Riding in Cars With Boys: Critic Reviews

There's a sort of Hallmark tyranny at work.

The movie may be based on Beverly Donofrio's memoir of the '60s, but it misses the honesty and grit of the source.

Beverly is supposed to be a bad girl running with the wrong crowd, but most of the time she seems to be right out of a serioso episode of Laverne & Shirley.

A film with honesty, sincerity and a great big heart.

It strains for bittersweetness, but a heavy directorial hand (wielding a ladle of schmaltz) tends to overwhelm both the humor and the pathos.

Even though it outstays its welcome and is quite heavy-handed in its guy-bashing, it benefits from stellar performances by its stars.

Despite being scrubbed almost spotless, the story still makes its mark.

Every scene is coated with Marshall's thumbprints, ultimately connecting into a manhandled, mangled, misshapen whole, its themes written out in thunderously obvious cues.

The way that the screenwriter, Morgan Upton Ward, has shaped the material, Donofrio seems a bystander in her own life, a passive (if seething and resentful) victim of forces beyond her control.

The rough edges of Donofrio's life are either ignored or smoothed away, replaced by broad laughs and easy sentiment.

Not a great movie, although Drew Barrymore shines.

Don't be fooled by Columbia's heavy marketing, which exploits commercial title and producer James Brook's pedigree, for this humorless chick flick is one of Penny Marshall's worst films, one that even the usually charming Drew Barrymore can't salvage

We've suffered through worse chick flicks throughout the years . . .

...[Drew Barrymore's] best performance to date...

should bring Barrymore at least the promise of more interesting scripts through the letterbox.

Barrymore is a wonder in this role.

[Beverly] is a memorable character, a flesh-and-blood creation brought to life by an actress just beginning to hit her stride.

Although well made, this is a depressing film.

It's an embarrassment, a misguided tearjerker that will only make you cry if you spent good money to see it.

...Better than its dreadful theatrical campaign suggested [but] as prosaically made as the others in Penny Marshall's post-Big canon.

One can't stop wondering what trip this pandering seriocomedic drama is on...a self-pitying or egocentric one?

I can take or leave sentimentality, but I cannot ignore when a film actually portrays at least three truthful, complex relationships.

A wonderful, forgiving, surprising movie.

The film is buoyed by some excellent performances.

Drew esta genial, se gana completamente ser una recomendacion completa para la cinta.