Along for the Ride
Director: Sofia Alvarez
Writer: Sofia Alvarez
Based on: Sarah Dessen‘s novel
Cast: Emma Pasarow, Belmont Cameli, Laura Kariuki, Kate Bosworth, Dermot Mulroney, Andie MacDowell, Genevieve Hannelius, Samia Finnerty, Ricardo Hurtado, Paul Karmiryan, Marcus Scribner
Seen on: 1.5.2023

Plot:
Much to her mother Victoria’s (Andie MacDowell) displeasure, Auden (Emma Pasarow) has decided to spend the summer before college with her estranged father Robert (Dermot Mulroney) at the beach, working for his new wife Heidi (Kate Bosworth) who recently had a baby and seems to be more excited about Auden’s presence than Robert who is working on his newest novel. In the new situation, Auden can’t really sleep and spends her restless nights on the pier – just like Eli (Belmont Cameli) who rides his bike there every night. The two connect and when Auden says that she feels like she never really lived like a carefree teenager, Eli suggests that he can show her how it’s done. Together, they go on this new mission.

Along for the Ride is a fine coming-of-age romance. Decently made with nice characters that even sidestep some clichés, it is not entering any hall of fame, but it is very sweet to watch.

It’s been many years that I read a Sarah Dessen novel (possibly The Truth About Forever, but I don’t really remember), but I never read Along for the Ride. Still, it’s pretty clear where things are headed from the start, at least with Auden and Eli. The romance is set up and executed without much deviation from the expected – so you get exactly what you’re hoping to get there.

Where the film surpasses itself is with its female characters, which is a bit sensational if we’re being honest. It’s rare that it’s the women that a movie gets more right than the other stuff, but here it’s definitely the case. Starting with Auden herself, who gets to grow in a very thoughtful way, but more importantly in the relationships with the women who surround her. There’s her mother with whom she manages to forge a new, more mature relationship. Her stepmother who she sides with over her father, which I found extremely nice because her father is a dick (he gets to change, too). And there’s the beautiful, popular girl who works in the shop with Auden, Maggie (Laura Kariuki), who has all the markings of the kind of mean girl we know all too well from teenie movies, but the film never goes that way, and that was just beautiful.

Cameli and Pasarow have nice chemistry, but the real stand-out in the cast was Andie MacDowell who gets Victoria just right. I also enjoyed Mulroney and Bosworth in their rather small roles, but MacDowell gives the kind of performance where you start to wonder why she isn’t in more movies. Wouldn’t that be good?

Some things in the film were maybe a tad too tropey, but probably the biggest issue I had is just that I am not so much for the secretly sad/brooding love interest. It’s just not my preferred romantic type (in an entirely subjective way). If it is yours, you’re in luck – it’s nicely handled here because Auden and Eli don’t save each other – they push each other to leave the comfortable rut they are stuck in. So, if you like this kind of thing, you should definitely catch Along for the Ride. You will enjoy it.

Summarizing: light and sweet.