riding in cars with boys

Director: penny marshall

Actor: drew barrymore,steve zahn,adam garcia,brittany murphy

Data Published: Fri Oct 19 2001

Genres: Biography,Comedy,Drama

Key Words: single mother,writer,pregnant teenager,father daughter relationship,drug addiction

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200027/

WIKI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riding_in_Cars_with_Boys

Description: Riding in Cars with Boys is a movie starring Drew Barrymore, Steve Zahn, and Adam Garcia. 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...

Plot: In 1961, eleven-year-old Beverly "Bev" Donofrio rides with her father, Connecticut police officer Leonard, to the Christmas tree lot. When she reveals that she wants a bra for Christmas in order to get the attention of a boy she likes, Leonard tells her she is too young to be thinking about boys, and to focus on books. Now 1965, Bev is now an intelligent, but naïve teenager. Her dream is to go to college in New York and become a writer. She joins her friends, Fay and Tina, at a party. Fay finds her older boyfriend Bobby, who is about to be deployed to Vietnam, while Bev gives a love letter to a popular boy named Sky. When Sky reads the letter aloud, Bev flees to the bathroom. She is consoled by Ray, a stranger, who then defends Bev's honor and fights with Sky. Bev and Ray, with Fay and Bobby, flee the party. The four go to a lookout, where Bobby and Fay have sex. Bev is overcome by Ray's kindness and they also have sex. Leonard, who is on duty, drives up and brings them to the police station, where Bev claims that they only kissed. Bev discovers she is pregnant. She tells Ray, initially turns down his offer to get married, then placates her shocked parents by agreeing to a hasty wedding. At the reception, everyone is avoiding Bev, so Fay publicly announce that she is also pregnant. Fay confides to Bev that her father wanted her to put the baby up for adoption, but she and Bobby will be getting married instead. The two girls eventually celebrate the fact they will be mothers together. Over the next few months, the girls bemoan missing out on three things: their childhood, prom, and an education. Bev gives birth to son Jason, while Fay has daughter Amelia. Bev continues to pursue her education. When Jason is three, she wins the chance for a college scholarship. Unfortunately, Bev's interview goes badly when she is forced to take Jason along. Although the interviewer praises Bev's writings, he states that she has too many distractions. Later, Fay reveals that she and Bobby are getting divorced, because he met someone while stationed in Hawaii. Bev tells Fay that she's not sure if she loves Jason, because his birth has cost her so much. When Jason almost drowns in Fay's pool, Bev vows to be more attentive. On Jason's seventh birthday, several people from Bev's high school show up to his party: old friend Tina is now engaged and going to NYU; and Tommy, who had a crush on Bev, just graduated from Berkeley. He suggests that Bev move her family to California and pursue her education there, since the state offers financial aid. Ray agrees to the plan, but on the day they are supposed to leave, he confesses that he is a heroin addict and spent their savings on drugs. Bev helps him detox, but Ray sneaks out to get more drugs. When he tells Bev that it's impossible for him to quit, so she tells him he should leave instead. Ray agrees, but young Jason chases after him in tears, then tells Bev that he hates her for making Ray leave. Two years later, Bev still yearns for California. She and Fay help Lizard (one of Ray's old friends) dry weed in Bev's oven. Jason, still bitter, tells Grandpa Leonard, who arrests the mothers (Lizard had left). Fay's brother bails them out, using up their savings, on the condition that Fay and Amelia move away with him and cut off contact with Bev. Bev harshly tells the smug Jason that he ruined their lives. She claims that it's his fault Amelia moved away. Now 1985, Bev and Jason are driving to see Ray. She has written her memoir, but needs Ray to sign a waiver or else her book will not be published. While driving, Jason tells Bev that he wants to transfer from NYU to Indianapolis, but Bev refuses, saying that he is getting the education that she never could. Jason calls his now-girlfriend Amelia with the bad news. Amelia is dejected but assures him that she is not angry. Arrive at Ray's trailer, Bev explains why they are there. When Ray's wife, Shirley, demands $100,000, Bev screams at Ray and storms out. Jason follows her and calls her selfish for only caring about her book when he finally got to see his father again. He accuses her of being a bad mother and she storms off. Ray comes outside and talks with Jason, stating that leaving was the best thing he could have done for Jason and he believes it's the only reason Jason turned out so well. He sneaks the signed papers to Jason. Jason finds Bev, who insists that she was a great mother who sacrificed everything for him. Jason reveals that he will transfer in order to be with Amelia and apologizes to Bev for ruining her life. Bev softens and tells Jason that she is proud of him and thinks of him as the best thing in her life. She also tells him that she holds herself responsible for her various mistakes and poor choices and she never meant to blame Jason for them. She gives him her car to drive to Indiana. Beverly is forced to call Leonard for a ride. She complains to him how Jason blames her for everything wrong in his life. She then realizes that she herself has done the same to her father. Together, they sing a song from her childhood as they drive away.