivates you for every step of self-destruction. The character is brilliantly played by Corey Feldman.
• Mr. and Mrs. Anderson - I simply loved them. Their roles are minor but so believable and absurdly funny. Mr. Anderson gets the shock of his life when he sees the condition of his prized Cadillac. While he was busy threatening Les with every possible repurcussion in the world barring bodily harm, his wife decides to have the baby! But who will save the day and take them to hospital when she wouldn't let go of her husband's hand? Of course, Les!

I suggest you just get your favorite munchkins and rent a DVD on a lazy afternoon and take a small trip down the memory lane!

Happy viewing!