Riding in Cars with Boys (Special Edition)

Riding in Cars with Boys (Special Edition)

Riding in Cars with Boys (Special Edition)
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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Brittany Murphy, Drew Barrymore
Brand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown); Chinese (Subtitled); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Korean (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 132 minutes
Published: 2002-03-01
DVD Release Date: 2002-03-19
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Movie Reviews of Riding in Cars with Boys (Special Edition)

Movie Review: A moving story of mistakes, consequences, and perseverance.
Summary: 5 Stars

I honestly wasn't expecting to be totally blown away by this movie. It didn't create much hype in theaters, and I only rented it now for two reasons - a friend recommended it, and I'm a fan of Drew Barrymore, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did, as I absolutely loved it. Based on the life of Beverly Donofrio, as written in her memoir (which I haven't read, and cannot compare the movie to), this film tells the story of a girl who gets pregnant at the age of fifteen. Through a series of flashbacks and narration by Donofrio's adult son, we see her struggle to raise her child while still growing up herself. She is determined to make a life for herself against all odds. And oh what odds they are!

Guilted by her father into marrying the boyfriend who knocked her up, Beverly finds herself with a loving yet dim-bulb husband. He drinks excessively, routinely forgets things he should have remembered, shows up for work only when he feels like it, and ultimately succumbs to a drug addiction. Meanwhile, Beverly is estranged from her own parents, particularly her father, and is all alone save for her one loyal best friend. And when her friend is forced to move away, Beverly has only her son. And she was certainly not the best of mothers. When the tag line says "She did everything wrong," it's no joke. But somehow the two of them are able to keep going, and Donofrio's story turns into one of the most inspirational and heartwarming I have ever seen.

The entire cast was excellent, but Drew Barrymore was simply amazing. She must portray Beverly from the age of fifteen all the way up through thirty-six (a decade younger and a decade older than Barrymore herself at the time), and she does it beautifully. At each stage of the film, she nails down all the little nuances that define that partcular age. I think this is one of Barrymore's very best performances. Brittany Murphy also shines as Faye, Beverly's best friend. The two of them are a perfect match. Steve Zahn does an exceptional job as Ray, the husband. He manages to add a great sensitivity to his otherwise deadbeat character. Adam Garcia turns in a moving performance as the grown son, and James Woods does an excellent job as the father who truly does love the daughter who so disappointed him.

The whole film has a great realism to it that is touching. These are real people. They have flaws, and make mistakes. Boy do they make mistakes! But we can relate to them, because we've all made mistakes. Donofrio's ability to keep going, to pick herself up and keep striding forward until she makes something of her life is truly inspirational. And not only that, but there is a real humor to the film. Through all her mistakes, Donofrio is able to laugh at the absurdity of it all, and I think this is a large part of what got her through.

The DVD also has some nice extra features. In addition to audio commentary by Drew Barrymore, there is an HBO "Making Of" featurette in which we meet the real Donofrio and learn how her story was transfered onto film, and are given further insight into Donofrio's own life. There are also featurettes on the cars in the movie, the set for the house where Beverly and her son lived, and Donofrio's relationship with her son, as well as the theatrical trailers. This is a great story, and is executed to perfection. Even the soundtrack adds depth and feeling to the film. I'd highly recommend the movie to anyone, and intend to add it to my own collection.

Summary of Riding in Cars with Boys (Special Edition)

RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS - DVD Movie
Riding in Cars with Boys achieves broad appeal as a tearjerker laced with hardscrabble humor. In the crowd-pleasing hands of director Penny Marshall, Beverly Donofrio's bestselling memoir loses much of its real-life gravity, but its rich humanity remains in abundance, especially since Drew Barrymore plays Donofrio with effortless charm. The movie spans 20 years, from Bev's pregnancy at 15 in 1963 (actually 17 in the book), through welfare parenthood with a heroin-addicted husband (Steve Zahn), and semi-adult resentment as her teenaged son (Adam Garcia) takes priority over her ultimate goal of finishing college and publishing her memoir. For all of Barrymore's winning tenacity, it's Zahn's goodhearted loser who gives the film its genuine soul while lending an edge to Marshall's cloying sentiment. The material begs for the subtler touch of James L. Brooks (who produced this and Marshall's more delicate hit Big), but that won't stop this movie from attracting a legion of admirers. --Jeff Shannon
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