Rating: 
Summary: emotionally raw, but a little watered down
Review: I was surprised to see the narrator is actually the adult son of Beverley Donofrio (played by Drew Barrymore), not Donofrio herself. But that gave the plot an extra layer that would not have been emphasized otherwise.Donofrio gets pregnant at age 15 in 1963 Connecticut. Her caring but insensitive dad makes her marry the guy, Ray (Steve Zahn), who is a junkie and high school dropout. The next 20 years focuses on Donofrio raising her son, watching her dreams die, and trying to figure out a way to leave Connecticut, hopefully for New York University. Brittany Murphy shines as Faye, Bev's best friend, and Steve Zahn is excellent as Ray, a junkie who isn't a monster but knows he just can't get it together to be a proper father. One is both sympathetic to Bev, and also resentful that she puts so much pressure on her son about failures in her life that she had a hand in bringing about herself. It's realistic, but I can't help thinking the book (which is a true story) will have much more to offer by way of what it was REALLY like to be young, struggling and rejected socially in 1960s America.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie- Truly Terrific
Review: This wonderful movie by Director Penny Marshall asks the question: Are parents to blame for the wrong choices of their children? "Riding in Cars with Boys" involves wrong and right choices. Because the class "Mr. Popular" insults the class "live wire" consolation is given by the class "drop-out" and the "live-wire", aptly played by Drew Barrymore is "knocked up." What do you do about that in the late 1960's. You marry the class "drop out" and deal with the results usually unhappily. The results entail about 20 years of troubles, joys, disappointments, triumphs, and growing up experiences. This true story does not fail to satisfy. Barrymore is good, but so is James Woods as her caring but sometimes insensitive father (who may have saved himself a pile of troubles if he had just bought that bra she wanted for Christmas when she was 13.) It spans the live of Beverly Donofrio from age 15 to age 35. Drew Barrymore does a very good performance at all ages. I've never seen any of her other work compare to this performance. What we have here is a comedy-drama about relationships between parents and child and parent as child and child and best friends too. Touching and tender the movie is just right to bring back hilarious and not so funny memories of what it is like to and what happens to girls who go around, "Riding in Cars with Boys." and, too, what it is like and what happens to boys who go aound "Riding in Cars with... (you get the picture).
Rating:
Summary: An uplifting, hopeful and scalding story
Review: A friend told me I would hate this movie. "It was supposed to be funny," she said, "but it was just awful. The character that Drew Barrymore plays is just a horrible, horrible mother." And it's true. Bev Donofrio, the main character played by Barrymore and the woman who penned the memoirs behind this movie, is not a "good" mother. She's a real mother, who approaches much of her life from the same self-absorbed perspective that she had when she was 15 and became pregnant. She's dramatic, possessed of a sense of self-importance and smugness that would never put her in running for Mother of the Year. She has said horrible, heartless things to her baby boy and instilled him with the sense that his arrival ruined his mother's life. And yet she was able to raise him, build her life, and evolve-at least a smidge-into a better person. When children take on the role of adult in the parent-child relationship, the responsibilities of caregiving become blurred. That dynamic is at the heart of this film. Jason, Bev's son, recognizes early on that he has to take the burden of responsibility in their relationship. Bev is a teenager for the first five years of his life, locked into a marriage with the man who knocked her up. He's a sweet, charming, drug-using dunce who doesn't understand or support Bev's strident desire to get an education and change her life. Bev chose to marry him because of pressure from her own father, who rejects her for her mistakes and who is largely unable to show his love for her. She recreates the same relationship with her son, not realizing until the end of the movie that she has done so. But through it all, Bev remains a force of nature. She stumbled along in her self-absorbed way, but learned enough about how to see other people that she could understand her effect on the lives of others. The movie isn't so much about becoming the perfect mother, but more about finding a sense of self-acceptance and clarity, and sharing that enveloping sense of acceptance with the people who need to know you love them. It's comedic, dramatic, and scalding-a truthful, well-acted story of mothers, sons, fathers and daughters. I didn't hate this movie, as my friend predicted. I admire it and respect its honesty, and would recommend it to anyone who has come to the stunning realization that their parents are not only people, but people who are growing and evolving alongside their children.
Rating:
Summary: The choice you make in life.
Review: Riding in Cars With Boys, is a great movie directed by Penny Marshall. Drew Barrymore plays the main character, Beverly Donofrio. She is a very spunky little girl who is dying to grow up. James Wood plays Beverly's conservative but loving father and the town's police chief.
When she finally is old enough, she falls for a popular jock that has no interest in her. She is devastated and heart broken over this that she falls for the next guy she meets. Her involvement with him lands her pregnant. Trying to make the right choice she decides to have the baby. Her family then insists that she marry the guy. She doesn't want to marry him and has a very miserable wedding.
Beverly is then a very unhappy teenage mother with a drug-addicted husband who blames her baby boy for the terrible life that she has. The story shows the happy, terrible and disappointing times in their lives. This movie is based on what happens when you make the right and the wrong choices. It shows how the different relationships in your life can influence the choices that you make.
I feel this is a great drama-comedy to watch, especially to all the young girls who are just dying to grow up.
Rating: 
Summary: A lack of emotional resonance.
Review: "Riding in Cars With Boys" is touted as a human drama about "a girl who did everything wrong but got everything right." I'm no novice when it comes to matters of child care and raising a family, but what exactly did the film's protagonist/antagonist accomplish in the course of bringing up her son that could be considered the least bit inspiring or heartwarming, two traits the movie aspires to embody? Based on the memoir of the same name written by Beverly Donofrio, it begins by introducing us to a young girl who, as seen asking her father for a push-up bra for Christmas (she's only 11 at the time), is blossoming into womanhood at an early age. Early enough, in fact, to conceive her first child at age 15, become a high school dropout to marry a loser and discover that being a wife and mother isn't all it's cracked up to be, no matter how hard she tries to pretend she's content. Drew Barrymore plays Beverly between the age ranges of 15 and mid-30's, and strives hard for success. Her husband, a drunken slob played by Steve Zahn, is more of an obstacle than a helping hand, spending his time drinking and nursing a heroin addiction, all the while ruining her aspirations of breaking free and going to college to make a better life for herself and her son, Jason. She has a best friend, Fay (Brittany Murphy), who carried a child along with Beverly, but is supported by her upper-class family, while Beverly's father, played by James Woods, has disowned her. For a while, the material seems to carry some good potential, as Beverly tries ever-so-hard to make a success out of herself. She studies for her high school diploma, makes plans for the future, and starts to get her life on track, only to find her dreams crushed in the absence of now-departed Zahn. But no sooner do we start feeling sympathetic for her than she starts doing things like drying weed for money, and dabbling with Fay in illegal substances, a decision that nearly costs her Jason's life. Throughout much of the film, she looks at raising her son as more of a job than a joy, the result being a lack of emotional resonance from her character. Her careless nature in her child's upbringing leaves one to wonder just exactly what we are supposed to be feeling for such a person who blames their child for spilling the beans about their wrongdoings, which results in further unhappiness. The film attempts to counter these irresponsible acts by incorporating a present-day story, set in 1986, as Beverly and a 20-year-old Jason travel to see his father for one last time. Here, Beverly is cold and embittered, as is Jason, who feels his life has been overshadowed by his mother's carelessness in raising him. Supposedly, this is aimed at providing these two characters a chance at reconciliation; I'll let you be the judge of whether or not such a ploy works. Barrymore, putting on all the charm and endearing smiles she can muster, succeeds in portraying a variety of emotions and moods, even if Beverly is not worth the time getting to know. Zahn makes a lasting impression as her addict husband, and Woods is a knock-out as a father crushed by a shocking revelation from his daughter. But acting alone cannot keep one from wondering why "Riding in Cars With Boys" wants us to feel pity for someone who doesn't seem to learn from her previous mistakes.
Rating:
Summary: Focuses on a mother/son relationship
Review: Remind me (again) not to read too many reviews of movies before I see them myself. After reading the "critics" I was expecting a rather cheesy tear-jerker with no heart or substance. Wrong, wrong, wrong...this one was a pleasant surprise, start to finish, and a totally charming movie.
Based on the book of the same title, Riding in Cars with Boys is both heart-rending and humorous. Drew Barrymore plays Beverly Donofrio, a youmg woman who becomes pregnant at 15 and is forced to live a life far different than what she'd hoped (or what her parents had hoped). James Woods is totally believable as her father, a man who tells Beverly she "broke his heart" when she became pregnant.
But the real surprise here is the focus of the movie. Although supposedly the story of Beverly, the events are told from the point of view of her son and it is clear that her failures as a parent form much of the basis for this film. She is less than an ideal parent, resentful of her son's intrustion into her life and forced to cope with more than her share of hardships (her husband is a drug addict).
As you can probably tell by now, this isn't exactly a family movie, so leave the kids at home. Gritty at times but also touching, too. Most of all, completely honest and believable.
Rating:
Summary: A moving story of mistakes, consequences, and perseverance.
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Why should we care?
Review: The acting, cinematography, and overall filmmaking for this movie were fine. What I fail to comprehend, however, is why this movie was even made in the first place. I found nothing special about Beverly Donofrio's life that would make me interested in hearing about it. In fact, the fact that she wrote a book about her situation (having a kid while still being a kid)--a situation that is in no way unique in this country--is illustrative to me of the fact that she never did grow up. I'm not saying that this woman's life is not important, or that her struggles were not very real and tragic ones. However, how are they different from what hundreds of thousands of women go through in life? What supposedly makes her special? I can think of nothing except the fact that she was a terrible, self-absorbed mother, whereas most mothers are willing to make sacrifices for their children. My life is nothing like Beverly Donofrio's was. I did go to college, and received my Master's degree before getting married. Then I had my family. And you know what? I still have to make sacrifices. That's what being a mother is about. Even though I got to do the things Beverly didn't get to do, there are still things I would like to do. Like voice lessons, violin lessons, dance lessons, even own my owm business. But I can't do these things, because if I did, I couldn't be a good mother. But then, I guess it was different for her because she didn't love her son; she just resented him and the burden he was to her. The only problem with her attitude is that, HE didn't make the choice to ruin her life--SHE did! And then at the end of the movie, she has the nerve to declare "I was a good mother!" Then I must be a saint. I usually judge a movie by whether it makes me a better person having watched it. Not only do I consider that this movie was a complete waste of my time to watch, but it actually took something away from my life and made me feel dirty and low. I could never recommend this movie to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Over 2hrs! 15th april 2004.
Review: Over 2hrs and i never wanted it to finish. I am a mad drewbie fan, so i could sit and watch her films allday. Anyone who likes her, will enjoy this film i can garantee it. A MUST SEE ITS BRILL
Rating:
Summary: The only good thing
Review: This movie was dragged on and stretched out to far. The only good part of the movie was Desmond Harrington.
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