by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
We all have to come of age at some point. Journeying out into the great wide world, each person has the opportunity and challenge to make something of themselves. Those first couple of years at the beginning of adulthood is usually when this happens. Some young people go to college or vocational school. Some start working right after the finish school. Others literally travel the world while trying to find themselves spiritually. It can be mean a number of things to a number of people. So why does a movie that focuses on this crucial time only tell the most cliché stories? It is probably because Along for the Ride does not know what it wants to be.
After graduating high school, soon-to-be college student Auden (Emma Psarow) decides to stay with her father (Dermot Mulroney) for the summer in the seaside town of Colby. She wants to have a summer not burying her nose in a book before she goes off to college. It puts a strain on her relationship with her mom (Andie McDowell). But will Auden be able to break out of her shell and make friends? During this time she develops a romance with local boy Eli (Belmont Cameli), an insomniac with a mysterious past. She also works at her step mother Heidi’s (Kate Bosworth) local boutique. There, Auden makes friends with a few local kids. Eventually the summer will come to an end, but what will happen before it does? And how will it change our protagonist?
Normally, I like to start reviews with something positive. Maybe a good performance or a smart casting decision? Nope. None of that here. Then I should talk about a fun scene that happened. Is there anything like that of note here? Nope. Well what about the story? Is it fresh or unique? Nope. Honestly, there is no single story beat or joke or character that has not already been thought of or conceived in another, higher quality movie. You have the split parents who do not get along. Our lead is a bookish kid who everyone is suddenly interested in despite her shy nature. There is an elusive and mysterious love interest. I’m glad you asked. Yes, the handsome boy has a dark-ish past to consider, but we will not find out about it until later, so Auden has to decide if she can get past it. Maybe the only truly impressive thing in this movie is how many characters are in it who I immediately recommend therapy to within the first five minutes of knowing them.
And what few items are not cliché or underwritten are just mediocre enough for us to not notice at first. The cinematography is fine. There are no unique shots or camera angles to explore. The costumes seem modern enough. Is it possible that everyone just walked on camera with whatever they showed up to set in? Yes. Jokes between the teenagers are toothless. Speaking of teens, their parties are tame and unremarkable because of what little happens at them. It is just a bowl of milquetoast and boring items that once you notices how bland it is, it becomes clear how uninterested you are in it.
Look, I get it. Growing up happens to all of us, and it is a good time for a movie because of the required growth a person can go through. So why not set a movie in that time frame? Well if you do not have a place for our protagonist to escape from or a person for them to turn into, then what are doing here? Because honestly, I think I just wasted the last two two hours of my life watching this and thinking about it. It is a cookie-cutter plot for a cookie-cutter main character with cookie-cutter themes. If we are going to do cookies, then I would request that next time Netflix go make me some cookies with nuts in them. Spice it up a bit.
This kind of status quo formula seems to have taken over the genre of coming-of-age movies. One movie comes along and is successful and then a lot of copycats try to do the same thing. Those first few copies may not be that bad, but movie studios pump out copies faster to try and make a profit before the well runs dry. Then slowly everything starts to get watered down over time. That is how a genre dies because no one is willing to put in the time to make a high quality movie.
Score: 3/10
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