Drive (2011 film)

Drive
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Nicolas Winding Refn
Screenplay by	Hossein Amini
Based on	Drive by James Sallis
Produced by	Marc Platt Adam Siegel Gigi Pritzker Michel Litvak John Palermo
Starring	Ryan Gosling Carey Mulligan Bryan Cranston Christina Hendricks Ron Perlman Oscar Isaac Albert Brooks
Cinematography	Newton Thomas Sigel
Edited by	Matthew Newman
Music by	Cliff Martinez
Production companies	Bold Films[1] OddLot Entertainment[1] Marc Platt Productions[1] Motel Movies[1]
Distributed by	FilmDistrict[1]
Release dates	May 20, 2011 (2011-05-20) (Cannes) September 16, 2011 (2011-09-16) (United States)
Running time	100 minutes[2]
Country	United States[1]
Language	English
Budget	$15 million[3][4]
Box office	$81.4 million[4]

Drive is a 2011 American action drama film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The screenplay, written by Hossein Amini, is based on James Sallis's 2005 novel. The film stars Ryan Gosling as an unnamed Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver. He quickly grows fond of his neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan), and her young son, Benicio. When her debt-ridden husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), is released from prison, the two men take part in what turns out to be a botched million-dollar heist that endangers the lives of everyone involved. The film co-stars Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, and Albert Brooks.

Producers Marc Platt and Adam Siegel optioned the source novel after Siegel read a review from Publishers Weekly. Adapting the book proved to be challenging for Amini, as it had a nonlinear narrative. Gosling, one of Platt's top casting choices, eventually signed on for the lead, as he wanted to star in an action-oriented project. Gosling played a pivotal role in the film's production, which included hiring Refn as director and Beth Mickle as production designer. Newton Thomas Sigel oversaw the principal photography, which started on September 25, 2010, was shot on location in Los Angeles, and ended on November 12.

Before its September 2011 release, Drive had been shown at film festivals, including the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation. Refn won the festival's Best Director Award. The film was praised for its direction, cinematography, performances (particularly Gosling and Brooks'), visuals, action sequences, and musical score; however, some critics were appalled by its graphic violence and found that potentially detrimental to the film's box office success. Nonetheless, the film was still a commercial success, grossing over $81 million against a production budget of $15 million. Several critics listed Drive as one of the best films of 2011, including the National Board of Review. Its honors include a nomination for Best Sound Editing at the 84th Academy Awards.