Ride

Helen Hunt looks vastly different in this movie. It's only relevant if you are a fan of Hunt's before this movie.

I found the movie very relatable as Helen hunt plays an overbearing single mother whose college aged son, drops out to surf in California and she follows him from New York in order to connect by learning how to surf herself.

It's a drama driven by Helen Hunt in center stage and a coming of age story that not only focus on a boy trying to figure out his life but a mother trying to let go of the boy becoming a man, so in a lot of ways it's her coming of age story as well.

Not the best movie about surfing I've ever seen but I think I've only see two (Point Break and Johnny Tsunami), but it's one of those movies that really grounded on real life emotions and dealing with real life things.

It was a good Helen Hunt movie.

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.

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.

Ride

When a woman says that she's riding the crimson wave it doesn't mean she's a sunrise surfer.

Mind your, the middle-aged mom in this dramedy could be the exception.

When her son Angelo (Brenton Thwaites) drops out of college to pursue his writing and surf aspirations on the West Coast, Jackie (Helen Hunt) takes a hiatus from her editing job to keep an eye on him.

In California she starts taking surf lessons from Ian (Luke Wilson) and discovers a new side to herself apart from her son's post-secondary life choices.

Free to explore, Angelo also finds his rebellious view on education may not be the best option for his art.

From its superficial self-discovery script to its stock surfing shots, this vanity project from writer/director Helen Hunt does little to showcase any noteworthy talents beyond her established acting ability.

Nevertheless, surfer parents sound way less involved than helicopter parents.

Red Light

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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..