Along for the Ride (2000)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Bryan W. Simon

Writer:

Jim Moores (writer)

Release Date:

March 2000 (USA)

Tagline:

A car. Two brothers. A dead dad. And some baseball.

Plot:

Two estranged brothers are forced to take a surreal and heartfelt journey to understanding, when they pick up the body of their deceased father in Mexico. A father they haven't seen in over 20 years.

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Randall Batinkoff	...	Terry Cowens
Dylan Haggerty	...	Vance Cowens
J.E. Freeman	...	Jake Cowens
Jenny Gago	...	Maria
Pepe Serna	...	Dr. Sanchez

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Montivagus Productions

Trivia:

The wig that Jenny Gago wears is the same wig she wore in Old Gringo (1989).

Goofs:

Continuity: The blanket that Terry uses to cover Jake in a previous scene and blows away, and is later miraculously in the trunk.

Quotes:

Terry: Weird, huh?
Vance: Yeah, weird.

Story, characters and photography overcome the obvious low budget.

I enjoyed this film for its "slow" development. The background of the characters and their relationship to one another is revealed the way one peels an onion: one thin layer at a time.

The plot, characters and photography overcome the obvious budget limitations to the point where one can forgive the occasional "roughness." In fact, this rugged (ragged) motif, set against the Mexican Desert, actually helps propel the story.

There were brave attempts on the part of the Cinematographer to give visual distinction to the "fantasy" sequences. These touches, perhaps a bit too subtle for the average viewer, would have been greatly improved with more money and resources, I am sure. It does, however, demonstrate the spirit of the overall film: This was obviously a work of passionate storytelling.