Volume CXXXIII, Number 7 October 26, 2001 f

Riding in Cars with Boys is a good trip
MONICA GUZMAN
STAFF WRITER

Riding In Cars With Boys was another worthy addition to what I like to call "Mónica's Movie Musings." To elaborate, it made me cry almost as much as I did during Titanic--not necessarily a good thing, I know, but I felt enlightened by this film's honest examination of human nature. So, I can honestly say that the moving stuff in here is the real deal--the kind that doesn't require, say, a couple of guys playing violins on a sinking ship.

The cast of Riding in Cars with Boys. (Courtesy ew.com)

Directed by Penny Marshall (A League of Their Own, Get Shorty), Riding In Cars With Boys is based on the true story of Beverly D'onofrio (Drew Barrymore), a girl who learns the hard way that life isn't always what we expect it be. She gets pregnant at 15 and suffers through a short forced marriage with her drunken husband (Steve Zahn) who forever alters her life. The tragedy of the film lies in the fact that she can never accept her life as it is. Because of this, those who know and love her the most are hurt and rejected by her selfishness.
Steve Zahn, that crazy guy from Reality Bites and Joy Ride, is quite convincing and more dramatic than I thought he was capable of being. Raymond, his character, is a lazy heroin addict who drives Bev crazy, mostly because she never planned to end up with him. Ironically, though, he's also the most unselfish person in the movie.

Drew took full advantage of this difficult, but strong lead. The movie spans about 30 years of Bev's life; 25 of which Drew brilliantly plays herself. Although her 15 year old portrayal is a bit of a stretch for the 26-year-old actress, we as the audience have been brain washed to accept such age deception since the dawn of the teen movie--way before 30-year-olds played high school students in Clueless. Sadly, this particular scam made a certain 4'9" sixth grader believe that she was supposed to look like Alicia Silverstone by the age of 16… riiiiight….

On an eerily similar note, Brittany Murphy, best known among us "chicks" as Ty in Clueless, manages to perform well as Fay, Bev's best friend. Fay happens to be one year younger than Ty, though Brittany played Ty, ummmm, SIX YEARS AGO. The treachery continues.

Hey guys, I know what you must be thinking. "This is a mushy flick. I might cry, and then I'd be the laughing stock of the entire Bowdoin community. Boo-hoo." Well, I feel it is my duty to say you'd really be missing out if you pass on this one. This isn't anything like Clueless; it's more like Erin Brokovich, which, by the way, was nominated for Best Picture. If you missed that and learned your lesson, then be sure you head to Hoyt's this weekend and redeem yourself.
¾ polar bears