Theater-goers at the Gold Coast International Film Festival’s “Furman Film Series” installment of “Learning to Drive,” starring Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley, were treated to a conversation on Wednesday, Aug. 12, immediately following the showing at the Bow Tie Squire Cinemas in Great Neck with John Anderson, Wall Street Journal film critic and Newsday and American Magazine contributor to discuss the film.
Anderson appears frequently in the New York Times, and he has contributed to the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Nation, Film Comment, and the Village Voice. He is a past member of the selection committee of the New York Film Festival and the author of “Sundancing,” “Edward Yang” and, with Laura Kim, “I Wake Up Screening.”
With David Sterritt, he edited “The B List,” by the National Society of Film Critics, has chaired the New York Film Critics Circle in 2011, and is a member of the National Society of Film Critics.
Inspired by a true story, “Learning To Drive” stars Clarkson, a former Oscar nominee, and Kingsley, an Academy Award winner, in a feel-good comedy about an improbable friendship.
Wendy Shields is a book editor from New York facing a marriage crisis. Darwan Singh Tur is a driving instructor from India with an abiding respect for tradition. When Wendy sets out to reclaim her independence, she hits a unique roadblock – she never learned to drive. She hires Darwan, a driving instructor and part-time cabdriver, to teach her. They form an unlikely bond that inspires each to embrace the humor, freedom, and strength that come with starting anew.
With the Furman Film Series still in full-swing — having recently added “Time Out of Mind” starring Richard Gere and Broadway Legend Ben Vereen — Anderson added an extra dimension of Hollywood information and back-story to the screening of the film.
Tickets are now available for the upcoming special screenings of “Althea” on August 29 and “Time Out of Mind” on September 16.
For More Information On The Furman Film Series or to buy tickets, visit: https://goldcoastfilmfestival.org/upcoming-films-events/furman/
