- Director : Jake Allyn
- Actors : C. Thomas Howell, Annabeth Gish, Jake Allyn, Forrie J. Smith
- Language : English (DTS 5.1 Surround)
- Studio : Well Go Usa
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : Subtitled, Blu-ray
- Run time : 1 hour and 54 minutes
- Release date : August 27, 2024
The concept of
independent cinema has become increasingly muddled in Hollywood, with star-studded
movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once winning the highest awards
and big-budget releases like Civil War costing more than many studio releases
($50 million). And yet, there still exists a mostly unseen world of independent
cinema, which often must survive without name actors and massive budgets. These
films follow the tradition of independent cinema before the Sundance Film Festival
made it just another offshoot of Hollywood, and Ride is a prime example
of this type of filmmaking, for better or worse.
The plot of Ride
begins with a third-generation bull rider named Peter (Jake Allyn) being
released from prison after serving time for manslaughter after a DUI incident,
hoping to return to the world of rodeos despite still struggling with an addiction
to alcohol and pills. Peter has the support of his grandfather (Forrie J. Smith),
though his relationship with the rest of the family is complicated by his
youngest sister’s battle against cancer. While Peter’s father John (C. Thomas
Howell) struggles to raise money to get his daughter the best treatment, his
mother (Annabeth Gish) is the local sheriff in the small town of Stephenville
TX, who is forced to investigate a crime that her son may be involved in.
Despite the limited
budget, Ride ambitiously attempts to blend a number of genre elements, presenting
a fairly realistic look at the world of rodeo bull riding alongside a family
drama involving struggles with the health care system and an unrelated battle
with addiction, before devolving into a highly improbable crime narrative. While
the film never feels overstuffed despite the various elements and an ensemble
cast of characters that also includes a younger brother and his country singer girlfriend,
each storyline and theme is slightly underdeveloped by the efforts to include
them all. With a lead actor also serving as screenwriter and director, it is often
clear why the film is more concerned with melodramatic performance moments than
an effective plot. While independent cinema can be great for artistic
expression, it can also be a pitfall for vanity projects.
While not all of
Ride works the way Allyn may have intended, it is not difficult to admire
the ambitious spirit that went into making the film. Creative filmmaking
choices help work around the budgetary constraints, and the cast all gives committed
performances, even if none are quite as effective as Howell at creating a
character that feels as though he might exist in the real world. The Blu-ray
release comes with interviews from many of these cast members in the bonus
features. The only other extra is the film’s theatrical trailer.
Entertainment Value:
5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 4.5/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
Special Features: 3.5/10
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