Bobby Farrelly on Driver's Ed, There's Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber, and The Secret to Never Feeling Old

Bobby Farrelly on Driver's Ed, There's Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber, and The Secret to Never Feeling Old

From Following Films Podcast by Following Films

May 12, 2026 · 17 min

About this episode

Bobby Farrelly discusses his new film Drivers Ed and his approach to character representation in comedy.

Welcome back to another episode of the Following Films podcast. I’m your host, Chris Maynard. Today on the show, we’re diving into a genre that feels like it’s been missing from the multiplex for far too long: the warm-hearted, 80s-style coming-of-age comedy. My guest is the legendary Bobby Farrelly, who is here to talk about his latest film, Drivers Ed . In the film, a group of teens hit the road in a stolen driver’s ed car, racing against time to help a lovesick high school senior (Sam Nivola) track down his college-freshman girlfriend and win her back. In 24 chaotic hours, they’re chased by school security and the cops, shot at by small-time crooks, and somehow adopt a three-legged cat. Also starring Kumail Nanjiani and Molly Shannon. Drivers Ed hits VOD this Friday, and honestly, it’s a breath of fresh air. It has that genuine heart and nostalgic energy that reminds you why we fell in love with these kinds of stories in the first place. Bobby and I get into the nuts and bolts of the new film, but we also take a deeper look at his career—specifically how he approaches the representation of characters with special needs. From the groundbreaking moments in There’s Something…

People in this episode

Host: Chris Maynard

Guest: Bobby Farrelly

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Drivers Ed, There’s Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber

More episodes of Following Films Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Following Films Podcast podcast page.