MOVIE REVIEW : ‘FREE RIDE’ GOES NOWHERE
“Free Ride” (citywide) is a prep-school comedy too puerile to warrant much comment.
Although director Tom Trbovich and his various writers give the cast precious little to work with, several young people manage to make enough of an impression to make you hope they get a better shot. Among them is Gary Hershberger as a smart-alecky type who sets what plot there is in motion when he inadvertently makes off with a quarter of a million in Mob money. Then there’s Peter De Luise, a big, funny guy who’s the school klutz.
But you wouldn’t want to wish on anyone the role of the school’s thickheaded superintendent, even though Warren Berlinger, who can be funny in happier circumstances, tries hard to make the best of it. Also game is Mamie Van Doren, returning to the screen after an 18-year absence, as Berlinger’s wife and the school’s raunchy nurse. Van Doren has kept her figure and her sense of humor, but “Free Ride” (rated R for many four-letter words, some nudity) wastes her, along with everyone else.
Running time: 1 hour, 27 minutes. MPAA rating: R (younger than 17 requires an accompanying parent or adult guardian).
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