Driving Lessons

Seventeen-year-old Ben lives under his domineering mother Laura and a complacent father, Robert. Laura robs him of autonomy, forbidding a mobile phone and filling his days with religious duty while expecting him to deliver meals on wheels. Ben secretly chafes at the control and channels some rebellion into poems for Sarah that go unreturned.

Seeking independence, Ben pursues summer work to help care for Mr. Fincham and to escape Laura's grip. He answers an ad from Dame Evie Walton, an aging actress who needs a companion and driver. Evie quickly takes to him, offering both a job and an opportunity to break free.

Laura rejects a camping trip with Evie and instead proposes a country drive. She swallows the car key to prevent an escape, trapping Ben in the plan. The next morning she orders him to drive her to the Edinburgh Book Festival, setting the road trip in motion.

The improvised journey becomes a voyage of self-discovery for Ben. At the Book Festival he has his first sexual experience with Bryony, one of the young organizers, an event that marks his passage into adulthood. He comes to understand the power and responsibility that accompany growing up.

Back home, Laura interrogates Evie, convinced she corrupted Ben. Evie visits, but Laura rejects her; Ben rebels by walking offstage during the pageant and bikes to Evie's house, where they reconcile. This episode intensifies the rift with Laura and cements Ben's break from her control.

Evie arrives at the pageant, portraying God and whipping the crowd into a religious frenzy. Ben joins her in the car park, embracing his independence from his mother’s world. Laura chases them, trying to manipulate the situation with scripture, but Ben tells her to go away.

Laura is run over by Mr. Fincham, whose mental state has declined. In the hospital she experiences a near-death moment and proclaims herself a prophet with a personal message from God. She declares that she must divorce Robert and run off with Peter, setting up a new, unstable dynamic for the family.

Peter accompanies Laura to Cornwall to convalesce, leaving Ben to navigate the fallout of the affair. Sarah hints that the events were God’s will, and Ben bluntly tells her to back off. Evie’s steady presence provides a counterpoint as the family turbulence continues.

On Evie’s advice, Ben buys a tent and moves into the backyard, choosing solitude over the old pressures. He asserts his autonomy from Laura and begins to define his own path toward adulthood. The arrangement strengthens his friendship with Evie as a stabilizing influence.

Robert reveals he had asked Laura for a divorce as well, explaining his wish to remain faithful and salvage the family. Ben learns his father’s pain and his own capacity to forgive, which helps them rebuild their bond. The moment marks a turning point away from Laura’s fanaticism.

Ben commits to studying English at Edinburgh, signaling a fresh start away from the family turmoil. He reads a final poem to Evie, who praises his growth while acknowledging the distance he must travel. He promises to visit whenever he’s home from college, sealing a hopeful bridge to the future.

In the park, Ben reflects on his freedom from Laura’s control and the fragile peace with his father. He heads home to pack for Edinburgh, stepping toward university with a renewed sense of purpose. The closing shot frames his determined, hopeful stride into a new chapter.