Bettina, a recent LA transplant and struggling actress-turned-babysitter, must chauffeur precocious preteen Wynn, to a birthday party in Laurel Canyon. There’s just one problem — she barely knows how to drive a car.
Director’s Vision for ‘Learning How to Drive’
I didn’t know Bettina super well when she first told me about LEARNING HOW TO DRIVE. But what I did know was that her sense of humor was singular and addictive — a playful confidence that you hope will rub off on you if you’re around it enough. So, when she told me that she’d just written a script about an awkward period of insecurity and growth, I was confused. “You? Insecure?”
Bettina — like many iconic New Yorkers before her — had relocated to Los Angeles having never before been behind the wheel of a car. She’d often cry when maneuvering the entrance to a narrow parking garage or give in to a full panic attack when merging onto the freeway. Her fear of driving became a catch-all for the anxiety brought on by the move and all of the existential dread that comes with entering your late twenties.
But then she took a babysitting job for a precocious 10-year old who carried herself with an iciness that would make Anna Wintour proud. The girl needed to be chauffeured around town and wouldn’t entertain Bettina’s anxiety about driving. Bettina was forced to face her great fear and submit to the painful, awkward process that is growth.
LEARNING HOW TO DRIVE is a love letter to life’s small wins and a reminder that great lessons can come from unexpected places. It’s been a privilege to bring Bettina’s story to life at a time when levity feels rarer — and more necessary — than ever. I hope it inspires you as much as she inspires me.
