Riding In Cars With Boys, 2001 (Grade B)

Director: Penny Marshall
Any Awards?  none that I know of
Cast:  Drew Barrymore; Steven Zahn; Brittany Murphy;  Adam Garcia;  Sara Gilbert; James Woods; Mika Boorem; Lorraine Bracco; Skye McCole Bartusiak; Maggie Gyllenhaall VIncent Pastore; Rosie Perez

story summary:  smart youg girl gets pregnant at 15 -- marries a good-hearted, but dim-bulb of a boy and thus has her life's ambitions challenged by having to attend to mother hood and supporting a family. Eventually she does succeed at her greatest ambition--and her son finally learns what what he needs to know--taht is to ask for help--from his father.

sez says; this is a sleeper of a movie--I had heard it was good when it came out but had never followed-up. I had taken it for a female coming of age flick.  It is much more that that. It is about female friends, and it is about coming of age...but it is also about life altering mistakes, facing adversity without being heroic, about plans going awry, about moving forward, inch by inch, and about family sticking together even when individuals are not getting what they want. It is about people not being able to see themselves as others see them.   It is a whole lot of real life happening.  It is an appealingly little move with lits of big issues being considered. And the acting is adequate to the task.


mjc says:  Her husband proves that sorry isn't enough