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Those
with fond memories of her performance in "E.T." will find
it hard to swallow Drew as a
35-year-old mom, but you have to give her credit for trying. In fact,
this is unquestionably her most credible dramatic turn to date.
Based
on Beverly D'Onofrio's autobiography, Penny Marshall's movie introduces
its heroine as a boy-crazy bobbysoxer who, after one night of passion
with local dropout Ray (Zahn), finds herself pregnant. Abandoning
her dreams of college, Bev reluctantly becomes a housewife - only
to discover that, after six years of marriage, her husband is a
heroin addict.
"Riding
in Cars with Boys" could easily have become a sentimental tale
of one woman's struggle against adversity and eventual victory over
the odds. But it's far less straightforward than that, with Bev's
triumph coming at the expense of her relationship with her neglected
son (played as an embittered adult by Adam Garcia, in reality Drew's
senior by two years).
James
Woods and Rosie Perez contribute excellent cameos - as Bev's disapproving
father and Ray's shrewish second wife, respectively - and Barrymore
gives it all she's got. In the end, though, the film belongs to
Zahn, who turns his two-dimensional slacker character into a truly
heartbreaking portrait of disillusion and guilt.
Don't be surprised if he gets an Oscar nomination for his troubles.
Reviewed
by , 91Èȱ¬ Films
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