Movie Review: Along for the Ride

 Along for the Ride

Starring Emma Pasarow, Belmont Cameli, Laura Kariuki, Andie MacDowell, Kate Bosworth, and Dermont Mulroney

This is a feel good film that really pulls at the heart strings. Emma Pasarow plays Auden, a recent high school graduate that finds she never fit in with her classmates so she decides to explore the unknown. The unknown, in this case, is Colby. She decides to branch out by living with her father and stepmother Heidi while working at Heidi's store. 

While staying with her dad and stepmom, she sees a repeated pattern from her father; not helping, isolating himself, and easily giving up. At first she tries to cover for him but later, acknowledges the truth with some help from her mom. Though her mom consistently made negative comments about her dad, it was to try to save her from the pain of rejection. Heidi was a new mom, caring for their daughter Thisbe by herself which had proven to be a stressful task. Heidi had no help and no break even when she asked for it. This caused a major problem in the family structure and resulted in a separation later in the film. 

Though this was her journey to self-discovery, Auden found more than she bargained for. The past she thought she had moved on from, she still had open wounds. The awkwardness she felt at her high school and living with her mom, she accepted in Colby because, as she learned, the people she met in Colby are accepting and embrace their weirdness. Auden became close friends with Maggie, Leah, and Esther, whom she worked with at Heidi's store. She also met Eli, who completely brought her out of her shell and had demons she helped him to face. "Along for the Ride" is a feel good film that also teaches the importance of being comfortable with yourself and being open to life changing opportunities. It's charming and one of my favorites from Netflix. It's a break from the raunchy material Netflix has been releasing recently. I recommend you watch "Along for the Ride" and embrace your uniqueness. There's always someone who will accept and appreciate you for who you are. Well done, Netflix, well done.

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