That's a Wrap

ALONG FOR THE RIDE

Even if Along for the Ride fails to win any of the conventional AFF awards, it at the very least deserves some kind of special Degree of Difficulty citation. Shot in 13 days of 110ö desert heat on a chump-change $150,000 budget, its polished (for the context) look and feel are nothing short of amazing. For my money, though, its most impressive feat is somehow managing to feel fresh and compelling despite a plot laden with some of the most shopworn movie themes in existence. Brotherly rivalry, the emotional fallout of absentee fatherhood, a pilgrimage to Mexico in a vintage convertible -- oh yeah, and baseball, too -- won't win any originality points. But thanks to Simon's assured, straightforward direction and affecting lead performances by Haggerty and Batinkoff (as quarreling siblings brought together by their old man's death), this film rises well above the lackluster status quo of current indie cinema. The sharp, unpretentiously insightful dialogue, adapted by Jim Moores from Austinite Randall Wheatley's stage play, adds further luster to a film that stands as an impressive testimonial to talent's ability to overcome all obstacles.