16 May, 2006
Acclaimed British Screenwriter Jeremy Brock’s Directorial Debut
New York, NY. May 16, 2006. Sony Pictures Classics has picked-up the North American rights to Jeremy Brock’s directorial debut “Driving Lessons.”
The heartwarming, British comedy-drama stars Julie Walters, Rupert Grint and Laura Linney and screened to enthusiastic audiences at both the Tribeca Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival.
Britain’s accomplished screenwriter Jeremy Brock (“Mrs. Brown,” “Charlotte Gray”) makes his directorial debut with “Driving Lessons,” loosely based on his late teen years. Rupert Grint stars as Ben, a struggling young poet who accepts a summer job with former star of the British stage and screen, Dame Eve Walton (Julie Walters). The complete opposite of his religious and overbearing mom (played by Laura Linney), Evie becomes inseparable from Ben when she whisks him out of suburban-London on a misbegotten road trip to Scotland. Their unconventional journey combines his rite of passage into adult hood with the often hilarious moral battle for his soul, between Ben’s two strong mother figures.
Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and EVP, Acquisition and Productions, Dylan Leiner released the following statement from Sony Pictures Classics, “Jeremy Brock has created marvelous roles for the characters in “Driving Lessons.” We were huge fans of Jeremy’s script for “Mrs. Brown” and it is exciting to be able to share his directorial debut with audiences in North America as well as to be in business with ContentFilm International.”
Veteran producer Julia Chasman who collaborated with Brock on “Driving Lessons,” the first film released under her new production banner RubberTreePlant, said “Occasionally a film is born under a lucky star. I feel lucky indeed that the artistry of Julie Walters, Rupert Grint, Laura Linney and Jeremy Brock have been recognized by Sony Pictures Classics, and that our film will be guided by the extraordinary distribution expertise of Tom Bernard, Michael Barker and Dylan Leiner.”
Jamie Carmichael of ContentFilm International added, “We’re thrilled that SPC have responded so well to Jeremy’s wonderful film, Julie’s hysterically funny award worthy performance – and were on hand to witness the queues of screaming Rupert fans! We know they will do a great job.”
SPC Co-President’s Michael Barker and Tom Bernard and Dylan Leiner, EVP, Acquisition and Productions, negotiated the deal with international sales representative Jamie Carmichael at ContentFilm, and CAA. “Driving Lessons” was financed by the Premiere Fund at the UK Film Council.
“Driving Lessons” is a Content Film Intl. presentation of a RubberTreePlant production. Produced by Julia Chasman. Executive producers, Edward R. Pressman, Alessandro Camon. Co-producer, Alexandra Ferguson. Directed, written by Jeremy Brock. The film stars Julie Walters, Rupert Grint, Laura Linney, Nicholas Farrell, Michelle Duncan, Jim Norton and Tamsin Egerton. Sony Pictures Classics will release “Driving Lessons’ in North America.
