Ride

Interesting movie and though I have never really been a major fan of Helen Hunt, I was most curious to see this movie because she had written the screen play. True to form, her acting appears similar to most of the things she has done..a stilted kind of speech that at times feels forced,contrived, and not at all fluid. The beginning dialogues with her son force one to almost hit pause, rewind, to listen again....the words so verbose and clumsy with wordplay and intensity. Still, once the movie gives away to the California setting, the characters also appeared to "relax" a bit and things actually became enjoyable.. The underlying storyline appears...a story of loss and control over what was lost and to ensure what IS, can never be lost.. (and in that, lies the blurred and somewhat contentious relationship between mother and son).. If you can get past the beginning, I would recommend this movie...Helen Hunt has written a fairly poignant screenplay..

This is a down to earth film about real life. It tackles among other thing the sometimes odd relationship between a mother and son, which are brilliantly played by Helen Hunt and Brenton Thwaites. The mother has a real hard time letting her son go as he's turning into a grown up that doesn't need his mother anymore. As a know-it-all person that likes to be on top of things she follows her son to California from New York and spies on him as he's trying to find himself and experience new things while living with his laid back dad that just want's him to do whatever makes him happy. Her ridiculous behavior is quite funny as is her interactions with the chauffeur that she hires to drive her around while stalking her son. This odd behavior is explained as the story enfolds and a tragedy from the past is brought to light. This a story about a person that seems to be in complete control of her life, but then she's swept away by changes and has to let her self go, learn to trust others and embrace the unexpected. The film is both funny and sad, and very beautiful, specially the surfing scenes that are a perfect setting for a person that is learning to be humble and accepting.

I didn't recognize Helen Hunt when she was still wearing those hideous glasses at home. Even without glasses, she didn't exactly look familiar. I watched a handful of "Mad about You" episodes but she has changed somewhat. Her hairstyle is still cute. She looked like she did in "Shots Fired", filmed near where I live (the only reason I watched); that led me to conclude that might be her. No wonder she's so good. And so funny. And she even wrote and directed, something I didn't know until the end. She looks great in a swimsuit, by the way; later, she is lying in bed wearing just a towel and showing off her legs. And she can do physical comedy! It looked quite dangerous, but surely there were stunt performers. And I suspected, and later was proved right by the credits, that some visual effects might have been added. That makes more sense than doing everything where it would be the most hazardous. Everything looked real.

The TiVo summary also said "Comedy, surfing". It took me a while to be certain I was supposed to be laughing. Not until the surfing lessons began was I absolutely certain. But later on there is so much drama and so much conflict that calling this a comedy seems incorrect. There are reasons why Jackie and her ex broke up, though the new family is quite nice.

Brenton Thwaites is a name I have never heard. He's likable enough.

Luke Wilson is a talented comic actor I am somewhat familiar with. I didn't recognize him but he is patient and caring.

David Zayas is to be commended for putting up with all the nonsense.

And of course there is Richard Kind. This is the type of role for which he is ideal. I'm just sorry he only appeared in one scene and I could only hear him over the phone even then. I'm not even sure I was supposed to be able to understand anything he said but his frustration comes through.

And you'll be amazed at the ending.

While it's not the highbrow material Helen Hunt might be expected to do, it's certainly a fun and well-done farce.

My impression is nearly everyone is responding to this in stereotypical ways - seeing the mother as impossibly overbearing and interfering.

Actually mother and son have a great relationship. They argue intensely and in detail about what his stories should be like - and about life and their relationship in general. This is very well portrayed. And most of us should be so lucky to have such a relationship.

So she takes it too far - but hardly in a Tennessee Williams way. And they argue intensely about that too, and work their way to a successful conclusion.

Sure, it's all a little too Hollywood pat and neat in the end.

But you have an unusual portrait of an unusual and very good mother-son relationship - and a very passionately involved mother. She's very OK.

I enjoyed it a lot.

My first impression of the movie was the dialog, and it seemed very unnatural as in normal people do not speak that way it seemed as if every conversation was contrived. Her son was overreacting and livid in an unnatural way, Helen Hunts Character was irritating which I think she wanted to be overbearing well she succeeded in that. Luke Wilson was a hollow character that did not serve much purpose but maybe he was not supposed to. Is this the way overeducated people speak? David Zayas from Dexter was in it as her driver and still not sure what his role was there for besides making painful quizzical faces. The whole movie seemed jumpy . disjointed. with conversations that seems out of place and over written. The only real part of the movie was the surf scenes which were quite accurate for learning surfers. Not sure what the aim of the movie was but with me as a viewer it missed the target.