Riding in Cars With Boys

I found nothing special about Beverly Donofrio's life that would make me interested in hearing about it. In fact, the fact that she wrote a book about her situation (having a kid while still being a kid)--a situation that is in no way unique in this country--is illustrative to me of the fact that she never did grow up.

I'm not saying that this woman's life is not important, or that her struggles were not very real and tragic ones. However, how are they different from what hundreds of thousands of women go through in life? What supposedly makes her special? I can think of nothing except the fact that she was a terrible, self-absorbed mother, whereas most mothers are willing to make sacrifices for their children.

My life is nothing like Beverly Donofrio's was. I did go to college, and received my Master's degree before getting married. Then I had my family. And you know what? I still have to make sacrifices. That's what being a mother is about. Even though I got to do the things Beverly didn't get to do, there are still things I would like to do. Like voice lessons, violin lessons, dance lessons, even own my owm business. But I can't do these things, because if I did, I couldn't be a good mother. But then, I guess it was different for her because she didn't love her son; she just resented him and the burden he was to her. The only problem with her attitude is that, HE didn't make the choice to ruin her life--SHE did! And then at the end of the movie, she has the nerve to declare "I was a good mother!" Then I must be a saint.

I usually judge a movie by whether it makes me a better person having watched it. Not only do I consider that this movie was a complete waste of my time to watch, but it actually took something away from my life and made me feel dirty and low. I could never recommend this movie to anyone.

Guilted by her father into marrying the boyfriend who knocked her up, Beverly finds herself with a loving yet dim-bulb husband. He drinks excessively, routinely forgets things he should have remembered, shows up for work only when he feels like it, and ultimately succumbs to a drug addiction. Meanwhile, Beverly is estranged from her own parents, particularly her father, and is all alone save for her one loyal best friend. And when her friend is forced to move away, Beverly has only her son. And she was certainly not the best of mothers. When the tag line says "She did everything wrong," it's no joke. But somehow the two of them are able to keep going, and Donofrio's story turns into one of the most inspirational and heartwarming I have ever seen.

The entire cast was excellent, but Drew Barrymore was simply amazing. She must portray Beverly from the age of fifteen all the way up through thirty-six (a decade younger and a decade older than Barrymore herself at the time), and she does it beautifully. At each stage of the film, she nails down all the little nuances that define that partcular age. I think this is one of Barrymore's very best performances. Brittany Murphy also shines as Faye, Beverly's best friend. The two of them are a perfect match. Steve Zahn does an exceptional job as Ray, the husband. He manages to add a great sensitivity to his otherwise deadbeat character. Adam Garcia turns in a moving performance as the grown son, and James Woods does an excellent job as the father who truly does love the daughter who so disappointed him.

The whole film has a great realism to it that is touching. These are real people. They have flaws, and make mistakes. Boy do they make mistakes! But we can relate to them, because we've all made mistakes. Donofrio's ability to keep going, to pick herself up and keep striding forward until she makes something of her life is truly inspirational. And not only that, but there is a real humor to the film. Through all her mistakes, Donofrio is able to laugh at the absurdity of it all, and I think this is a large part of what got her through.

The DVD also has some nice extra features. In addition to audio commentary by Drew Barrymore, there is an HBO "Making Of" featurette in which we meet the real Donofrio and learn how her story was transfered onto film, and are given further insight into Donofrio's own life. There are also featurettes on the cars in the movie, the set for the house where Beverly and her son lived, and Donofrio's relationship with her son, as well as the theatrical trailers. This is a great story, and is executed to perfection. Even the soundtrack adds depth and feeling to the film. I'd highly recommend the movie to anyone, and intend to add it to my own collection.