Product Details

• Actors: Tobey Maguire, Amy Hathaway, Wilson Cruz, Christina Zilber, James Karen
• Directors: Quinton Peeples
• Writers: Quinton Peeples
• Producers: Fred Cobar, Jon Juhlin, Laurent Zilber
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Lions Gate
• VHS Release Date: November 18, 1997
• Run Time: 93 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0784010374
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #508,005 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Joyride Review, May 28, 2003

By 

C. Mak (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joyride (DVD)

For anyone teaching a course to young actors, screenwriters, or directors, this pic is an excellent tool. The problems inherent in the pic are just as instructive as its shining moments leaving a great deal of room to pick apart camera techinques, how the use of a musical score can detract from or add to a scene, and especially internalization of motive leading to choices an actor must make to infuse life into what otherwise could end up being a stereotypical, two-dimensional character.

Tobey Maguire has built a very respectable career on his sensitive, understated performances, yet the raw J.T. offers insight into Maguire's ability to branch out into personalities that are not always the "hero." Though his relative inexperience does show through in places, the strong believability of his interpretation of J.T. clearly shows the raw talent evident in even his early work.

By far the most provoking performance in the pic is the underrated Amy Hathaway as the internally tortured and physically exploited Tanya. A solid character interpretation from start to finish, Hathaway only stumbles when the script asks her for unnecessarily gratuitous lust, specifically the silly romp-in-the-car scene with Maguire. On a contrasting note, during the powerful bedroom scene with the Mayor, Hathaway shines by deftly conveying a deep-seated anguish for Tanya's unfortunate situation that is craftily hidden during the remainder of her performance.

Also highly noteworthy is Benecio Del Toro. It is common knowledge that small-budget productions can offer a wider scope of interpretation for an actor, and Del Toro demonstrates this to the fullest extent. A master of subtle physical acting, this early role showcases the talent that blossomed in later years. Along the same lines, Christina Naify as Ms. Smith does a nice job creating a real person out of a small amount of material by exploring physical gestures and vocal patterns that make up so much of a human being's personality.

All of the actors, and to a large extent the script itself, are nearly annihilated in many places by the exasperatingly poor musical score. Instead of developing in the viewer a deeper understanding of the character's interactions, the score is often bad enough to be considered a true "groaner."

A must-see for Maguire, Hathaway, Del Toro, and those quirky Adam West fans, "Joyride" is more interesting as a study of technique than great storytelling, but well worth the ride.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, yet cliched, thriller, March 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Joyride [VHS] (VHS Tape)

When I read Entertainment Weekly's review for JOYRIDE, I expected nothing, I mean they gave it an "F". When I rented it, I was pleasantly surprised. It really is a stylish, entertaining, yet unoriginal teen thriller. Tobey Maguire is excellent as the lead.

After this, and the fact that EW also gave "Varsity Blues" a "B"!! What was that. That was one of the worst movies ever made, I have quit going by what they say

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Offbeat, Entertaining, full of twists. Enjoy., August 13, 2002

By 

Trevor William Douglas (Gorokan, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Joyride (DVD)

Produced in 1996, this film is enjoyable on many levels. Drama, comedy, thriller...
Tobey Maguire shows his star power. He seems to be having fun with the role of J.T. Likewise his co-stars Wilson Cruz and Amy Hathaway work well together as three friends trying to escape their various situations in life. Adam West and Steven Gilborn are cast against type to advantage and a nice cameo from James Karen also add to the enjoyment. Benicio Del Toro is hilarious as the deadly serious Detective Lopez and Kenn Norman is believable as the sheriff. Also noteworthy is Judson Mills as Redneck Joey. Lastly I have to say Christina Naify is a standout as 'Smith'. At once sexy and deadly, she plays her part exceptionally well. Thoroughly recommended. The DVD has no special features of note, with the exception of a filmography and biography of Tobey Maguire. The print is excellent and the sound crisp. Buy It!