Forever Lulu

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.

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...

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!

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.

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.