Poster art for "Riding in Cars with Boys."

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So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 43 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
13 Iffy for 13+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 75
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    It's Barrymore's most ambitious role to date. She proves she is maturing as an actress. Read full review

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    A film like this is refreshing and startling in the way it cuts loose from formula and shows us confused lives we recognize. Read full review

  • 60
    The New York Times | Stephen Holden

    As the movie jumps back and forth in time, it displays an impressive cut-and-paste agility, skillfully interweaving humor and drama without tipping over into farce or soap opera. Read full review

  • 58
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    When Barrymore finally gets mean, the movie finally gets good. Then comes another sing-along, dammit. Read full review

  • 40
    Wall Street Journal | Joe Morgenstern

    It's as if the filmmakers, having committed themselves to the book, fled from its essence, which is wildness. Read full review

  • 40
    Variety | Robert Koehler

    The result under Penny Marshall's direction is a film with genuinely serious intentions that falls considerably short of its intentions. Read full review

  • 30
    Washington Post | Desson Thomson

    But by the end of the movie -- which seems to last longer than the Crusades -- all the good stuff has dissipated. Read full review

  • 30
    Washington Post | Rita Kempley

    Hardly out of the driveway before director Penny Marshall loses control. Read full review

  • 30
    Los Angeles Times | Kenneth Turan

    Buried under the miscalculations, the shamelessness, the off-putting and inappropriate broadness are sporadically visible souvenirs of a good project gone bad, hints of the unusual, bittersweet story that got away. Read full review

  • 25
    San Francisco Chronicle | Edward Guthmann

    They try to make Beverly adorable, and the movie comes off strained and dishonest as a result. Read full review

View more reviews for Riding in Cars with Boys on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 13+ Not a great movie, although Drew Barrymore shines.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this movie has non-explicit teenage sex and pregnancy. Characters drink, smoke, and use drugs, including use of a hallucinogenic drug while watching a child and heroin addiction. A character sells drugs, and Bev and Fay briefly become involved in helping him. There is a painful scene of withdrawal. All of this is presented in a realistic manner with realistic consequences that should help teenagers understand the seriousness of this behavior. There's also some strong language.
  • Families can talk about how families support members who have made bad choices and the importance of accepting responsibility for your mistakes. What did Bev's family do wrong? What did they do right? Why was she able to achieve her dream? What did Jason do to make her see things differently? What do you think about Ray's comment that the best thing he could do for Jason was to leave him?
What to watch for
  • violence false1 Violence: Tense family scenes.
  • sex false2 Sex: Teen pregnancy.
  • language false3 Language: Some strong language.
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false4 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Substance abuse, including heroin.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

Riding in Cars with Boys Movie Ratings + Reviews

Fans say

So-so 658 fan reviews

Critics say

So-so See all critic reviews

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