Driven Movie Review

Driven (2001)

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Written by: Jan Skrentny & Neal Tabachnick (story), Sylvester Stallone (screenplay)
Directed by: Renny Harlin
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds, Kip Pardue, Til Schweiger, Gina Gershon, Estella Warren, Cristian de la Fuente
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
A young hot shot driver in the middle of a championship season is coming apart at the seams. A former CART champion is called in to give him guidance.

Verdict
It's a racing movie that provides enough thrills and character development to make it engaging, though it suffers from feeling generic. Stallone plays a washed up racer called to mentor a hotshot rookie. The racing is credible with the typical ups and downs that culminate in that final race to win it all. Will Stallone's leadership spell victory or is this kid not quite mature enough to handle the pressure?
It depends.

Review
Hotshot KART rookie racer Jimmy Bly (Kip Pardue) is doing well but becoming overwhelmed from the stardom and increasing obligations off the track. Retired veteran racer Joe Tanto (Sylvester Stallone) is called in to help the rookie. Joe thought he was called to race but soon learns from team owner Carl Henry (Burt Reynolds) this is just a temporary post. Joe impresses during a practice lap. When he's on there's no one better, and you know he's in the zone when he starts humming a tune. Jimmy automatically doesn't like Joe because he doesn't need help and the movie wouldn't have any tension otherwise.

Sylvester Stallone plays Joe Tanto

This is Tanto's first race since he almost died. He's seen hard times and cleaned up his act since then. This can be Tanto's redemption moment, though he'd rather fulfill that through racing instead of teaching. This movie checks all the boxes in the sports genre.

Jimmy just wants to focus on racing as reigning champ Beau (Til Schweiger) is coming for the top spot. Fame is becoming a distraction, and it doesn't help that his brother Demille (Robert Sean Leonard), acting as his manager, is more interested in the fame and fortune. Demille ignores his brother's subtle pleas for help. He's focused on getting rich off his cash cow. Jimmy gets involved with Beau's ex-girlfriend Sophia (Estella Warren) because movies in this genre need a love interest. It also provides a basis for Jimmy becoming completely overwhelmed when she goes back to Beau.

Estella Warren, Kip Pardue, Robert Sean Leonard play Sophia Simone, Jimmy Bly, Demille Bly

At a party for prototype KART cars Jimmy reacts to the pressure and gets in the prototype car, unleashing it on the streets. Tanto must save Jimmy from himself, chasing him down in the other prototype car. It's convenient there were two. They get into an argument and Jimmy finally starts listening to Tanto. He helps get Jimmy organized off the track which yields direct benefits on the track. With everything working as intended Carl Henry benches Tanto for another driver, Memo, because Henry and the writers like drama. Memo wants to prove himself in his first race back and ends up in a terrifying crash. Jimmy and Beau both forsake the race and get out of their cars to help Memo. It's a big hero moment as some things are more important than racing. The movie couldn't be more transparent if it tried, but that's what this movie is.

Brandenburg and Bly

Everything comes down to the final race, doesn't it always? Jimmy is injured and must prove his will to win and race. Since he didn't run the qualifier, he's all the way at the back. An early accident puts Tanto back there with him. They battle through the lineup together to reach the front and contend with Beau. This one race will dictate the season's winner. Will it be Beau of Jimmy? Jimmy's been racing so well that of course he loses his edge, putting everything he's worked for in peril. Tanto starts humming, so you know he means business. Who will finish first?

This movie wants to embody everything typical in a sports genre movie. Part of that has to be that Stallone knows the genre well. He wrote the prime example Rocky (1976) after all. While this came first, F1 (2025) does everything this attemptsed better. It's not a criticism that sports movies follow a pattern. That formula works well, driving tension and pushing viewers to root for the protagonist.