Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)

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.

Director:

Penny Marshall

Writers:

Beverly D'Onofrio (book), Morgan Ward (screenplay) (as Morgan Upton Ward)

Stars:

Drew Barrymore, Steve Zahn, Adam Garcia

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 Ordioni	...	Janet Donofrio - Age 8 (as Celine Marget)
Vincent Pastore	...	Uncle Lou
Maryann Urbano	...	Aunt Ann
Alissa Dean	...	Townie Girl #1
Jessica Leshnower	...	Townie Girl #2

Storyline

Seriocomic story based on the memoir by Beverly Donofrio, the movie follows a young woman who finds her life radically altered by an event from her teen years. Born in 1950, Beverly grew up bright and ambitious in a working-class neighborhood in Connecticut; her father was a tough but good-hearted cop who listened to his daughter's problems, and her mother was a nervous woman eager to imagine the worst. From an early age, Beverly displays a keen intelligence and an interest in literature, and dreams of going to college in New York and becoming a writer. However, she also develops an early interest in boys, and at 15 finds herself madly in love with a boy from her high school. However, an attempt to get his attention leads to an embarassing incident at a party, and Ray, a sweet but thick-headed 18-year-old, steps forward to defend her. Beverly and Ray end up making out, and after one thing leads to another, Beverly discovers she's pregnant. Telling Ray is only marginally less difficult...

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Plot Keywords:

single mother | writer | pregnant teenager | father daughter relationship | drug addiction | 

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Taglines:

The story of a girl who did everything wrong, but got everything right.

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 October 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Riding in Cars with Boys

Filming Locations:

New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$48,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,404,652, 21 October 2001, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$30,165,536

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$35,743,308

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Gracie Films, Parkway Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Samantha Reale also stars in Dora Saves The Snow Princess

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Goofs

When Bev asks her husband to move to California, a red-shirted extra with a lunchbox walks across the street twice, in the same direction.

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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?
[...]

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Connections

References Bewitched (1964)

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Soundtracks

Cincinnati Dancing Pig
Written by Al Lewis and Guy Wood
Performed by Vic Damone

User Reviews

Real life is not a dream but hardship,pain and only sometimes filled with moments of happiness

A great movie in my opinion,not the usual melodrama-stuff,as some might believe reading just the plot.

The story of Beverly and Ray could be that of anyone of us.

Their marriage enforced by her pregnancy and consequently due to unwritten rules of puritanism governing a small Connecticut community,brought together two rather unexperienced and immature teens. Her behaviour after giving birth to Jason,conflicts to a certain extent to that of a normal mother.But was she a normal mother? We need to understand her! This pregnancy linked her to a unwanted man and brought life unexpectedly to a child.It blocked her dreams of going to high school and college,so her behaviour is justified to a certain extent.

Two scenes,at the end,I consider as masterpieces.

First her meeting together with the grown-up son at Ray's house,after years of separation,finding there a still drug addicted person,physically and even mentally finished.Ray feels guilty for all pain inflicted to her,but the only thing he can do now is to sign that paper authorizing her to publish the story of their life.

Secondly the scene of Beverly and Josua reunited as mother and son for a short while,embracing near Ray's house,before going each one a separate way.Josua to his beloved,she calling her father to catch her up with the car and go to home of her parents.

The last scene is particularly moving,father and daughter driving home in the car,sing that lovely song "Dreams".This might be bout all the unfulfilled dreams of her life,or perhaps an illusion that all her hardships were nothing else than a dream.No dreams whatever,all she lived was true life.And this was a serene,nice end ,after so much drama unfolding in her life!