I was a big Sarah Dessen fan in my youth and Along for the Ride was probably the most memorable of her novels for me. I reread it in the weeks leading up to the movie coming out and still really enjoyed it.
The adaptation is pretty close - obviously things need to be condensed or moved around for the screen - but I think it basically captured the novels essence.
I guess my biggest gripe with the movie is that the insomnia thing is kind of downplayed. Auden is certainly seen out and about at night time a lot, then at the halfway mark or so she talks about it a bit, but I just felt like it wasn't clear enough that it was a huge part of her routine even before staying with her dad. Considering it's the kind of 'hook' of the novel, I thought it could have been more prominent in the movie.
Ultimately I enjoyed this movie and will watch it again in the future. The music was great and the overall vibe is one I generally enjoy.
The adaptation is pretty close - obviously things need to be condensed or moved around for the screen - but I think it basically captured the novels essence.
I guess my biggest gripe with the movie is that the insomnia thing is kind of downplayed. Auden is certainly seen out and about at night time a lot, then at the halfway mark or so she talks about it a bit, but I just felt like it wasn't clear enough that it was a huge part of her routine even before staying with her dad. Considering it's the kind of 'hook' of the novel, I thought it could have been more prominent in the movie.
Ultimately I enjoyed this movie and will watch it again in the future. The music was great and the overall vibe is one I generally enjoy.