Along for the Ride (2022)
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A high school graduate seeks to reinvent herself during a summer at the beach, leading to a nightly quest with a mysterious fellow insomniac.
The story
Eighteen-year-old Auden West, a recent high school graduate, travels to the beachside town of Colby to stay with her father, Robert, hoping to spend a carefree summer reinventing herself before college. While her mother objects to her time with her father, Auden begins to explore the local scene. She meets Heidi, who takes her in to work at a shop, and eventually meets three other girls. While roaming the streets at night, Auden meets Eli Stock, a fellow insomniac and BMX biker. Eli takes her on nightly adventures, challenging her to complete a quest of all the things she missed out on during her childhood.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Auden West, a high school graduate, stays with her father Robert in Colby to reinvent herself before college. Her mother, Victoria, disapproves of her spending time with Robert, who has a new wife, Heidi, and an infant daughter. Auden begins working at Heidi's shop, meeting girls named Leah, Esther, and Maggie. At night, she meets Eli Stock, a BMX biker who takes her on adventures to do things she missed as a child, like going to a secret pie shop and playing mini golf. Auden learns that Eli's best friend, Abe, died in an accident Eli was driving, causing Eli to withdraw from others. Auden eventually learns about the accident and bonds with Eli. After a series of outings, including a lighthouse break-in and a night swim under fireworks where they kiss, Auden's father temporarily leaves due to friction with Heidi. Auden confronts him about his lack of effort, leading to a reconciliation where Robert takes on more fatherly duties. Auden and Eli have a falling out when she admits she can't ride a bike, but she eventually learns from Maggie. Eli returns to biking and wins a competition. The film ends with Auden and Eli having an impromptu prom party at the beach before Auden leaves for college, receiving a postcard from Eli in Barcelona.
- First release year
- 2022
- Runtime (minutes)
- 106
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Sofia Alvarez
- Writers
- Sofia Alvarez · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Emma Pasarow · Auden; Belmont Cameli · Eli; Kate Bosworth · Heidi; Laura Kariuki · Maggie; Andie MacDowell · Victoria; Dermot Mulroney · Robert; Genevieve Hannelius · Leah; Samia Finnerty · Esther
- Genres
- romantic drama; teen drama; teen romance
- Themes
- self-discovery; grief; family dynamics; coming of age
- Tone and mood
- romantic; emotional; nostalgic
- Premise and plot tags
- Coming-of-age; Romance; Drama; Road Trip
- Source material / true-story basis
- novel of the same name by Sarah Dessen
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with some critics calling it a 'dumbed down' and 'cheesy' adaptation of the novel, while others praised the emotional moments and the performances. Some noted it lacked the spark of a traditional teen rom-com and had flat characters, while others appreciated how the North Carolina locations brought the setting to life.
- Production trivia
- Production began in April 2021 after Netflix acquired the film rights.; Sofia Alvarez previously adapted two of Jenny Han's novels for Netflix.; The film was shot in multiple North Carolina locations including Wilmington, Kure Beach, and Oak Island.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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