User reviews

I viewed this movie from the standpoint of a parent of an adult child as is the main character, Jackie. In my view this is what the story is about, how a parent lets go and enjoys watching her child make their way as an adult. In doing so, she is able to move on to becoming a more authentic person as well. I've always been a fan of Helen Hunt and although her appearance has changed, she still brings us her ability to make us feel we are watching a woman bravely dealing with what life is bringing her way. The film present a great contrast between their lives in New York and California. The son, Angelo, travels to CA to visit his dad. I'm a little surprised at how quickly the son, Angelo, adapts to the different lifestyle. Luke Wilson as Jackie's love life is a good match. His calmness contrasting with her franticness plays well.

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.

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.

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..

It is a 2nd directional feature for Helen Hunt. She also starred in a prominent role which is about a mother-son relationship. I don't understand why it was rated very low, but I like this rare movie, which portrayed parent-children bond in an emotional way. Such kind of a beautiful film the last time I saw was the 'The Guilt Trip', I guess. Only the women filmmakers can make films like this.

Maybe this movie hit my weak point, I'm always sympathetic to the old people's struggle. Anyway, I liked the Helen Hunt's role and she was not struggling, but wanted to connect with her son who's grown up and trying to stretch his wings to fly away from her. This is very usual in the real world, an affectionate father towards his daughter and the same to a mother towards her son. I find this kind of themes are very cute and touches me.

There's nothing bad about the direction, but the screen writing. Helen Hunt is not a great writer, in some parts the film was very dry. Feelingless emotions, but overall keeping the prime target as a mother who's pursuing her son for some reason. There were a few scenes that added the fun flavour to the movie.

I wanted to give more points it, but I can't. Besides, I can recommend it to the people who're interested to have a movie about the family issues. Not like couples having a quarrel, but between parents and their kids, like maybe similar to the one I mentioned in the first paragraph.

7/10

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.

I'm conflicted.

Normally a movie of this type will be interesting and fun for most of the first 80 minutes and then end in a clunky manipulative way. It is that rare movie that is stubbornly insufferable for more than 80 minutes and then ends in a weirdly satisfying if predictable way.

It can be unbearable at times to watch Helen Hunt try and act her way through her impassively clay-like new face, as if she were a Star Trek Changeling character. It can be maddening at times at how sympathetic and misunderstood she thinks her character is. And it can be frustrating at how mechanical the scene construction and the in your face symbolism feels.

But I have to admit that there is a charming tone that coalesces nicely in the last 15 minutes. You know what's coming, and the unflinchingly cheesy dialogue up to this point is often unintentionally amusing, but when it happens at the end it feels real, just like the ending to the story she's been discussing with her son. There's just enough of a spark there to make you understand why she wanted to make this movie.

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 was looking forward to this film being an uplifting and enjoyable experience, it was nothing of the sort. Formulaic rubbish story about an over indulged son with a an overbearing mother suddenly discovering and valuing each other.None of the characters in this film inspire you to want to know anything about them or give a damn about them , the son is an obnoxious brat and the mother is just a cliché of the over achieving parent without a soul. The film could have been so much more uplifting but it wasn't it was just dead in the water which , by the way, is where you want the characters to be. Absolute rubbish of the worst kind with no redeeming qualities.

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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Helen Hunt directs as well as stars in this terrific film. With incredibly raw power and overwhelming imagery, this is a motion picture that deserves a wide release so that all may experience true film greatness. Hunt not only directs brilliantly, she gives what may well be the performance of a lifetime. Beautifully photographed and elegantly scored, the movie will seduce audiences with its incredibly story. The script is intelligent and literate and provides a story of magnificent yet subtle power. Seldom in the history of cinema do all elements needed for true greatness come together in such sublime fashion. Ride is indeed one of those rare instances.

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.

How many scenes of an old lady learning to surf do we need to watch? I suppose that most movie people's worlds revolve around N.Y. and L.A. They write about what they know, so I guess I can't blame them for that, but jeez, how is someone in Wisconsin going to relate to this clichéd garbage? Who cares what an 18 year old has to say about anything in literature other than the kid himself? A main part of the story is this silly kid agonizing about some stupid short story he's writing. What's the rush kid? Even his stupid mom was explaining to him that you have to live first.

Helen Hunt must have thought that the old "Mad About You" Paul Reiser New York Jewish argumentation thing can be transferred to any setting, Even when it's being done by an old skin and bones waspy lady on a surfboard.

This thing is just neurotic argument after neurotic argument. What disgusting people. Why would a slim 37 year old surf teacher want to get it on with some old bag of bones who never shuts up? Helen Hunt was attractive for about 10 seconds when she was 18 herself. She shouldn't place herself in romantic films anymore.

What's the deep message here? Follow your heart, or give new experiences a chance? Gee that's original. If there are no likable characters, no depth, no humor, and routine photography, what is there to like about such a film? Answer: nothing.

I had two roommates who went to film school. I always went to the student screenings with them and a flask of Vodka to play the film student drinking game. Rule number one was take a drink if the movie showed someone peeing. Rule #2 if the movie starts with someone peeing drink 5 shots. I would have been wrecked if this was a student film. And it really felt like one.

This movie gave me a head ache after about 10 minutes. I don't think 10 minutes in the whole movie went by without an argument that brought nothing to the story. I kept going hoping there would be some great surfing sequences but even those were hard to get through. The romantic connections in the film were contrived at best. The one shot that did totally crack me up was Helen Hunt's character trying to swim without getting her hair wet at the beginning but I realized it was a little too much her and not her character.

Anyway, stick to acting Helen.

Watched because a friend is a Helen Hunt fan. This movie was awful. Very strange borderline inappropriate mother/son relationship. The son was not a very good actor. Pretty sure she wrote the movie to show off that she's still in good shape. The driver, Ramon, whom you may know from Dexter was the best part. Luke Wilson was ok Overall, Skip it, it's waste of time. Not funny, she's not even likable

OK so I am a huge Helen Hunt fan. Can't think of a movie she's been in that I haven't see. I wish I didn't see this one. Movie was just bad. Maybe this is reality in Hollywood but for the rest of the world not so much. Plot was painfully slow. Characters were not well formed. Just seemed to go nowhere with a week message. The idea had hope, I think it could have been good if maybe it was a comedy. Something to help us pass the time. Maybe some jokes.but it just wasn't good. Unfortunately I found out Helen also wrote and directed this one. Please Ms Hunt. Stick to acting. I love your work. This was not good. Sorry still a big fan.......

I began watching this movie because I really like Helen Hunt. After about the first 15 minutes, I thought I was watching a re-run of Mad About You. I'm not from New York, so I don't know if this is the way New Yorker's always talk, but I found it so annoying. The same formula that was used in the MAD ABOUT YOU again. Back then, it was cute, and funny, but after you here that same monotone critical voice it's like fingernails down a chalkboard. I'm sorry Helen, time to shake it out and try something else. Maybe, like one of the other contributors mentioned, stick with acting. Unfortunately, you can't go back, it just doesn't work anymore. I know she Helen Hunt had good intentions but I personally felt left out. Move to California, see how the other half lives and talks. There is another world outside of New York.