Drive-Away Dolls (2024)

2020s

Jul. 30

Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan star in Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s 2024 lesbian road movie DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS (aka DRIVE-AWAY DYKES).

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DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS

2024. USA.

Directors: Ethan Coen & Tricia Cooke

Screenplay: Ethan Coen & Tricia Cooke

Starring: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp, Matt Damon, Joey Slotnick, C.J. Wilson, Annie Gonzalez & Miley Cyrus

It’s 1999 and Lesbian besties Marian (Viswanathan) and Jamie (Qualley) head out on a road trip from Philadelphia to Tallahassee to visit Marian’s aunt. Jamie has just broken up with her girlfriend and Marian is tense and needs a break from work. Unfortunately, their trip doesn’t go as expected as the car they’re dropping off for a drive-away service is holding mysterious packages intended for a couple of bumbling criminals. After a flat tire, and an eventful run-in with a lesbian soccer team, Marian and Jamie discover the cargo and realize they are being followed.

DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS was written by husband and wife duo Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke. The film was first announced in 2007, but reworked during the pandemic. It was an especially important project for Cooke, who identifies as queer, and also worked as the film’s editor and uncredited co-director (apparently uncredited due to not being a member of the Director’s Guild).

About the film, Cooke stated in a recent interview with Filmmaker Magazine:

“I’ve said this 100 times, but I felt there weren’t a lot of—for lack of a better word—trashy, unimportant, lesbian films out there. I mean, it’s not easy being part of the community. Any part of the LGBT community can be rough at times and feel alienating. But there’s also a lot of joy and fun and pleasure, especially in community. So having co-authored that feels really satisfying.”

Cooke and Coen have created a very queer comedy, definitely capturing that joy, fun and pleasure.