Glück auf vier Rädern (2006)

Friedrich Sibelius, a psychology professor at a university in Munich, retires. His wife Anna, who is about to turn 60 and plans to direct A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the coming weeks, has made arrangements: Friedrich’s first few weeks will be packed with appointments, whether it’s looking after his grandchildren Linchen and Niki or taking his first driving lessons. Anna has already paid for the lessons in advance, knowing how much Friedrich will resist going to driving school. In fact, Friedrich, who wouldn’t even get on a plane of his own free will, wants to cancel the lessons, but changes his mind when he meets the attractive driving instructor, Eva Trostberg. Friedrich has plenty to do besides his driving lessons, too. He is needed as a performer in a documentary. He also discovers that his adult son Thomas has had a girlfriend for almost two years, and that they are both the parents of a little girl—Friedrich’s granddaughter. Anna doesn’t find out until she celebrates her 60th birthday, at which, much to Friedrich’s dismay, she also receives a gift certificate for a salsa class for two. Reluctantly, Friedrich lets himself be persuaded to dance and turns out to be quite good at it. He makes such good progress in his driving lessons, too, that he could take his test before completing the agreed number of lessons. But because he wants to keep seeing Eva, he drives like a beginner during the test and fails. Shortly afterward, during a driving lesson, another driver fails to yield to him. They collide, and Friedrich is injured. He is taken to hospital, where his injured leg is treated. Eva turns up and, at someone’s urging, greets Friedrich with a kiss. Anna sees them and is outraged. She forbids Friedrich from taking any more driving lessons. Friedrich is discharged from hospital. Since his leg still needs to heal, he can’t go on the skiing holiday with the family, but says he’ll join them later. He uses the time without his family to meet Eva. He takes her to an upscale restaurant. In the end, they both wind up at his apartment. Eva lies seductively on the bed, and Friedrich begins to undress her. He kisses her hand—which turns out to be Anna’s. He wakes up beside Anna in the holiday bedroom and realizes that his affair with Eva was only a dream, albeit a pleasant one. Linchen and Niki come running into the bedroom to wake their grandparents.