Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Penny Marshall

Writers (WGA):

Beverly D'Onofrio (book)
Morgan Ward (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 October 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Based on a true story.

Plot:

A single mother, with dreams of becoming a writer, has a son at the age of 15 in 1965, and goes through a failed marriage with the drug-addicted father.

Plot Keywords:

College | Party | Working Class | Heroin | Single Mother

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Drew Barrymore	...	Beverly Donofrio
Steve Zahn	...	Ray Hasek
Adam Garcia	...	Jason
Brittany Murphy	...	Fay Forrester
James Woods	...	Mr. Leonard Donofrio
Lorraine Bracco	...	Mrs. Teresa Donofrio
Rosie Perez	...	Shirley Perro
Sara Gilbert	...	Tina Barr
Peter Facinelli	...	Tommy Butcher
Mika Boorem	...	Beverly Donofrio - Age 11
Celine Marget	...	Janet Donofrio - Age 8
Vincent Pastore	...	Uncle Lou
Maryann Urbano	...	Aunt Ann
Alissa Dean	...	Townie Girl #1
Jessica Leshnower	...	Townie Girl #2

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, drug and sexual content.

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Finland:K-11 | Germany:6 | Hungary:14 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Bloomfield, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Gracie Films

Trivia:

During one of the scenes with Bev ('Barrymore, Drew') and Fay (Brittany Murphy) "The End of the World" is playing. This is the song that Brittany Murphy's character has playing during a key moment in Girl, Interrupted (1999).

Goofs:

Continuity: After Bev and Ray get out of the car to discuss Bev being pregnant, her necklace moves in and out of her sweater between shots.

Quotes:

Tina Barr: Are we invited to this party?
Beverly: They're Fay's friends.
Fay: They're not. My parents are friends with their parents.
Beverly: What's important is that Sky Barrister will be there.
Fay: Sky has had his hands in everything you've got. And he has a ton of your poems. And does he call you once? No. Bev, you are truly a great person. But someone as conceited as Sky won't see that. Because all he can see is himself. You know I'm right.
Tina Barr: It's true, Bev.
Beverly: [pause]
[she observes Fay's dress]
Beverly: Let me wear that dress.
Fay: What?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Drew Barrymore/Regina Spektor (#35.3)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Would I Lie To You

Surprisingly Good 7/10

Riding in Cars with Boys is definitely a step into a new direction for actress Drew Barrymore. Drew, in her most difficult role to date, tries and succeeds through the majority of the movie. There are times when she goes a little out of bounds, and becomes outrageous -- but for the most part, she nails the part.

The film tells its story nicely, and has a strange and some-what heartbreaking ending. Steve Zahn is easily the high-point of this film. Zahn's character will be the one you think about the most when this film ends.

Riding in Cars with Boys works on enough levels to make it worth seeing.