Hop in the car, just don't expect a joy ride
Written: Nov 01 '01
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: The actors' performances
Cons: Unsympathetic characters
The Bottom Line: Worth seeing, especially for the performances
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| mmenke0226's Full Review: Riding in Cars With Boys |
Riding in Cars with Boys, directed by Penny Marshall and starring Drew Barrymore, Steve Zahn, James Woods, Lorraine Bracco and Brittany Murphy, is a good movie. With all the big names associated with it, it should have been a great movie. Blame it on the misleading previews (is it me, or does it seem that a lot of previews these days promise a lot more than the movies deliver?), but I was expecting a much funnier, more upbeat "chick flick." Unfortunately, nearly all the funny stuff happens in the preview.
Don't get me wrong. My better half and I both LIKED the movie, which is more than the friends we saw it with would say. I even told my daughter-in-law that I'd see it again if she can't convince my son to go with her, and I'll probably buy the video when it's available. I just think it could have been better.
The biggest problem with the movie is that it's based on a true story, and unfortunately, the real-life characters aren't very sympathetic or likable. Drew Barrymore plays Beverly D'Onofrio, who as a boy-crazy, teenage wannabe writer ends up pregnant and finds her life forever changed. Her parents (James Woods and Lorraine Bracco) are understandably disappointed, but Woods goes a little overboard when, at the wedding reception, he thanks the guests for standing by the family during such an unpleasant time. Then when his grandson is born, he tells him, "Your mother's 15, your father's a moron - and they want me to celebrate?" Get a grip, Dad - THIS AIN'T ABOUT YOU!
Beverly obviously inherited the self-centeredness gene from her father. Throughout the movie, we are subjected to her never-ending complaints about what fate has dealt her, and her inability to rise above it all. It was very disturbing to watch her young son, Jason (played very well by brothers Cody and Logan Arens) have to raise not only himself but both of his parents, too - at least until his dimwitted, drug-addicted dad (in a terrific performance by Steve Zahn) is forced to leave.
Not once does Beverly put her child's needs above her own. Even when she and best friend Fay (Brittany Murphy) take their kids to the park to play (Fay got pregnant shortly after Beverly), they're too wrapped up in their own conversation to pay any attention to the kids. Later, at Fay's mother's house, the two friends get high on pills and Jason nearly pays with his life when he falls into the pool. Yes, Beverly and Fay were only 15 when they became pregnant, but no one stays 15 forever. The kids were growing up; the mothers, however, were not.
The flashback format of the film also gave me pause early on. Drew Barrymore is young enough to play a teenager and get by with it quite well, but she loses credibility when playing a 35-year-old. To complicate matters, the movie opens with the older Beverly and her now-grown son, but the viewer doesn't understand that right away. It's not until she licks her fingers to smooth his hair - something only a mother would do! - that the relationship is clear.
If you've read this far, you're probably wondering what it is I liked about this movie. The fact remains that the performances were great, even if I didn't like the characters they were based on, and Riding in Cars with Boys is worth seeing for that reason alone. Just don't expect it to be a laugh-a-minute comedy.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Girl Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Plot
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Epinions.com ID:
mmenke0226
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Location: St. Louis, MO
Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 4 members
About Me:
Life-long St.Louis resident. Married, 4 grown sons, 4 grandkids. Freelance writer.
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