Rating: 
Summary: C'MON....
Review: I love Drew Barrymore. She is warm, radiant, smart and has a genuinely unique screen presence. I also love some of Penny Marshall's films, most notably BIG, in which she displayed just the right light touch with the sentimental material. However, these two formidable forces notwithstanding, this movie is a bloated mess. Waaaaay too long, the painfully over-the-top diatribes mouthed by virtually all of the characters almost never sound real, especially as spoken by the young children. Nearly every scene features the aforementioned cars, with boys (or fathers or boyfriends or...), and nearly every scene works for sudsy, soapy tears. There is much more attention spent on the art direction of the sets, with their period-perfect detail, than there is on the formation of real characters. The most unfortunate thing here is that the nugget of the supposedly "true" story has some genuine emotional weight -- that of a too-young woman caught at the wrong time in history to become pregnant at age 15. Even so, it's ground that's been tread before, and much more deftly than it is here. The film features a number of evocative pop tunes and a truly terrible new-age rhythmic backbeat of a score by Hans Zimmer. The two stars are for Drew and for Steven Zahn, both of whom shine through some of the more painful moments with surprising depth.
Rating: 
Summary: GOOD IDEA< GETS OLD
Review: This movie was actually worth seeing, and a classic interesting all around good movie. But... after ahwile you start to feel like your watching someone else's home-made life story. Its a little drawn out and gets a little tiring. Worth seeing tho, it probably deserves closer to 4 starts...but not quite.
Rating:
Summary: Not the comedy the trailers speak of.
Review: This movie is a strict drama. That alone doesn't get it a bad rating, mind you, but the misleading trailers and tv commercials were unfair. My wife, being a teenage mom, expected to see a lighthearted movie about growing up with your kids. This movie is about getting beaten down over and over again for a decision that Drew makes when she is very young, in the end all is grand, but the journey is a mine field of hate, mistrust, and resentment....
Rating:
Summary: Drew Barrymore as a single mother
Review: Drew Barrymore is Bev, a precocious young woman from a conservative working-class family in Connecticut. Bev is sassy but also has her sights set on escaping her sleepy Connecticut home and pursuing college and a career as a writer. That is until her unplanned pregnancy at 16. Forced to marry her baby's father, a jolly, if barely employed loser named Ray Hasek (Steve Zahn), it becomes clear that Bev's future is effectively squelched. The story is told in flashback by Bev's now grown son (who is visibly not much younger than his mother) during a car trip back to CT. (In our present, Bev has just completed her memoirs. But can't publish them until Ray agrees not to sue the publisher for the undoubtedly negative things the book will tell of him.). Though her friend Fay (wonderful though underused Brittany Murphy) becomes a teenage mother as well, the story glances over all but Bev's travails. Although the screenplay makes sure we're aware of the passage of time - the music, hairstyles and cars change, and Bev becomes a sulky frump - Bev's life remains painfully stuck in time as the world passes her by. (She's too pregnant to got to the prom; friends she discarded in high school are either on their way to college or have already graduated). "Riding" is meant to be bittersweet, sort of like "A League of Their Own", but it's uneven. At moments the ordeal of single motherhood is sad, scary and funny at the same time, but the plot never works up to anything. No matter how much better Bev's life could get, nothing will give her (or her son) back years enslaved to an unwanted motherhood. Bev is meant to be intelligent, but she's too clueless about how to endure motherhood to become a mother. Her son bears a fair amount of resentment, having replaced Ray as the source of Bev's misery. Like Bev, the story uses and discards characters who don't serve its immediate needs. The flick wastes some interesting potential of having James Wood play Bev's conservative minded but loving father, the local police chief. At times he is both the greatest source and recipient of Bev's pain, but he disappears as a pivotal character soon after Bev's miserable wedding, only to make a last ditch appearance in the final few frames. Lorraine Bracco is similarly underused as Bev's mother. There are many funny bits, but on second thought, some seem a bit misplaced - like pregnant Bev trying to get herself to fall down the steps in order to induce an abortion. The movie also lacks an effective conclusion - the flashback concludes when Bev's son is about 8. At that point, Bev makes a desperate move to escape her dreary fate. With Ray gone, the boy turns on his mother and not only ruins her plans but drives away Bev's best friend. The end of the flashback occurs in the deep heart of a CT winter, yet nothing explains how these characters managed to pull their hearts and minds out of that bleak winter. Ironically, though Ray is useless as a person, his character is the only one to offer insight - near the film's end, and when he's been reduced to withered shell of his former self. If you're Drew Barrymore fan, you may want to go just to see your star done up as a prematurely middle-aged frump. Otherwise, you'll find the 2 hours dispiriting.
Rating: 
Summary: Riding in Cars with Boys
Review: This was a wonderful movie; however, it was not what I expected based on the previews. It realistically showed the consequences of teenage pregnancy and/or marrying an idiot. I will have my daughter watch this one before she starts dating. Maybe it will make her think about the seriousness of certain actions.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: This was a great movie. Drew Barrymore taps into a deeper part of herself to provide a very satisfying, full performance which puts her into a new league as an actress. Think Susan Sarandon.
There are plenty of touching moments in this film based on a true story, but what I liked was the good feeling that stayed with me when I left. It's a very well written script with a simple story, which if poorly done would be predictable and formulaic. But Penny Marshall has done a great job working with great actors and this is one movie worth seeing. It's fun to walk out of a theater and hear lots of other people saying "This was really good." Also, it's nice to see a movie where the trailer does not give away the best parts of the story. That's because this story is bigger than little scenes. it builds and deepens as you get to know and love the characters, even the losers. James Woods, Playing the father does a great job and so does Sara Gilbert (the teenaged faux femme fatale from American Beauty.)
Rating:
Summary: Riding with boys in cars
Review: The film was well cast. It was a touching story that was beautifully portrayed with believable characters, and great acting.
I went with my sister, and we loved it, and so did the audience. People continued to sit in their seats at the end of the film, while the credits were rolling. That's always a good sign.
Rating: 
Summary: Another moving film directed by Penny Marshall
Review: Penny Marshall brought us the charming film "Big" in 1988, and has now successfully brought us another moving, heartfelt film entitled "Riding in Cars With Boys," based on the life (and the book) of writer, Beverly Donofrio. Beverly, played by Drew Barrymoore, doesn't end up having the kind of life she thought she would have. She gets pregnant in high school by the not-so-smart Ray, played by Steve Zahn. They end up getting married and live in a house, that first appears to be a major dump, and things don't go too well from there. Ray has very little ambition in life. He goes from job to job and becomes an alcoholic and gets into drugs. Beverly still hopes to get into college to pursue a writing career, but fails on more than one attempt. All along, these two parents don't pay enough attention to their son Jason (even though you know they both really love him). Beverly especially, takes out her anger and frustration on her son, and blames her problems on everyone else, but herself. She is a good mother in a few senses, but this is one of those stories where the young child has to grow on his own with little support from his parents (who are wrapped up in their own lives).
Drew Barrymoore delivers a powerful performance. There are numerous scenes throughout the film that contain some outstanding acting from Barrymoore. Steve Zahn is effective as her husband, and deep down his Ray does have a good heart. The rest of the supporting cast turn in great performances including James Woods and Lorraine Bracco (as Beverly's parents), and the always-hilarious Brittany Murphy and Sara Gilbert (as Beverly's best friends). Five different talented young actors played Jason at ages 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8/9...and Adam Garcia (who is the narrator of the film) turns in a remarkable performance as Jason grown up (in college). Watch for a strikingly emotional scene toward the end of the film between Garcia and Barrymoore. I don't want to give away anything else in the film, because it's one of the better ones I've seen ALL year. It's funny, amusing, and captivating. I guarantee by the end of the film, you will be moved.
Grade: B+
Rating:
Summary: It has a lot to recommend it
Review: Though this movie was not well reviewed by the local paper, I enjoyed it very much. Penny Marshall's attention to details as the movie moved through different time periods was very good. The relationships were well developed and the characters were great. The young boys playing "Jason" were exceptionally good. I enjoyed following the story and some of the early humorous events were actually laugh-out-loud funny to me...good words and physical humor. Be sure to keep an eye on what is going on in the background of early scenes. I like happy endings and this had one that brought us full circle. Felt good.
Rating:
Summary: Riding in Cars with Boys
Review: This movie just has everything! It is hilarious and touching. Drew gives a wonderful performance as Beverly. Just go see it!
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