Riding The Bullet

2004's Stephen King adaptation Riding the Bullet directed by Mick Garris is often neglected as even a worthwhile film, let alone one that deserves to be examined, perhaps closely studied. Many of those who disliked the film despised many of the directional choices by Garris, while some even hated the main character of Alan Parker (Jonathan Jackson), especially after his self-preservation decision involving a Faustian-like choice that is perceived by some to result in his mother's death in the film. While Riding the Bullet may seem rooted in bells-and-whistles akin to the most lazy filmmakers, to others this piece of cinema seems to use these motifs not as decoration, but rather for artistic value. The film analyzes a number of elements: for instance, it shows a broken, but working family unit using a mother's devotion to her only child, as well as the son's devotion to her after his father (her husband) had passed away.

Riding the Bullet is mostly set in two years after the Summer of Love in October 1969, while the rest of the film dates back to Alan's childhood with no definite year. However, the time period is rather trivial, as the themes presented therein are universal to both time and place. The movie begins with Time of the Season, a song back in 1968 by The Zombies. Some of the lyrics sing: "Who's your daddy?/ Is he rich?/Is he rich like me?/Has he taken/ Any Time/ To show you what you need to live?/ It's the time of the season for loving."

This beginning is done in a montage of clips from the portrayed family unit (with the father in some scenes) and it shows the viewer just in a couple of minutes a lifetime of love. While there isn't any "true" character development in the credit sequence, yet at the same time it adds backstory without a single word or even action in the actual plot taking place. The choice of the song Time of the Season with those aforementioned lyrics also comes into play in the plot, as well. As the song is not referring to money ("Is he rich") to live a good life. Rather, it tells us to be full of "riches" through love in order to live a full life.

In the opening few minutes of the film, the viewer is shown that the character of arty-college student Alan has an "obsession with death," shown in both his frame of mind and his "adolescent monster movie images" of his artwork. His college professor tries to veer his preoccupation with death: "Time to draw what you see....life is beautiful, Alan. This gruesome stuff is not going to get you anywhere." A few moments later Alan's girlfriend breaks up with him and soon thereafter Alan tries to kill himself with a razorblade. This is essentially what the film is truly about. One young man's evolution from someone who hates himself and takes it out on those around him, into someone that realizes that love is everything. Yet, at the same time, he also realizes that love and life is never perfect.

His girlfriend, Jessica, (Erika Christensen) tells Alan during her hospital visit to his bedside after the suicide attempt, "We all have problems, Alan. We deal with them." However, Alan seems more concerned with getting out from under her glare than taking what she says to heart and attempting to correct his behavior. The viewer is shown later in the story that this hatred may be due to a rough childhood.

As although raised from a loving mother, Alan's father did die tragically when he was younger, and he is told it was an accident, but it is also possible in the story that it might have instead been a suicide. However, it also could just be a delusion, as well, creating the parallel between both Alan and his father showing the viewer that the bounds of any family unit are strong.

Then later when the villain George Staub tells Alan: "Do you know how many children of suicides end up committing suicide themselves!(paraphrase)." The viewer may not be aware of it, but in this line the movie is not so much commenting on the present characters, than it is with the future of Alan's own children, with them too being raised into a broken-home atmosphere.

The final choice he makes it probably not a choice as all, rather it has more to do with natural order. His mom "was" going to die at the end, as the movie keeps on throwing ghastly situations at Alan during his travel to her bedside, telling the viewer that this is indeed fate, and that Alan is supposed to survive this ordeal. The film is not so much about Alan being portrayed as a callow, crying-for-help introvert, than it is about him growing up and realizing the world does not revolve around himself. It's a coming-of-age tale.

The end of the film states: "There's nothing like a brush with mortality that can help you to appreciate life. A little bite of death can help you grow up real quick." The film then ends with the perfect line: "No one lives forever, but we all shine on." It is here that the viewer may realize that Riding the Bullet is telling you that what we do in this life, and how we affect the world around us, is what gets us remembered. As the Riding the Bullet tells us that heaven may truly be a fire burning forevermore in our hearts through love and affection rather than hatred, grief, and sorrow.