Sex Drive (film)

Last updated
Sex Drive
Sex drive ver2.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Sean Anders
Screenplay bySean Anders
John Morris
Based onAll the Way
by Andy Behrens
Produced byBob Levy
Leslie Morgenstein
John Morris
Michael Nelson
Starring
CinematographyTim Orr
Edited byGeorge Folsey Jr.
Music by Stephen Trask
Production
company
Distributed by Summit Entertainment
Release date
  • October 17, 2008 (2008-10-17)
Running time
109 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$19 million [2]
Box office$18.8 million [2]

Sex Drive is a 2008 American road comedy film about a high school graduate who goes on a road trip to have sex with a girl he met online. It is based on the young adult novel All the Way by American author Andy Behrens. [3] The film was directed by Sean Anders, and stars Josh Zuckerman, Amanda Crew, Clark Duke, Seth Green, and James Marsden, while Katrina Bowden, Alice Greczyn, Michael Cudlitz, Dave Sheridan, and David Koechner appear in supporting roles. It was released in North America on October 17, 2008, and in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2009. The film received mixed reviews, with the performances of Duke, Marsden, and Green receiving praise.

Contents

Plot

Ian Lafferty is an 18-year-old recent high school graduate. He searches for a girl online making it seem as if he is attractive and strong, although he is sweet and unassuming. He soon meets "Ms. Tasty" and agrees to meet her in person. She lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, while he lives in Bartlett, Illinois. With his best friends Lance Nesbitt and Felicia Alpine, he goes to Knoxville in a 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge borrowed without permission from Ian's arrogant, homophobic and macho older brother Rex.

On the way to Knoxville, they come across a hitchhiker, as the radiator in the Judge overheats. They attempt urinating in the radiator, which only works briefly as they try to leave the hitchhiker in the dust. The hitchhiker, frustrated at Ian's lack of concern for his well-being, leaves, but not before urinating on the car window. As Ian and Felicia wander to find help, Lance is waiting with the car as Ezekiel happens to pass by in his horse-drawn buggy. Ezekiel and his Amish buddies repair the car. At the same time, they join a Rumspringa party where Fall Out Boy are playing a concert, and at which Lance meets an attractive Amish girl named Mary. The three promise to come again on the way back to do some work in return for fixing the car.

They go to jail due to Ian throwing a tire iron into a state trooper car, due to his increasing frustration after trying to put a possum he hit out of its misery, and they are released after Mary pays the bail. Upon arriving in Knoxville, they find a hotel that sports a wide variety of role playing rooms. Rex, who has discovered the Judge missing, arrives angrily and insists that they go back and that Ian cannot visit Ms. Tasty. After Ian pretends to be gay, Rex allows him to see Ms. Tasty, hoping this encounter will change Ian's mind. Ian finally meets Ms. Tasty. However, when he tells her about Felicia, her seduction of Ian becomes a threat as her psychotic boyfriend Bobby Jo puts a gun to Ian's head. It becomes apparent that they work at a chop shop and attempt to steal the Judge.

Lance and Mary arrive after having sex, as well as a redneck named Rick, whose girlfriend Brandy slept with Lance earlier. Felicia, however, is hiding in the car when Bobby Jo tries to steal it. Soon, a green car that has been continuously drag-racing with the Judge throughout the movie arrives. Ian manages to save Felicia, who then is able to run off and report to the police. Ms. Tasty tries to escape, but is stopped by the green car, whose drivers turn out to be Andy and Randy, two dim-witted self-declared "womanizers" from Ian's school, whom Ms. Tasty tried to manipulate into giving her the car. Bobby Jo is treated after being shot by Ian in self-defense. Felicia tells the police about the chop shop location and the couple is arrested.

Upon finding out that if Mary leaves the Amish community, she will be shunned, Lance refuses to come back home and stays behind to marry Mary, while Ian and Felicia realize their love for each other. Ian and Felicia drive to a tree where Ian throws his shoes up into the tree. A few weeks later Ian is Felicia's date to her cousin's wedding. At Thanksgiving dinner, Rex tells his family that he is gay. On New Year's Eve, Ian and Felicia have sex, in Ian's basement on the couch under a blanket. In the final frame of the film, a picture is shown of Lance and Mary getting married, accompanied by Ian. Lance is shown sporting a beard exactly like Ezekiel's. During the credits, a short scene shows Ezekiel and Fall Out Boy arguing over the fact that the Amish fixed Fall Out Boy's tour bus for just "a five song set" in form for compensation, referring to a running gag throughout the movie.

Cast

Soundtrack

Reception

Box office

Sex Drive grossed $3.6 million opening weekend, finishing in 9th place. It went on to gross $8.4 million in the United States and $10.4 million in other countries, for a total gross of $18.8 million, against its $19 million budget. [2] It made a further $10 million in home media sales. [4]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 45% based on 110 reviews, with an average rating of 5.23/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Sex Drive has some hilarious moments and is well made for a raunchy teen film, but will appeal to few beyond that demographic." [5] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 49 out of 100, based on reviews from 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [6]

Owen Gleiberman writing for Entertainment Weekly gave the film a grade B−, and suggests the appealing lead actors deserve a better movie, and particularly praises Seth Green for his performance. [7] Cammila Albertson writing for TV Guide says it's good for its genre, "funny, it's lewd, and it's actually kind of creative" and although it isn't art it makes the effort to include plenty of extra crazy, random bits. Albertson concludes "all that matters is if it's funny—and it is." and gives the film 3 out of 4 stars. [8]

Roger Ebert gave it 2 out of 4 stars, and wrote that although the film contained "some laughs [...] it is so raunchy and driven by its formula that you want to cringe". [9] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club called it affably mediocre, and "a limp variation on a hoary old teen-film trope". [10]

Home media

The film was released on two-disc DVD and Blu-ray Disc February 24, 2009, both featuring the rated and unrated cuts of the film. Preceding the unrated cut, an intro by director Anders and some members of the cast explaining that the unrated cut is a "fan's cut" and to watch the original theatrical cut before viewing the unrated version. The cut features an additional 20 minutes of footage, including more profanity (about 20 additional uses of the word "fuck"), and both male and female full frontal nudity.

Related Research Articles

<i>American Pie 2</i> 2001 US comedy film directed by J. B. Rogers

American Pie 2 is a 2001 American sex comedy film directed by James B. Rogers and written by Adam Herz and David H. Steinberg from a story by Herz. A sequel to the 1999 comedy film American Pie, it is the second film in the American Pie series and stars Jason Biggs, Shannon Elizabeth, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas, and Eugene Levy. The film follows the sexual exploits of five friends–Jim, Kevin, Stifler, Oz, and Finch–and their attempts to have the greatest summer party ever at a summer beach house.

<i>EuroTrip</i> 2004 American sex comedy film by Jeff Schaffer

EuroTrip is a 2004 American teen sex comedy film directed by Jeff Schaffer and written by Alec Berg, David Mandel, and Schaffer. It stars Scott Mechlowicz, Jacob Pitts, Michelle Trachtenberg, Travis Wester, and Jessica Boehrs. Mechlowicz portrays Scott "Scotty" Thomas, an American high school graduate who travels across Europe in search of his German pen pal, Mieke (Boehrs). Accompanied by his friend Cooper (Pitts) and twin siblings Jenny and Jamie, Scott's quest takes him to England, France, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Germany, and Italy, encountering awkward, humorous, and embarrassing situations along the way.

<i>The Dukes of Hazzard</i> (film) 2005 American film

The Dukes of Hazzard is a 2005 American action comedy film loosely based on the television series of the same name. The film was directed by Jay Chandrasekhar and released on August 5, 2005, by Warner Bros. Pictures. As in the television series, the film depicts the adventures of cousins Bo, Luke, and Daisy, and their Uncle Jesse, as they outfox crooked Hazzard County Commissioner Boss Hogg and Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane.

<i>Two-Lane Blacktop</i> 1971 film by Monte Hellman

Two-Lane Blacktop is a 1971 American road movie directed by Monte Hellman, written by Rudy Wurlitzer and starring songwriter James Taylor, the Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, Warren Oates, and Laurie Bird.

<i>Creepshow 2</i> 1987 American comedy horror anthology film

Creepshow 2 is a 1987 American comedy horror anthology film directed by Michael Gornick, and the sequel to Creepshow. Gornick was previously the cinematographer of the first film, and the screenplay was written by George A. Romero who was director of the original film. The film's stars were Lois Chiles, George Kennedy, Dorothy Lamour, and Tom Savini. It was once again based upon stories by Stephen King, and features three more horror segments consisting of "Old Chief Wood'nhead", "The Raft" and "The Hitchhiker".

<i>Ultraviolet</i> (film) 2006 film by Kurt Wimmer

Ultraviolet is a 2006 American science fiction action film written and directed by Kurt Wimmer and produced by Screen Gems. The film stars Milla Jovovich as Violet Song, Cameron Bright as Six, and Nick Chinlund as Ferdinand Daxus. It was released in North America on March 3, 2006 to negative reviews and performed poorly at the box office. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on June 27, 2006.

<i>Stay Alive</i> 2006 American film

Stay Alive is a 2006 American supernatural horror film directed by William Brent Bell, who co-wrote it with Matthew Peterman. The film was produced by Joseph McGinty Nichol, and released on March 24, 2006 in the United States. It was the first film released by Hollywood Pictures after five years of inactivity.

<i>Jade</i> (film) 1995 American erotic thriller film by William Friedkin

Jade is a 1995 American erotic thriller film written by Joe Eszterhas, produced by Robert Evans, directed by William Friedkin, and starring David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino, Chazz Palminteri, Richard Crenna, and Michael Biehn. The original music score was composed by James Horner based on a song composed by Loreena McKennitt. The film was marketed with the tagline "Some fantasies go too far."

<i>Demonlover</i> 2002 French film

Demonlover is a 2002 French neo-noir thriller film written and directed by Olivier Assayas, and starring Connie Nielsen, Charles Berling, Chloë Sevigny, and Gina Gershon. The plot focuses on the entanglement between various corporations vying for the financial control of an interactive 3-D hentai company, resulting in a power struggle that culminates in violence and espionage.

<i>Jackass Number Two</i> 2006 film by Jeff Tremaine

Jackass Number Two is a 2006 American reality slapstick comedy film directed by Jeff Tremaine, and produced by Tremaine, Spike Jonze, and Johnny Knoxville. It is the sequel to Jackass: The Movie (2002), both based upon the MTV series Jackass. Like its predecessor and the original television show, the film is a compilation of stunts, pranks and skits, starring the regular Jackass cast of Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Dave England, Ryan Dunn, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, Steve-O, Preston Lacy, and Ehren McGhehey.

<i>Pervert!</i> 2005 American film

Pervert! is a 2005 American comedy horror film directed by Jonathan Yudis. It is mainly a tribute to the films of Russ Meyer.

<i>Sliver</i> (film) 1993 film by Phillip Noyce

Sliver is a 1993 American thriller film based on the Ira Levin novel of the same name about the mysterious occurrences in a privately owned New York high-rise sliver building. Phillip Noyce directed the film, from a screenplay by Joe Eszterhas. Because of a major battle with the MPAA, the filmmakers were forced to make extensive reshoots before release. These reshoots actually necessitated changing the killer's identity. The film stars Sharon Stone, William Baldwin, and Tom Berenger.

<i>All in a Nights Work</i> (film) 1961 film

All in a Night's Work is a 1961 American Technicolor romantic screwball comedy film directed by Joseph Anthony and starring Dean Martin and Shirley MacLaine.

A Manic Pixie Dream Girl (MPDG) is a stock character type in fiction, usually depicted as a young woman with eccentric personality quirks who serves as the romantic interest for a male protagonist. The term was coined by film critic Nathan Rabin after observing Kirsten Dunst's character in Elizabethtown (2005). Rabin criticized the type as one-dimensional, existing only to provide emotional support to the protagonist, or to teach him important life lessons, while receiving nothing in return. The term has since entered the general vernacular.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Anders</span> American film director and screenwriter (born 1969)

Sean Anders is an American film director and screenwriter.

HWY: An American Pastoral is a short film by Jim Morrison, Frank Lisciandro, Paul Ferrara, and Babe Hill. Starring Morrison as a mysterious hitchhiker, it is a 50-minute experimental film in Direct Cinema style. It was shot during the spring and summer of 1969 in the Mojave Desert and in Los Angeles.

<i>Jolene</i> (film) 2008 American film

Jolene is a 2008 American drama film directed by Dan Ireland, based on the short story "Jolene: A Life" by E. L. Doctorow. It marked Jessica Chastain's film debut. It premiered on June 13, 2008, at the Seattle International Film Festival and was later released in the United States on October 29, 2010.

<i>Madness</i> (2010 film) 2010 Swedish film

Madness is a 2010 horror film written and directed by Sonny Laguna, David Liljeblad and Tommy Wiklund. It is a horror film that follows two young teenagers as they hitchhike with some boys, but get captured by a crazy family of Swedes. The film is rated R for violence, nudity, gore and profanity.

<i>Road Games</i> (film) 2015 film by Abner Pastoll

Road Games is a 2015 thriller film written and directed by Abner Pastoll. The film stars Andrew Simpson as a British hitchhiker travelling through France. IFC Films released the film theatrically in the United States on 4 March 2016. Icon Film Distribution released the film in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 26 August 2016.

References

  1. "SEX DRIVE (15)". British Board of Film Classification . 2008-09-23. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  2. 1 2 3 "Sex Drive (2008)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved August 22, 2009.
  3. Robinson, Tasha (October 17, 2008). "Q&A with Andy Behrens, the author behind 'Sex Drive'". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on May 15, 2009. Retrieved August 22, 2009.
  4. "Sex Drive (2008) - Financial Information".
  5. "Sex Drive (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  6. "Sex Drive". Metacritic . Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  7. Owen Gleiberman, October 16, 2008 Entertainment Weekly http://ew.com/article/2008/10/16/sex-drive/
  8. Cammila Albertson, TV Guide https://www.tvguide.com/movies/sex-drive/review/294812/
  9. Ebert, Roger (October 15, 2008). "Sex Drive movie review & film summary (2008)". Chicago Sun-Times .
  10. https://film.avclub.com/sex-drive-1798205053