License to Drive (1988)

License to Drive (1988) – Raised by VHS Review

Some movies perfectly capture what it felt like to be a teenager in the late 80s, and License to Drive is one of them. Released in the summer of 1988, it paired Corey Haim and Corey Feldman—better known as The Two Coreys—at the peak of their teen idol fame. Toss in a young Heather Graham in her breakout role as Mercedes Lane, and you’ve got a VHS-era classic about freedom, rebellion, and just how far a kid will go for one wild night.

The Setup

Directed by Greg Beeman in his feature debut, License to Drive tells the story of Les Anderson (Corey Haim), a suburban teen who dreams of independence behind the wheel. After bombing his written driver’s test but bluffing his way into a temporary license, Les sneaks his grandfather’s prized Cadillac out for a date with Mercedes.

What follows is a chain reaction of chaos: tow trucks, punks, riots, a drunk car thief, and a hospital run in reverse gear. Feldman amps up the comedy as Dean, the overconfident best friend, while Richard Masur as Les’ dad delivers some of the funniest “80s dad” lines of the decade.

Memory Lane

For a lot of us, this was the movie that made getting a license feel like the ultimate coming-of-age milestone. Watching as kids, we dreamed about our first cars, late-night drives, and girlfriends as wild as Mercedes. The Cadillac became a symbol of freedom, even as it got wrecked panel by panel.

Rewatching it now, it’s a time capsule of suburban teenage rebellion—equal parts comedy and wish-fulfillment. If you grew up in the VHS era, License to Drive wasn’t just a movie, it was a fantasy.

Behind the Wheel

The film used nine different Cadillacs to survive its stunt work. Corey Haim only had a learner’s permit at the time, so an adult chaperone had to hide in the back seat during driving shots. Heather Graham, just at the start of her career, took a big step forward with Mercedes Lane, a role that still stands out in her filmography.

Critics were split—some loved the energy, others thought it went off the rails—but the movie more than doubled its budget, locking the Two Coreys into late-80s pop culture.

🎞 VHS Conspiracy Hotline

Fan theory alert: some believe License to Drive is secretly a prequel to The Matrix.

• Les Anderson = a young Thomas Anderson (Neo), growing up in a simulated 1988 suburb.

• The bizarre written test meltdown and surreal DMV scenes? “Glitches” in the simulation.

• Mercedes Lane is seen as an early Trinity archetype, designed to test Neo’s loyalty.

• All the cops, punks, and DMV examiners are NPC-style agents, programmed to push him into rebellion.

  
  

It’s wild, but once you see the Anderson name connection, it’s hard not to smile at the idea that Les’ joyride was Neo’s first test of free will.

Final Verdict

Messy, loud, and ridiculous—but undeniably fun. License to Drive isn’t just a teen comedy, it’s a snapshot of what it felt like to be 16 and desperate for freedom. It belongs on the VHS shelf right next to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Adventures in Babysitting.

Late Fee Rating: $81(Top-tier rewatch value — staying checked out forever.)