Drive-away Dolls – Film Review
by Frank L

Director – Ethan Coen
Writers – Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke
Stars – Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein

The Coen Brothers, Ethan and Joel, have created a string of unique movies such as Miller’s Crossing (1990), Fargo (1996) and The Big Lebowski (1998) so that the words “a Coen Brothers film” is almost a brand. Tricia Cooke has been married to Ethan Coen for over thirty years. She has worked as an editor or associate editor on many of their films. Here she is listed as co-writer (along with her husband), co-producer and editor! Her marriage to Ethan is not a traditional one in many senses, as she says about Ethan “He asked me out on a date, and I told him I was a lesbian.”. Drive-away Dolls is a lesbian road trip movie awash with Coen Brothers’ typical odd-ball characters whom they encounter.

Jamie (Margaret Qualley), a free spirit, has split up from her cop girlfriend Sukie (Beanie Feldstein). She decides to join her prim friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan), who is a bank clerk and is comfortable in a smart, office suit, on a trip to Tallahassee, Florida to visit an aunt. They are very different personalities. To save costs they decide to take a drive-away car. A suitably Coenesque Curlie (Bill Camp) runs the drive-away car depot. The particular car which they take unbeknownst to them contains in its boot a locked case. The case has unlikely contents. It has to be in Tallahassee at a specific time. The car was meant to be picked up by two criminals, Arliss (Joey Slotnick) and Flint (C.J. Wilson). Marian wants to drive directly to Tallahassee so that the car is delivered on time. Jamie has other ideas and wishes to connect with the Sapphic world if they make a few detours. Her simple purpose is to get laid. They have a collection of encounters on the way, including a lesbian soccer team and a tough no-nonsense bar rejoicing in the name “The She-Shed”.  However, they are pursued by the criminals who are looking for the suitcase and its contents!

It is set in Philadelphia in 1999 before the mobile phone came to dominate the world so it has a certain nostalgic feel. Qualley is splendid as she pursues her “get-laid” goal with humour and a carefree determination while Viswanathan keeps her feet on the ground even if her primness mellows substantially.  They make for an impressive duo. All the oddball characters encountered bring a smile to the lips including Matt Damon as a US senator.

It lasts a mere 84 minutes but if you sit back and let the madcap nature of it all be your lodestar it provides a great deal of merriment and joyous fun. There is no need to rate it in the pantheon of Coen Brothers movies, just enjoy it for what it is.