Driver's Ed

I saw this at the Seattle film festival and when it was over my smile muscles were well exercised. It wasn't long enough to wear them out. I would have loved to see a longer story by these folks. Early on I was laughing out loud and working hard to be quiet so I could hear the next funny line. (My wife also says I should have been quieter as she missed parts.)

Having just had two student drivers in the family I found it "almost" believable, touching, and still full of surprises. Mr Harp and his crew and actors really delivered pure entertainment with novel visual shots and lines that kept me a little off guard. It was hard to believe that they packed so much into such a short film.

It was easy tounderstand and dealt with a subject that relates well to most of us. I will be looking for more films from these folks.

As with my other fave of Thom Harps', Afternoon Delight, Driver's Ed hits the ground running and never stops. Great casting and terrific filming with a mastery over the short film genre is what makes this work. A short film comedy is all about the expert telling of ONE JOKE, and that's what this movie gets. Everything is about the setup, which is what makes it fun to watch multiple times. I won't throw in a spoiler, but the big "twist" of the film is awesome. I personally wish they had drawn it out even more as it was so excellently thought out, but that's nit picking. This is a drive well worth taking again and again.

Thom Harp is a major talent. Not only did he (and his excellent crew) meet the demanding standards of this entry into Seattle International Film Festival's Fly Film-making Challenge 2005, Harp surpassed this test and created a short film that is better realized than many a full length feature film on the big screens at present. Just as short stories are more tough to pull off than novels, short films carry the same burden - create a storyline that is immediately involving and interesting, keep an eye on the arc of the tale, and finish it off with enough aplomb to catch the viewer by happy surprise.

Kate (a very talented and camera-loved Jessica Skerritt) is at wit's end to secure a relationship with her off-to-college boyfriend and with the help of her 'co-horts' she decides to drive to the big city to be with him. Problem: Kate can't drive! Having failed her driving test X4, she engages a Safe-T Drivers instructor Mr. Meeker (a wonderfully subtle Tony Doupé) and proceeds to chatter away with the near-terrorized Meeker to the point of mishap. Yet despite her roller-coaster test drive, Kate is so committed to her obsession that Meeker assures her she WILL succeed...And so comes the resolution of the outing - with a huge dose of irony, comedy, and timing that makes this little film sparkle.

Co-written with Mike Standish, Harp achieves sharply drawn characters in a very limited time, characters about whom we care and whose comments, especially from minor characters Doug (Vincent Scott) and Kurt (Kaelon Horst), linger in that corner of the brain that traps good humor for later digestion. His direction is imaginative, creative, and solid, drawing a true ensemble result from his winning cast. A Terrific Aperitif - leaving us with hopes for a full-fledged feature!