Riding in cars with boys...

Title: Riding in cars with boys

Date of release: 2001

Synopsis: Drew Barrymore stars as Bev, it's 1965 and following a humiliating house party Bev finds herself knocked up by the local high school drop-out. One shotgun wedding later Bev and Ray shack up in a run down house and try to bring their son, Jason up as best they can.

Aspiring writer Bev (Barrymore) is identical to Drew's 'Josie Geller' from the movie Never Been Kissed that was released two years before RICWB. She's awkward, poetic and wears her heart on her sleeve, following a public humiliation she runs, and locks herself into the bathroom where she meets the enigmatic, yet dumb Ray Hasek. A lovable rogue, he avenges Bev's humiliation by goading the jock into punching him, whereby he ducks his head and no doubt breaks the boy's fingers. Driving away in a fit of giggles, with her best friend Fay Forrester (Brittany Murphy) and her boyfriend Bev finds herself drunk and one thing leads to another, only to be broken up by her own father, a local police officer.

The very start shows us a special bond between father and daughter that is sadly shattered when Bev breaks the news of her pregnancy. It's 1965, unwed mothers are considered shameful and Bev is forced into marriage with Ray. When Jason is born, months later Bev fails to bond with him as she was expecting a girl. The lack of maternal love is a running theme, and the family struggle to keep their heads above water, all the time Bev dreams of college, and of one day writing for a newspaper. A dream that is snatched from her time and time again by her forgetful, and junkie husband.

This heartfelt film culminates when Ray admits to Bev he's addicted to heroin, and after failing to beat his addiction he is forced to leave her and Jason behind. Jason is played by various actors as he gets older, and each actor brings the child to life as the intelligent and highly self sufficient child he has been forced to become. Throughout the film, it is the grown up Jason telling the story, as they are on their way to the trailer that Ray now lives in with his second wife, Sheila (Rose Perez) to ask his permission to publish her memoirs. Sheila refuses to let Ray sign, demanding money from the sales. But Ray has other plans, and sneaks the signed papers to his son in a touching scene.

Jason finally plucks up the courage to leave his mother, and with her blessing leaves for college with his childhood sweetheart, Amelia who is also Fay's daughter (her and Bev were pregnant at the same time). Bev, alone at a gas station in the middle of nowhere, calls her father and they reconnect on the journey home. It is a fantastic film, that depicts the time span well, accurately following the fashions and decors of the passing years. It is teary and joyful and a great film for when you don't want anything heavy or gory. At two hours I'd say it was a little long, but non the less I'd recommend you give it a watch. A fair 7/10.

Until next time, film fans.