Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)

Director:

Penny Marshall

Writers (WGA):

Beverly D'Onofrio (book)
Morgan Ward (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 October 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Based on a true story.

Plot:

A single mother, with dreams of becoming a writer, has a son at the age of 15 in 1965, and goes through a failed marriage with the drug-addicted father.

Plot Keywords:

College | Party | Working Class | Heroin | Single Mother

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Drew Barrymore	...	Beverly Donofrio
Steve Zahn	...	Ray Hasek
Adam Garcia	...	Jason
Brittany Murphy	...	Fay Forrester
James Woods	...	Mr. Leonard Donofrio
Lorraine Bracco	...	Mrs. Teresa Donofrio
Rosie Perez	...	Shirley Perro
Sara Gilbert	...	Tina Barr
Peter Facinelli	...	Tommy Butcher
Mika Boorem	...	Beverly Donofrio - Age 11
Celine Marget	...	Janet Donofrio - Age 8
Vincent Pastore	...	Uncle Lou
Maryann Urbano	...	Aunt Ann
Alissa Dean	...	Townie Girl #1
Jessica Leshnower	...	Townie Girl #2

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, drug and sexual content.

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Finland:K-11 | Germany:6 | Hungary:14 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Bloomfield, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Gracie Films

Trivia:

The real life Beverly D'Onofrio has a master's degree in creative writing. Drew Barrymore, who portrays D'Onofrio in the film, is a high school dropout.

Goofs:

Continuity: A red-shirted extra with a lunchbox walks across the street twice, in the same direction, when Bev asks her husband to move to California.

Quotes:

Fay: Okay, pretend that I'm your parents, say what your gonna say.
Beverly: Okay, Mom, Pop?
Fay: Yeah?
Beverly: I don't know how to say this...
Fay: But...
Beverly: I'm pregnant.
Fay: My daughter's a tramp! My daughter's a tramp! You're 15 years old, how could you do this to me? Why don't you just take my gun. Take my gun and shoot me in the head with it tramp! I wish that you were never born! How was that?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Drew Barrymore/Regina Spektor (#35.3)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

I'm Telling You Now

Very Interesting and Moving

I cried all the way through the movie - the drama and plot were well developed and the surface plot was anything but shallow. Barrymore played a different role from her normal persona, but it was definitely a success for her. The movie is told mostly in flashbacks, and is a little confusing at first. As the plot continues things start to fit into place, and you can't stop watching the screen. Murphey definitely stuck out in this movie too. Her personality bubbled off the screen, and she brought what little humor there was to the movie. I wouldn't classify it as a comedy, but it is a movie that I'd want to see again and again. I recommend it to anyone who is in the mood for a good drama.