Common Sense Media Review
Some language, lots of heartbreak in pop singer docu.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
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Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u
What's the Story?
Actor and recording artist Olivia Rodrigo invites viewers into the process of writing and recording her latest album in OLIVIA RODRIGO: DRIVING HOME 2 U. There's minimal background about her rise to fame before Olivia sets off on a drive from Utah to California, the same drive she made when she composed this album. She performs versions of her songs at places along the route, and these are interspersed with footage of professional performances and recording sessions.
Is It Any Good?
This mellow album documentary adds a welcome complement to others in the genre. This could be chalked up to Rodrigo's young age, or the way Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u is filmed as a combination of road trip and walk down memory lane. The languid pace and lull of expansive scenery -- drone shots capture lonely highways and fluffy clouds reflecting off placid water -- evoke the feeling of resting against a warm window on a long car drive. The film has a decidedly vintage look, attractively capturing the orange-red sunsets, neon-lit diners, and mid-century motels of the American West.
This '70s aesthetic is almost ironic considering Rodrigo was born in 2003. Her album also revolves around young love and (public) heartbreak. She comes across as genuine, a young woman barely a foot's length out of childhood, trying to figure life out. She talks about being a child actor, suffering a fear of failure, being overly critical with herself, and feeling inferior. She mentions the role her dad has played as a truth-teller for her. It would have been nice if the film had incorporated more of her family and friends, and some background to how she trains and improves her craft, to give viewers a more well-rounded view of the performer.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the pressures of fame, discussed directly and indirectly in Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u.
What do you know about this artist that didn't make it into this film? Does it feel like a full and accurate portrayal of her? Why or why not?
How would you describe the look of this film? Does it match the aesthetics of any of Rodrigo's music videos or album covers that you've seen?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : March 25, 2022
- Cast : Olivia Rodrigo , Dan Nigro , Jacob Collier
- Director : Stacey Lee
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Disney+
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Run time : 76 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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