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Riding in Cars with Boys 2001 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Penny Marshall
PG-13, 132 min. (thematic elements, drugs, sexual content) |
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Starring: Drew Barrymore, Brittany Murphy, James Woods, Steve Zahn, Lorraine Bracco
Producers: James L. Brooks, Laurence Mark, Sara Colleton, Richard Sakai, Julie Ansell
Screenplay: Morgan Upton Ward, Morgan Ward
Cinematography: Miroslav Ondricek
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Released: 10/19/01 (Wide) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
"One day can make your life; one day can ruin your life. All life is is four or five big days that change everything," writes
Beverly D'Onofrio, the inspiration for Riding in Cars with Boys, the story of one woman's struggle to realize her dreams
while managing the ever-increasing burdens that she brings on herself. The four or five big days for D'Onofrio are usually
of the negative variety, resulting in setbacks and tragedies that hinder her chance for self-realization. The film is based on
D'Onofrio's book, which in turn
is her realized dream that she always longed for. Bringing her story to life is director Penny Marshall (A League of Their Own)
and a career performance from Drew Barrymore, who plays Bev in the film. The film is more about the triumph of
will over actuality and reality - only a relentless, stubborn person could navigate their way through the labyrinth of mistakes
and hurdles that present themselves in Bev's life. The success of Riding in Cars with Boys is built upon the viewer's empathy
and willingness to go along for the ride. In this particular picture, it works.
Bev (Barrymore) has aspirations of becoming a great writer at age 15 in 1960s Connecticut. Her father (James Woods)
considers her special and has a strong relationship with her. However, things take a turn for the worse when Bev's
insatiable interest in boys leads to a one-night stand with loser Ray (Steve Zahn). She becomes pregnant as a result and
quickly marries Ray, whose drug problem intensifies in the coming years. Bev's best friend, Fay (Brittany Murphy), who also
becomes pregnant and is married, so the two rely on each other to get through. Bev's son, Jason (played by several actors,
notably Adam Garcia who also narrates the story), must grow up supporting his mother through trying times without
Ray (he leaves due to heroin addiction) or many friends, with the exception of Fay's daughter, Amelia. The film is told
through a series of flashbacks, with the present storyline 1986 New York, where Bev and Jason are driving to seek approval
from drugged-out Ray to publish her story. Intercut between these flashbacks is Bev and Jason's current strained relationship
that culminates in a verbal showdown where their feelings are finally made known to each other.
The backbone of the film comes from the quality of its performances. Barrymore is stretched much further than any of her
roles to date, and she gives a moving, powerful effort as a character that ages from 15 to 35 during the film. How she plays
each scene depends on her acting counterpart - each scene is wonderfully balanced to match their distinctive styles. With this
breakout performance, Barrymore will surely be offered more serious roles in the future. Critical to the film's believability
is Zahn's Ray, whose tender-heartedness is eventually crushed by his insurmountable battle with drug addiction. Zahn plays
him near perfectly, with an ever-present glint of the easy-going boy we meet early in the story. Also making solid contributions
are James Woods and Brittany Murphy, who strengthen an already solid character study.
The film is cleverly told from the perspective of both Bev and Jason, since they are both at the heart of the story. D'Onofrio
was present during filming, and it's obvious that her influence with Barrymore brought out details that otherwise would have
gone unknown. Likewise, Garcia is able to draw from some of Jason's experiences and bring a sense of closure for the
picture in its final scenes. For me, Riding in Cars with Boys is more a story of survival than perseverance - it's clear that
things didn't work out entirely for Bev, but you're left with the impression that she'll make do with whatever she's dealt
considering the fact that she's made it this far.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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