We found this movie on Netflix streaming. It is written and directed by Helen Hunt, who also stars. The animosity displayed between the mom and her son is hard to get past at times but overall it ties up with an important life lesson.Helen Hunt is Jackie, a New York author and publishing company executive. She drives her career hard and has a few quirks. We see some early when she is at a high-rise swimming pool doing laps using the dog paddle, so that she never has to get her hair wet.She is single and has a son, Brenton Thwaites as Angelo. He is also an aspiring writer, finishing high school, and set to attend an arts and science college in Manhattan. Their backstory of sorts is that she has become very attached to her son, as well as being very demanding of his writing, probably as an overreaction to having her other son die in his youth.All that sets up the core of the story which is Angelo dropping out of college to travel to California to be near his father. He wants to get away from the New York rat race and figure out what he wants to do, citing many examples of successful authors who didn't finish college. But mostly he wants to move far away from mom.Mom doesn't get angry, at least not much that we can see, instead she packs a bag and unannounced travels to California. She has had a problem letting go and at one point when Angelo mentions surfing, as one example of something Jackie would never do, she stubbornly tells herself it can't be that hard, she'll just get a board and begin surfing. She learns the hard way there's much more to it.The title "Ride" is a reference to riding that wave, finally, as a metaphor for her letting go a bit, for herself and also for her son. In the end he decides to move back to New York and resume his college but she decides to stay in California, beginning to give her son the freedom he deserves.Early in the movie when mom and son discuss how to end a fictional story her saying is it should be "something surprising and inevitable." That is the ending Helen Hunt wrote into this screenplay.

I was a Helen Hunt fan until this movie. Her character was very disturbing and in my opinion she was a stalker. Very creepy! The fighting, the spying and the constant texts back and forth were extremely annoying. Helen leave your son alone and let him live his life! What amazed me was that the driver and her surf instructor seemed to think that what she was doing was OK. What really did it for me was when she walked into her son's bedroom when he was with his girlfriend...that was over the top. Then she cussed at her son, the step mother and the father for no reason when she barged into their home! The only character that had any real substance was the driver. I can't believe that I made it to the end...I kept waiting for something good to happen. If you were a Helen Hunt fan, don't watch this movie...you will be sorely disappointed!

I'm still not sure how much I enjoyed this movie.The constant arguing of the mom and son got old. The way he kept referring to her by her first name began to annoy me. Each and every phone conversation was arguments!! She should have got into his face and insisted on respect. Instead, she just accepted it, tacked it up to her failure and more pain.I recently scattered my folks ashes off the shores of Hawaii. That was tough (emotionally speaking) scene to watch. Brought back memories.I have an 18 year old son, myself, who recently left the nest. Her emotions of her son moving away rang home. Although I have done a better job than her so far and have let him go.At the end, when she tells him she is staying in LA, and the he tells her he's going back to New York, was she thinking "really?? I was staying here to be in the same city as you!!"It was an OK movie. I actually enjoyed Luke Wilson the most in this movie. The Limo driver was enjoyable too.Oh, and I think Helen Hunt is not aging very well at all!!'

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.......