''Who's Driving Doug'' is a 2016 American independent

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

road film A road movie is a genre of film in which the main characters leave home on a road trip, typically altering the perspective from their everyday lives. Road movies often depict travel in the hinterlands, with the films exploring the theme of alie ...

directed by David Michael Conley, starring

RJ Mitte Roy Frank "RJ" Mitte III (; born August 21, 1992) is an American actor and producer. Born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, Mitte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was three. He moved to Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, Hollywood i ...

Paloma Kwiatkowski Paloma Kwiatkowski (born May 29, 1994) is a Canadian film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as List of characters in mythology novels by Rick Riordan#Thalia Grace, Thalia Grace in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (film), ''Per ...

Daphne Zuniga Daphne Eurydice Zuniga (; born October 28, 1962) is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1982 slasher film '' The Dorm That Dripped Blood'' (1982) at the age of 19, followed by a lead role in another slasher film '' The Initiation ...

, and

Ray William Johnson Raymond William Johnson (born August 14, 1981) is an American internet celebrity best known for his eponymous YouTube channel and his web series on that channel, ''Equals Three''. In 2013, the channel surpassed 10 million subscribers and had ...

, and featuring

Travis Flores Travis Michael Flores (April 7, 1991 – May 23, 2024) was an American writer, activist, philanthropist, and motivational speaker, best known for being an advocate of cystic fibrosis and queer youth. He was a published children's book author and ...

. It was produced by David Katz and Nicola Carbonetta and written by Michael Carnick. The film follows Doug (Mitte), an introvert with

muscular dystrophy Muscular dystrophies (MD) are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of rare neuromuscular diseases that cause progressive weakness and breakdown of skeletal muscles over time. The disorders differ as to which muscles are primarily affe ...

who goes on a road trip with driver Scott (Johnson) and friend Stephanie (Kwiatkowski) in order to get away from his overbearing mother (Zuniga).

Cast

as Doug *

as Stephanie *

as Alison *

as Scott *

as Kevin

Production

The film's writer, Michael Carnick, has Muscular Dystrophy, but the film is not strictly autobiographical. Casting for the film was announced in May 2014, with

, as well as comedian

, best known for his ''

Equals Three Raymond William Johnson (born August 14, 1981) is an American internet celebrity best known for his eponymous YouTube channel and his web series on that channel, ''Equals Three''. In 2013, the channel surpassed 10 million subscribers and had ...

'' series, being announced in his first film role. Filming began on May 27, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.

Release

''Who's Driving Doug'' was acquired by Filmbuff in early February 2016 and premiered at the

Santa Barbara International Film Festival The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is an eleven-day film festival held in Santa Barbara, California in February annually, since 1986. The festival screens over 200 feature films and shorts from different countries and regions. ...

on February 6, 2016. It will be released in late February.

Reception

''Who's Driving Doug'' received mixed-to-negative reviews. It holds a 20% on Rotten Tomatoes. Tirdad Derakhshani said of the film "Who's Driving Doug, an emotional coming-of-age story about a college student with osteodystrophy, is one of those movies that stacks the decks against critical viewers. If you don't like it, you come off as a heartless misanthrope - especially since its titular star, RJ Mitte, actually suffers from mild cerebral palsy. It's hard to enjoy a film peopled by so many unlikable people." ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' gave the film a generally positive review, praising the performances of Mitte, Zuniga, Johnson, with particular praising going toward Johnson, saying "Johnson makes the strongest impression of all. He can be alternately surly and sympathetic, maddening and generous; this is a beautifully nuanced performance." ''Back To The Movies'' called it a "A beautiful tale of love, life, responsibility and coping with life when the odds are stacked again you, ''Who’s Driving Doug'' is a heart-felt tale that tugs at the heart strings every step of the way."

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=3733606, title=Who's Driving Doug 2016 films 2010s drama road movies American drama road movies American independent films 2016 independent films 2016 drama films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films English-language independent films