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Free Ride (2013 film)

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Free Ride
Film poster
Directed byShana Betz
Written byShana Betz
Produced bySusan Dynner
Cerise Hallam Larkin
Anna Paquin
Stephen Moyer (executive) Wendy Williams
StarringAnna Paquin
Drea de Matteo
Cam Gigandet
Liana Liberato
CinematographyQuyen Tran
Edited byDanny Daneau
Music byJeff Russo
Production
companies
Aberration Films
Casm Films
Pantry Films
Distributed byPhase 4 Films
Release dates
  • October 11, 2013 (2013-10-11) (HIFF)
  • January 10, 2014 (2014-01-10) (limited)
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Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Free Ride is a 2013 American crime drama film directed and written by Shana Betz, based on her childhood experiences growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The film stars Anna Paquin (who also served as producer), alongside Drea de Matteo, Liana Liberato, and Cam Gigandet in supporting roles.

The plot follows Christina (Paquin), a single mother who becomes involved in drug smuggling to provide for her two daughters in the late 1970s.

Free Ride premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival on October 11, 2013, and also opened the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival on October 18.[2] The film later received a limited theatrical release on January 10, 2014.

Synopsis

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Christina, a single mother from Ohio, escapes an abusive relationship with her two daughters, teenager MJ and seven-year-old Shell, in the late 1970s. The family relocates to the Florida coast, where Christina reconnects with a friend who introduces her to a job in drug smuggling. While she navigates the dangerous world of illicit trade to provide for her family, Christina must also manage her increasingly defiant older daughter and protect her children from the growing dangers surrounding them.[3]

Cast

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Production

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Free Ride was filmed across several locations in Sarasota County, Florida, including the cities of Venice and Englewood.[5]

Release

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Free Ride premiered at the 2013 Hamptons International Film Festival on October 11, 2013.[2] It later opened the 28th Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLiFF) on October 18, 2013.[6] Following these festival showings, the film received a limited theatrical release on January 10, 2014.[7]

Reception

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On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Free Ride holds a 14% approval rating based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 3.9/10.[1] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 41 out of 100, based on 9 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[8]

John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter described the film as "[a] loving portrait of a mother many would say deserves a much more critical eye."[9] Meanwhile, Stephen Holden of The New York Times praised the film's authenticity and tone, comparing it to "the easygoing world of Jimmy Buffett songs," while noting its unsettling depiction of a world with no promise of a future.[10]

Diego Costa of Slant Magazine rated it 2 stars out of 4, acknowledging Paquin's strong performance but critiquing the narrative's lack of commitment to either melodrama or suspense.[11] Similarly, Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News gave it 2 stars out of 4, stating that the film failed to capitalize on its inherent tension, with "slack" direction and a "miscast" Paquin.[12]

Awards

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Shana Betz's work in the film earned her the inaugural Tangerine Entertainment Juice Award (honoring an outstanding female filmmaker) at the 2013 Hamptons International Film Festival.[13][14]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Free Ride (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b McCracken, Kristin (25 September 2013). "HIFF 2013 Spotlight, World Cinema and Special Screenings Announced". Hamptons International Film Festival. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  3. ^ "Free Ride (2013)". MSN.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  4. ^ "Free Ride – Trailer – Cast – Showtimes". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  5. ^ "Free Ride (2013) Filming Locations". IMDb. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  6. ^ "Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Unveils 2013 Lineup; Open with FREE RIDE and Closes with WALKING WITH THE ENEMY". VIMOOZ.com. 19 September 2013. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  7. ^ Lombardi, Ken (9 January 2014). "Anna Paquin on playing a drug-smuggling mom in "Free Ride"". CBS News. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  8. ^ "Free Ride". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  9. ^ DeFore, John (30 October 2013). "Free Ride: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 16 May 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  10. ^ Holden, Stephen (9 January 2014). "I Remember Mama, the Pot Smuggler". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  11. ^ Costa, Diego (8 January 2014). "Free Ride Film Review". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  12. ^ Weitzman, Elizabeth (9 January 2014). "'Free Ride': Movie review". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  13. ^ "'Desert Runners' Take Audience Awards At Hamptons Film Festival". Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  14. ^ "HIFF 2013 Awards Announced – Hamptons International Film Festival". Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
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