Film

Sex Drive

Cert: 15

Description: Ian Lafferty despairs that he will start college without having enjoyed the sins of the flesh. Ignoring the taunts of his numbskull older brother, Rex - "You're 18 and you've never had a girlfriend. That's how you get gay!" - Ian joins forces with buddy Lance to drive the 500 miles separating Chicago from Knoxville, home to internet fantasy, Ms Tasty. Best friend Felicia tags along for the exhausting eight-hour ride, which turns into three hellish days as the trio falls victim to outrageous misfortune, an Amish mechanic, a gypsy and a manic hitchhiker.

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Dir: Sean Anders.

Cast: Josh Zuckerman, Clark Duke, Amanda Crew, Seth Green, James Marsden

Country: US.

Year: 2008.

Duration: 109mins

Sex Drive narrowly misses the mark

Looking for love: Clark Duke (left) and Josh Zuckerman embark on their quest

By Derek Malcolm
8 Jan 2009

This is a teen comedy with at least a little bit of heart. An 18-year-old virgin (well played by Josh Zuckerman) is attempting to get his first experience of sex from Ms Tasty (Katrina Bowden), with whom he has provocative exchanges on the internet. The trouble is he�s in Chicago and she�s in Knoxville, 500 miles away.

Nicking his brother�s vintage Pontiac, he proceeds across country with his experienced pal (Clark Duke) and the real girl of his dreams, who doesn�t fancy him (Amanda Crew).

His adventures on the way include almost getting it on with a girl who turns out to be a member of a Christian chastity group, having the car stolen by Ms Tasty�s armed boyfriend and finally realising that the girl he originally fancied is after all prepared to be more than a friend.

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The film tries, not always successfully, for the kind of humour of which John Hughes might approve. But it is played with gusto and each of the characters avoids stereotype. It is also genuinely funny at least half of the time. The other half is a bit prurient in a style with which we are all too familiar now.