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Along for the Ride (or "Forever Lulu") is not a special film by any means. It's quite average like most films it has its moments. The only really surprising thing about it is how powerful the source music is at the end. Other than that the plot is pretty much predictable. Melanie Griffith does an absolutely amazing job in this film yet again and if you're a fan of hers its the only reason to see this film. Penelope Ann Miller is also quite good in a supporting part. If you have some time to kill this ain't bad.

Where this film isn't a masterpiece by any means, it is certainly worth the time. Melanie Griffith shines in her role as Lulu and Joseph Gordon-Levitt stands out yet again in the role of Martin. Unfortunately, his time is much too brief in the film, as I think he's probably the most underrated actor today. He's extremely believable in his role and he showed us exactly how one would act in the situation his character was in.

Give the film a shot, it's worth the time- forget some of the characters Swayze has played in the past and look at him for the character he's playing now. Watch Melanie become Lulu... And lastly, you'll believe Gordon-Levitt is Martin in the awkward situation he's been thrown into.

Acting is an A, film is a B.

"Patrick Swayze and Melanie Griffith are 'Ben' and 'Lulu'. Years ago, they had an intense passionate affair, a relationship that ended very badly. Now, fifteen years later, he's a successful, married writer who gets a desperate call… Lulu needs his help. Chaotic and confused, she reveals a huge secret that they alone must deal with. Together, on a fiery cross-country journey they will find a new direction that points to their future," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

The irrelevant opening has Ms. Griffith and Ryan Bollman (as Freddie) in a San Francisco home for schizophrenics, estimating the number of blow-jobs "Lulu" has given (he calculates the number to be 500). Then, a connection is made between Griffith and Mr. Swayze, as they separately watch a television airing of the "The Hustler" (1961); Griffith and Swayze recite, verbatim, the dialogue delivered by Paul Newman (as Eddie) and Piper Laurie (as Sarah).

Writer/director John Kaye has a good melodrama with the weakly titled "Forever Lulu" (strengthened to "Along for the Ride" for DVD release). But, the film is poorly structured, and looks rushed. The first thing I wanted to re-edit was the bar scene where Swayze re-encounters Griffith; she should have been introduced in long and/or medium shots, followed by a close-up. A later Griffith nude pool scene is much to staid; it should have been shot like Marilyn Monroe's swim in "Something's Got to Give" (1962).

I have met both Swayze and Griffith, and these characters remind me so much of the actors (which is not to say they are exactly like the characters). When watching Swayze during the film's early scenes, I caught on to a layer of sadness he is using for the characterization of "Ben". As the film progresses, a plot revelation confirms something more (sad) about his character. Swayze had a distant melancholy about him, even before his illness was diagnosed; and, I believe this quality, along with an open naturalness, drew you to him. An engaging man.

Griffith is also a lovely person, though quite unlike Swayze (apart from the flashbacks, their characters do not have much "chemistry"). Since Griffith may read this sometime, I met her at a 1980s party - she was (you were) there via a hairdresser friend and I with a DJ friend. We left for the patio to chain-smoke (Hey, Melanie, I quit!), and spoke about life's challenges… I didn't "go" to movies then, and was not aware of how popular an actress Melanie Griffith was; seeing her films now, I admire her work, and see some of the "Melanie" I met in the "Lulu" character.

****** Forever Lulu (7/7/00) John Kaye ~ Melanie Griffith, Patrick Swayze, Penelope Ann Miller, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Again. Does she ever fail? If you are reading this 'girl', please keep your humility - therein lies your brilliance and genuine qualities.

How can you build a movie around one actor? You have to get the perfect actor-actress and then find the right script.

This isn't a great movie. No. But watch the girl. Melanie is no youngster, but her spirit is too young, too brilliant to hide!

You can't avoid watching her. She is compelling. Few players can match her on any level. Thespian espectacular!

So, enjoy performance, even though a lot of the other film elements don't rise to excellence. Melanie is superb, and is she ever bad? It takes a very special quality of commitment to excel and elate when the material around you is only mediocre.

Where to begin? Ah yes - In the role of the novelist: Patrick Swayze.

...

You can tell he is intellectual, because he made the daring character choice of wearing glasses.

Fortunately for Swayze, Melanie Griffith was cast opposite, making him Olivier by comparison.

Her character - Lulu - begs to be strangled. I seriously scraped my knuckles trying to reach through the screen to choke her. She's supposed to be this schizo - a tender, profound soul with an impulsive, child-like disposition - but it comes off as the most affected crap you've ever seen.

It especially drove me crazy as I live in New York surrounded by NYU girls that are equally desperate to seem quirky.

If you see this on television, don't watch it. Turn off the TV, get up, leave your house, wait AT LEAST 3 hours (Just to be safe - these movies can really get stretched out with commercials), and then kill yourself.

In "Forever Lulu", an almost "chick flick", Griffith plays a walk-away from a mental hospital who, wanting to recapture a 16 year old lost romance, calls her ex-boyfriend and tells him they have a son. What ensues is a pleasing blend of comedy and drama which is just unpredictable enough to maintain viewer interest through the film's many contrivances. Though an obvious emotional button pusher, "Forever Lulu" is technically and artistically well made with solid performances by all. A tour-de-force by Griffith and an enjoyable watch which builds to a "feel good" conclusion.

The story certainly has merit. The acting abilities of Patrick Swayze are nowhere to be found. Ms. Griffith does her best to hold up the entire picture and story but with Mr. Swayze simply reading dialogue it is a difficult haul for all of us.

4/10 for attempt, story (and that I watched the whole thing) and Melanie's valiant battle upholding this interesting story. Also, kudo's to Joseph Gordon-Leavitt for keeping a straight face and underacting to perfection (although his time on screen is brief).

Since I am so critical, I offer a few suggestions: a. cut to the chase immediately and let the audience know exactly what's going on, the first ten or so minutes could have been used more effectively at the end of the film; b. get rid of Michael Pollard, his cameo makes no sense and is another waste of valuable screen time; c. the whole "trip across america" also is a waste - we only needed one or two scenes to get the idea. d. probably most important - get Swayze on the same bus as Pollard, Peter Jennings could have played this role with more emotion.

So, there!

This horrible awful movie rests on a rather exciting premise of schizophrenia. However, the movie itself actually sucks. I think the only people that like this are those pretentious types that think anything is intellectual based on shock value premises. However there isn't even shock value to this movie. Poor writing, cheesy dialog, cliché' premise, bad acting, and unbelievable character development. And what was up with that 1/2 long scene (can't give spoilers but its the one on the plane). It just dragged on and on and on with fluffy dialog and nothing all that seriously deep. Now as someone who has studied psychology I can understand the full seriousness of mental illness but this movie used schizophrenia as it's entire crutch and even then they did not do a great job at portraying it. The title of this movie says it all "Forever Lulu" because I felt like this movie was going to last "For Ever". This has got to be one of the worst films ever made, one of the most boring as well as lacking in any real psychological stimulation. This movie should have been more about being in a coma because it's intellectually brain dead. I also studied a little drama, literature, and theater in college and I know that doesn't make me an expert by any means however even someone with no theater or writing experience what so ever can clearly see that this movie is seriously lacking in any depth, south, spirit, or anything slightly moving other than what the viewer projects onto it. Any depth or cognitive incite that any viewer sees in this film purely comes from their own mind and not anything scene nor heard on the screen. This movie totally depends on the viewer "projecting" depth that isn't there. I think if they had hired the right writers, psychologists, psychotherapists, people that actually had schizophrenia, etc etc etc basically do their research and get some creative writers this movie premise could have been a huge block buster. But basically it's not even worthy to be Psychological Drama let alone a fluffy bunny feel good romp with a paranoid blonde and her aging boyfriend, who's obviously too old to play that part. No offense to Patrick Swayze may he rest in peace. But to pic him for this part just didn't fit. Maybe if he was playing her older sugar daddy type that may have been more realistic but it seems obvious they weren't even on the same age level. Anyway, this movie premise though fantastic should have called for someone who was not well known on the movie screen like a Broadway actor that could fit the role better. It breaks the 4th wall when you pick a popular pretty face to play such a deep role. I think the writers were holding back and could have done so much more with this premise but they seem to have not only lacked the skill to recognize a great premise needs a great film and they also seemed to have deliberately shot themselves in the foot. I haven't been this sickened by the drowning of a great premise since the mentally-flaccid remake of the psychological thriller Psycho in the late 1990s. Heck even a remake would make Forever Lulu look better even if the producers of South Park did it and turned it into a cartoon comedy (sarcasm). Forever (boring) Lulu leaned entirely on it's premise of schizophrenia as it's total crutch.

I have no idea why this film was listed as a comedy. It definitely is a romance and depicts several different loves - infatuation (in flash backs and memories), parents' love a child, a wife's love for a husband, a husband's love of a wife, and a love above other loves.

Patrick Swayze is brilliant portraying a man torn between the burning memory of an earlier passionate love with Lulu (Melanie Griffith) and a love he feels for his wife. Swayze's character takes off across country with Lulu in search of his son with Lulu that he just found out about. Swayze is a handsome, moving leading man.

It is an excellent film that portrays a beautiful woman (Griffith) who has struggled with mental illness for years. Melanie Griffith's seems to always be able to portray sweet vulnerability even when her characters should not be sweet and vulnerable - she is able to dig down and find the soul of her characters.

Penelope Miller does a wonderful job as the wife of Swayze's character. Definitely worth watching - have tissues nearby!

Lulu McAfee (Melanie Griffith) runs away from her San Francisco group home for schizophrenics. Her ex Ben Clifton (Patrick Swayze) is a frustrated failing TV writer and married to psychiatrist Claire (Penelope Ann Miller). He is not happy to have Lulu back in his life. She tells him that they have a son together. He drives her to Wisconsin to meet their son on his 16th birthday but she has an accomplice lying for her. Meanwhile, Claire flies to join them.

Patrick Swayze is playing against type as a meek writer type. It doesn't really work especially with his character being different in his flashback. Pairing him with a schizophrenic Griffith is frustrating. It's very unlikely that he can't see through her charade. All he has to do is to ask her for the phone number. The romance simply doesn't work for me. The duo is improved with the addition of Claire. I just don't find the central relationship that compelling.

Director and writer John Kaye has put a lot of heart into the making of 'Forever Lulu'. With an innovative story he tackles lots of different themes of love like a love between a husband and a wife, an undying love between a two former lovers that was interrupted by a mental illness and a love between parents and children. Part of 'Forever Lulu' is a road movie and the viewer is given some wonderful glimpses of the American landscape. The story is tight and moves at a steady pace. On the flip side, I wonder why the Steven Bauer- Penelope Ann Miller track was left open to the viewers. The performances by the three main leads are great. It is finally good to see Melanie Griffith do something of note. Her subtle yet spirited performance and occasionally (but suitably) explosive scenes reflect her skills as a talented actress. Patrick Swayze too gives a nuanced and understated performance. Penelope Ann Miller is wonderfully pulls off a role that could have easily been messed up by a lesser actor. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Richard Schiff have small roles but they have a welcoming presence. I also liked the soundtrack which is whimsical at times and gentle at others. The film is quite well executed overall and I wonder why I had not heard much about it during the last years. The film was more than I had expected because given the recent track record of the three leads I expected a lesser film but instead got a pleasant surprise.

The music used for the scenes between Lulu and Ben don't always work for me. Too sappy, better used for the Hallmark channel or with a more believable coupling. Not crazy about the script or character direction.

The plot was all over the place! It was as if they filmed a 12 hour movie and just randomly cut scenes to make the movie less than 2 hours.

First, I just want to say what a marvelous job Melanie Griffith did in this movie! She lit up the screen. Like the other reviewer said, she has been in a string of great performances. Lolita, Another day in paradise, Crazy in Alabama, RKO 281, Cecil B. Demented, and now this. I'm so happy for Melanie that she has found the right roles and that she has her life on track.

The story was great and it sort of reminded me of the old romance movies. Everything is subtle with just a twinge of romance. The ending will leave a smile on your face! Its just disappointing that it wasn't in theaters, but then again, the American public can't decide what is good, classy entertainment. Instead, we have garbage like Scary Movie and Nutty Professor 2 invading cinemas and making millions. Kudos to the cast, the director, and mostly Melanie. This is a keeper!

A beautiful script that tells a totally original and completely believable story. Though Melanie Griffith plays the part of a schizophrenic, the movie avoids heavy-handed messages and just lets you learn to love her with all her crazyness as Patrick Swayze does. This was a three-hanky movie for me but I didn't feel manipulated. A very classy and interesting movie.

I must admit when I first saw this movie come through on preview tape at the video store that I work at, I was a little apprensive to take it home and watch it, mainly because of Patrick Swayze who hasen't had a meaty role since GHOST. I was intrigued by the title and decided to give it a go. THANK GOODNESS I DID !!! This was the most funniest, saddest and beautiful movie I have seen in a long while. It is the sleeper of the year. Griffith shines as the fragile LULU who is stricken down by schizophrenia. After sixteen years LULU escapes from a mental institution and tracks down BEN (Swayze) who was LULU'S sweetheart back in college, before she was sick. She informs him that she gave birth to his son and now wants to make contact with him after all this time. So begins a road trip that will leave you wanting more. I will not spoil this movie for you, but let's just say a good box of tissues for the last 20 minutes of the film will be necessary. Swayze does a good job, but I feel he is overshadowed by Griffith, with her powerful performance. She has a real meaty role where as Swayze is stuck playing second fiddle. This is the only problem I can see with this movie, only because I adore Swayze and would have liked to see him play a better part, but he has a few great scenes, one very emotional and I cried all the way with him. Also look out for Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Third rock from the sun), he plays a very good role as LULUS biological son. All in all if you are looking for a movie that is not only funny, but with a real edge to it then this is it. I was sad, I cried and I shared all the moments on that road trip. This is a movie that is a definate in my movie collection, SHEER BRILLIANCE, 10 OUT OF 10.

What was Patrick Swayze thinking here, he may have very well hit his head one too many times in one of those rumored drunken plane episodes. This movie sounded WOW! on paper, had a promising cast, but was put together and written unbelievably lame. Scene-by-scene, decent even good acting, but put into context nothing seemed to jive. The characters were compelled to be together by nothing more than the script, real life could have never fueled so much awkward interaction and endeavor. Any hope the storyline had was completely lost in execution and directing. There were times I heard cameramen groaning. It was great by high school play standards, but less fun. The cross country trip felt like one. Michael J. Pollard (C.W. Moss from 1967's Bonnie and Clyde) was a potential completely misused in this film. My mailman could have played his part. As A hitchhiker with merely a couple of great lines like "can I get in the front seat" and "you're really one crazy lady" his character makes it one mile down the interstate before Griffith kicks him out. I should have gotten out where he did.

I recommend this movie to everyone. I think the actors all put in solid performances and were all believable in their characters. Melanie does an excellent job of portraying someone mentally ill and Penelope Ann Miller does a great job as the wife. Patrick proves he doesn't need to be in an "action" role, but can play a serious character also. The best scenes are when the three of them are interacting. I am glad I found out about this movie on the Imdb because I would have missed out otherwise. It is too bad this movie did not get more (or any) media attention because a lot of people are going to miss out on a great story.

This was another one of the DVDs that I got when I purchased the DVD player and as before I watched any of the films that were there I thought oh great these are going to be a bunch of rubbish films just thrown in to make the company look like it gives good offers! I'm a big fan of Patrick anyways and thats what made me watch this first. When it first started I thought hmm this is interesting pretty slow moving but after that I thought it was a great well written moving story.

In the end I felt great that things had finally worked out for Lulu and that Ben had written finally a good book about there time together on the road trip to see there son. Yeah great film would say that everyone should watch it!

Forever Lulu is a tragic and touching story about a woman who tries to rekindle a dream that was ripped away from her sixteen years ago. Melanie Griffith plays Lulu, a woman who has been dealing with schizophrenia for most of her life. She breaks out of a mental institution and reunites with her college sweetheart played by Patrick Swayze. She informs him that she gave up their baby years ago and the two set out on a journey to find him, while being tracked down by Swayze's wife, played by Penelope Ann Miller. Melanie Griffith continues to shine in a string of beautiful performances (Another Day in Paradise, Crazy in Alabama, RKO 281, and Cecil B. Demented). In Forever Lulu, Griffith gets a chance to sink her teeth in a meaty role and she is radiant. It is unfortunate that her costars (Swayze and Miller) do not illuminate the same performance. They seem tired and bored, and are not getting better with age as Griffith is. However, all and all, the film is worth seeing if only for Griffith's performance.

A soul-searching, touching film with excellent performances by all of the major characters. The film was in many ways much less predictable than I had thought it would be at the very beginning. Ms Griffin gives an excellent and totally believable performance; plus, an unusually clear insight into the mind of her character--not an easy task at all. I hesitated to buy this one, so I rented it. I am so glad I did...the movie was much more than I had expected from reading the cover and well worth the watch. On the other hand, I found it to be very unsettling and therefore am glad that I did not buy it because I will always remember this one clearly enough not to want to watch it again--it reaches deep into your heart. Highly recommended...