Jeri Jacquin
Coming to Bluray from director writer/director Jake Allyn and Well Go USA is the story of a family, life and the RIDE.
In Texas, John Hawkins (C. Thomas Howell) is financially struggling to help his cancer-stricken daughter Virginia (Zia Carlock). Getting her to the right hospital means Hawkins must do whatever it takes to raise the funds the hospital is asking for. Estranged wife Monica (Annabeth Gish) is a cop in their town and splits her time between her job and being with Virginia.
Arriving home is Peter (Jake Allyn) who has served his time in prison and is trying to find his way. He learns that Virginia is ill and Hawkins is trying to raise the money. Doing what he is good at, Peter enters a rodeo contest and butts heads with Hawkins after. Peter also has to deal with Tyler (Patrick Murney), a man no one dare cross and his own guilt.
When Hawkins and Peter are put up against it, Monica begins to suspect that the two are doing something that could put them both in prison. A robbery gone wrong means that the troubles they were feeling before are small compared to what they are about to face. In the middle of their personal struggles, the Hawkins family must decide what is most important in their lives.
Howell as John Hawkins is a good man in a bad situation. Struggling to find a way to get his daughter medical help, he comes up against the cost of trying to survive an illness. Howell plays a man who carries the weight of his life like a boulder and if he puts it down, Hawkins world would fall apart. His stunning portrayal is both intense and heartbreaking in equal measure.
Allyn as Peter carries the same duality of intensity and heartbreak in his character. Coming out of prison a very different man, he wants to do the right thing by those he feels he has wronged. The problem with that is there is always somebody who wants to make sure that doesn’t happen. Allyn gives his character a deep struggle to contend with and it is done well.
Gish as Monica is relying on Hawkins to make sure Virginia gets the medical attention she needs. Understanding the struggles her family is now going through and the return of Peter, being a cop means being suspicious of everything that seems to be happening. Gish gives a stern performance of a woman that is caught in the middle of family and the law.
Other cast include Forrie J. Smith as Al, Josh Plasse as Noah, Liz Atwater as Ana, Laci Booth as Libby, Tony Herbert as Tanner and Scott Reeves as Ross Dicksons.
Well Go USA Entertainment is a theatrical and home entertainment company specializing in bringing the best Action, Genre and Independent films from around the world to North American markets. As a leader in independent film distribution, Well Go USA Entertainment’s titles can be seen across a variety of platforms including theatrical, digital, subscription and cable VOD, packaged media and broadcast television. Well Go USA Entertainment currently releases three to five films per month. To see more please visit www.wellgousa.com.
Bonus Features include Interviews with the Cast – Annabeth Gish, C. Thomas Howell, Forrie J. Smith, Jake Allyn, Josh Plasse, Laci Kay Booth and Zia Carlock.
RIDE is a look at the family dynamics of how they once were, tragedies along the way and what lies ahead for their future. Howell, Allyn and Gish know their characters are put in a precarious situation and it is believable for the viewers especially to anyone who has ever had to deal with hospitals and the cost of treating illness.
Both Howell and Allyn’s characters are struggling with grief and life choices which shouldn’t keep them at odds but does. Chalk that up to the stubbornness of father’s and sons with a side dish of deep, dark guilt. These actors have the look and the feel of what can happen when all of it collides for Hawkins and Peter.
In the end – the toughest ride is redemption!
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