Oct 23, 2001 10:31 AM
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“Riding in Cars With Boys – PG-13 – In Theaters Now!
I saw the previews for this movie where the little boy is getting sprayed in the mouth with hairspray as his Mom does her hair, of Drew Barrymore’s character jumping around in circles and of that same character insisting she had given birth to a girl NOT a boy. I was under the assumption that it would be a light-hearted comedy. Drew Barrymore is a great comedic actress and we have seen proof of that in Never Been Kissed among other movies. I was mislead by the previews, BUT that’s not a bad thing!
The Story:
Drew Barrymore stars in this movie as Beverly D’Onofrio. She is daddy’s little girl until she meets Ray (Steve Zahn). She is fifteen and soon finds out she is pregnant. Her parents are very disappointed (the year is 1968) and embarrassed, but Bev tells them she will marry Ray to save them from humiliation. She marries Ray, but is upset by his constant drinking. Beverly had to give up her dreams of going to college and everyone knows how upset she is at the turn her life has taken. She makes the best of her situation and goes to night school to get her education. She always keeps her dreams in the forefront of her mind as her guiding light.
Her best friend, Fay (Brittany Murphy), who also gets pregnant and married in her teens, gives Beverly support. But when Bev finds out Ray has been wasting all their money on Heroin and has formed a deep addiction, she can take no more. She leaves Ray and starts her life with just her son. She does the best she can for him and continues trying to make her dreams come true.
About the Movie:
The movie is based on the book “Riding in Cars With Boys” written by Beverly D’Onofrio. Morgan Ward wrote the screenplay. It was directed by Penny Marshall. The movie was very good. It showed all the angst Ms. D’Onofrio went through on her road to success. I’ll talk about the supporting cast first: James Woods and Lorraine Bracco played Bev’s parents. They were great! It was a nice change of pace to see Bracco in a lighter role than that of her Soprano’s character. She got to be funny and understanding and supportive. It was an excellent part for her. The part of Fay was also outstanding. Murphy was made for that role. From the way she spoke to the way she helped Bev, it was a coming out performance for her. I was happy to see Sara Gilbert in this movie as well. I haven’t seen her around much since she was on the TV sitcom Roseanne. I am always glad to see a former TV star on the big screen. Her role was small, but it represented the life Beverly wished she had had.
Ok, Drew Barrymore! They said it was the performance of her life and they weren’t kidding! She was sensational! She gave this role humor, melancholy and regret. Never has Barrymore had the opportunity to do a performance like this. It can only open more doors up for her. The other best performance goes to . . . Steve Zahn! Fabulous! He was the loving boyfriend, the drunken partier, the heroin addict and the dead-beat dad, all in one movie. He made his character come alive. His career is on an incline right now and deservedly so. With his success of Joy Ride, which is also still in theaters, and this movie, plus the 2 more in production now, he’s a hot commodity!
I would definitely recommend this movie! I love true stories and this was no exception. It was not what was advertised, not what I expected it to be, but a truly great movie nonetheless!
Go See It!
Enjoy!
©2001 KAC
