Along for the Ride

Was it predictable? Yes. Was it simple? Yes. But I wasn't able to stop smiling through the whole film because it was so dang cute. Even though it was as I expected it to be, it was comforting. And definitely not the cheesiest young adult rom com, which is a huge plus.

This is a cute high school to college summertime romance. The usual out-of-place, uptight, smart, old soul, sad girl meets: gorgeous, aimless, despondent, biker-boy (BMX, not motorcycle). It did NOT fail to satisfy my appetite for honest, feel good young love. The cliché, of course, is the obvious message to the audience that teens are actually more intelligent and level-headed than their parents. This time I'm not so certain they aren't correct! Her parents are all a few eggs short of an omelette.

The insecurity and bursts of emotion are navigated quite superbly, not too overwhelming; but sufficient enough to taste the angst, frustration, and potential for regret. Oh, to be young again.

What happened to Kate Bosworth? She only seems to do trailer park these days...

Beach themed coming-of-age romcom that doesn't wanna be more than it should - cute, semi-funny, pretty, etc. Won't shake up your world but will deliver summer vibes.

A holiday teen-romance coming-of-age movie centering on Auden (Emma Pasarow), a socially-awkward people-watcher who dreams of being somebody else. She moves to her father's home by the sea for summer and meets his new trophy wife and baby. While there she meets Eli (Belmont Cameli), a freewheeling spirit and polar opposite to Auden.

A furball of tropes then, yet despite that the setup is well done and shows promise. The cinematography is excellent, overarchingly pastel with some beautiful shots, particularly the color coordination choices. Synthpop music also supports the narrative and seaside theme.

Inevitably this is a derivative story, loosely based on all other young romantic fiction, and that begins to show through. The key criticism is the lack of chemistry between the two protagonists. Naturally that shatters the core love story; add to that the generic and formulaic plot, it rapidly becomes easy to predict and its charm fades.

An ok romantic movie to pass the time, do not expect to be wowed by it.

As someone who read the book, this was disappointing. The pacing was off, causing the plot to feel off and very rushed towards the end. I think the protagonist was poorly portrayed, and the acting was not quite up to par, creating a rigid and seemingly inauthentic character.