though ultimately the ending is disappointing, attempting to wrap up loose ends far too neatly". Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "C+" rating, and wrote, "... every scene is bumpered with actorly business and production detail that says more about nostalgia for the pop culture of earlier American decades than about the hard socioeconomic truths of being a poor, young, undereducated parent". In her review for The Washington Post, Rita Kempley criticized Barrymore's performance: "Barrymore, a delightful comic actress, has the spunk for the role, but can't do justice to the complexities of Beverly's conflicted personality. So she comes off as abrasive and neglectful as opposed to headstrong and ambitious, winning no empathy for this sour single mom". Edward Guthmann also had problems with Barrymore's performance in his review for the San Francisco Chronicle: "She never relaxes, never surrenders to the character, but instead tries to justify her and to make us like her despite her selfishness and poor mothering. American actors as a rule are terrified of playing unsympathetic characters, particularly when they've gained the celebrity and box-office appeal that Barrymore has". Giving the 2 out of 4 stars, Ron Weiskind of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called it "a troubling trip" and "is one bumpy ride". Box office Riding in Cars with Boys grossed $30.1 million in the United States and $35.7 million worldwide. Compared to its $47 million budget, the film was a box office bomb. References External links Interviews with the cast 2001 comedy-drama films 2000s biographical drama films 2000s coming-of-age comedy-drama films American biographical drama films American coming-of-age comedy-drama films Columbia Pictures films Comedy-drama films based on actual events Coming-of-age films based on actual events Gracie Films films Films based on biographies Films directed by Penny Marshall Films produced by James L. Brooks Films produced by Laurence Mark Films scored by Hans Zimmer Films scored by Heitor Pereira Films set in the 1960s Films set in the 1970s Films set in the 1980s Films set in Connecticut Films shot in Newark, New Jersey Films shot in New Jersey Films shot in New York (state) Teenage pregnancy in film Biographical films about writers Films about drugs Films about heroin addiction American pregnancy films Films about mother–son relationships 2000s English-language films 2000s American films