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The Best Road Trip Movies Warning: Hijinks Ensue. By Condé Nast Travel Editors, March 25, 2020
Road trips are filled with unexpected Easy Rider (1969) bal lashings of all time—and who can twists and turns, be they roadside attrac- forget when Nicholson jumps onto the tions or backseat squabbles. So is it any One of the films that sparked the New back of a truck and starts playing the wonder that this beloved (or stressful, Hollywood era of filmmaking (along piano in an impromptu freeway perfor- depending on where in the car you sit) with Bonnie and Clyde), Easy Rider is mance? Ultimately, the film is a poign- travel style has inspired so many full of artistic cinematography and tons ant and subtle portrayal of the alienation filmmakers? Whether they're funny, sad, of social commentary—not to mention and loneliness of a man who can't accept whimsical, or violent (we're looking at Jack Nicholson in one of his first-ever his blue-collar existence. —C.M. you, Bonnie and Clyde), movies inspired roles. The film stars Peter Fonda and by cars, buses, and motorcycles have one Dennis Hopper (who also directed) as Smokey and the Bandit (1977) thing in common: They all share an appreciation for self- There has never been a discovery on the open road. more charming driver With editor picks ranging from than Bo "Bandit" Dar- the 1930s to present day, here ville, as portrayed by are 28 of the best road trip mov- Burt Reynolds in his ies of all time. 1970s mustachioed prime. Smokey and the It Happened One Night (1939) Bandit follows two bootleggers (including It Happened One Night is one of Bandit) as they attempt the first great road trip movies. to illegally transport The Frank Capra-directed film 400 cases of beer in the stars Clark Cable and Claudette American South. Bandit Colbert as a sarcastic newspaper follows the tractor trail- reporter and spoiled socialite, er in his iconic Pontiac respectively, who end up on a Trans Am, wooing a cross-country trip full of flirta- runaway bride (Sally tious banter and screwball an- Field) and evading a tics. The movie was the first in relentless county sheriff history to win the “Big 5” at the (Jackie Gleason) in the Academy Awards (Best Picture, process. It's not the Best Director, Best Actor, Best most politically correct Actress, and Best Screenplay)—an honor film by today's stand- that wouldn't happen again until One two bikers who head east through the ards, but Burt Reynold's indelible level Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in 1975— American Southwest to New Orleans, of cool in this movie is absolutely time- but perhaps its biggest legacy is that sce- searching for the “real America.” The less. —C.M. ne in which Colbert flashes her leg while film's soundtrack remains one of the hitchhiking. —Caitlin Morton coolest in film history, but the opening The Muppet Movie (1979) credits backed by “Born to Be Wild” Bonnie and Clyde (1967) might just be the best cut. —C.M. Music, mayhem, and Muppets: the ingre- dients of a perfect road trip movie. The The tagline of Bonnie and Clyde sums Five Easy Pieces (1970) Muppet Movie chronicles Kermit the up the film pretty perfectly: "They're Frog's cross-country drive to Hollywood young…they're in love…and they kill After his breakout performance in to pursue a career in show business, a trip people". Faye Dunaway and Warren 1969's Easy Rider, Jack Nicholson dotted with original songs, tons of Mup- Beatty star as the titular duo in Arthur took his first leading role in another pet tagalongs, and an evil restauranteur Penn's 1967 classic, which is not only road trip movie, Five Easy Pieces. Ni- with a burgeoning frog leg business. If one of the coolest road trip movies ever cholson plays Bobby Dupea, an oil you love punny, visual humor (remember made, but an important breakthrough in rigger and former piano prodigy living the fork in the road) and celebrity came- American filmmaking. Never before had in California with his waitress girl- os, this is the perfect film for you. — there been a mainstream Hollywood friend, Rayette. After receiving news C.M. movie with the same amount of bloody of his father's failing health, Bobby and violence (that final showdown!), and few Rayette drive up to Washington state, National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) other movies have been able to replicate encountering oddball hitchhikers, slea- its sexy style. —C.M. zy motels, and a poor diner waitress Vacation was the world’s introduction to who gets one of the most famous ver- the Griswold family, led by accident- Page 10 prone dad-in-chief Clark (Chevy Chase). dy. The actors' chemistry is hard to The film spoofs the tried-and-true Amer- deny…especially when they’re sleep- The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the ican tradition of the family road trip, ing in the same bed together on the Desert (1994) taking the Griswold car through at least road. —W.L. two real-life national parks—Death Val- Guy Pearce, Terence Stamp, and Hugo ley and Grand Canyon—on their way to Thelma & Louise (1991) Weaving star as two drag queens and a the fictional amusement park, Walley trans woman crossing the Outback in a tour World. Add in an unforgettable cameo In this film, best friends Thelma bus (she’s the titular Priscilla). The stark, from Christie Brinkley and a hit theme (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sar- remote Aussie landscape was the perfect song in “Holiday Road,” and you have a andon) are looking to escape their drab complement to the gang’s outrageous movie every vacationer should watch lives in Arkansas, and at the end of its style—and, more importantly, for their con- once in her lifetime. —Will Levith 129 minutes, have done just that. After versations about life, love, and identity. a stop at a roadhouse bar takes a dark Priscilla was more than just a fun movie: It Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985) turn, the pair take off for Mexico in a positively depicted LGBT characters on- 1966 Ford Thunderbird convertible; screen and helped bring Australian cinema Tim Burton's directorial to the rest of the world.— debut introduced most of Lilit Marcus the world to Pee-Wee Her- man, the exuberant man- Tommy Boy (1995) child portrayed by Paul Reubens. Big Adventure Chris Farley and David follows the titular charac- Spade comprised one of ter during his wild trip the best comedic duos of across the U.S. to find his the 1990s, and no film ex- beloved red bicycle, visit- emplified that better than ing the Alamo and en- Tommy Boy. Farley plays countering quite the cast the titular Tommy, a bum- of characters (most memo- bling but likeable college rably Large Marge) along grad who is forced to save the way. —C.M. the family auto-parts busi- ness after his father passes away. He hits the road with The Sure Thing (1985) his father's prissy and an- tagonistic assistant, Rich- John Cusack in any 1980s ard (Spade), in an effort to movie? Yes, please. This sell half a million brake Rob Reiner-directed teen try and evade the cops as they wind pads. They inevitably hit comedy follows Cusack's unlucky-in- through California, Colorado, and some hilarious snags along the way, involv- love Walter Gibson as he drives from Utah; and pick up a young Brad Pitt, ing deer, chicken wings, the slow destruc- the East to West Coast in the hopes of for a spell, along the way. In 2016, the tion of Richard's car, and a beautifully hooking up with a beautiful woman— film was selected for preservation in wicked Rob Lowe. —C.M. whom his friend assures him is a “sure the U.S. Library of Congress's Nation- thing.” The road trip features ride share al Film Registry for its cultural, histor- The Daytrippers (1996) boards (remember those?), hitchhiking, ical, and aesthetic significance, which and plenty of awkward situations in very means that it must have gotten some- Although the road trip itself doesn’t cover close quarters. Just goes to show how thing right. –Katherine LaGrave too much ground (Long Island to New the confines of a car can sometimes be a York City), this still belongs on the list, hilarious breeding ground for romance. Dumb and Dumber (1994) mainly because it features Hope Davis, —C.M. Parker Posey, and Liev Schreiber all at In this Farrelly brothers comedy, their mid-90s, quirky-indie-film best. Davis Planes, Trains, and Automobiles friends Lloyd (Jim Carrey) and Harry discovers evidence that her husband is (1987) (Jeff Daniels) abandon their dreams of cheating, and sets out to confront him, liter- opening a worm pet store in their ally bringing her family along for the ride. Set around Thanksgiving, Planes uses hometown, Providence, Rhode Island It’s hilarious, and does a great job of cap- the travel rush in the days leading up to to return a lost briefcase to its owner in turing the complexities of family. —Jayna the holiday as a more-than-worthy co- Colorado. Driving Harry’s sheepdog- Maleri medic vehicle. Steve Martin goofs as styled truck, the daft duo finally make Neal Page, who faces a series of travel it to Aspen—but not before driving Some road trip movies are about friends nightmares on his trip from New York almost a third of the way across the traveling together but the protagonists of City to Chicago in advance of Turkey country in the wrong direction. Ensu- Smoke Signals based on a short story... Day. After his flight is cancelled due to ing hijinks include kidnapping, acci- inclement weather, Page ends up sharing dental murder, games of tag on the Smoke Signals (1998) his trip home with salesman Del Grif- highway, and one very awkward en- fith, played by the late, great John Can- counter with a traffic cop. —C.M. Some road trip movies are about friends Page 11 traveling together, but the protagonists the best soundtracks ever recorded. — Crossroads (2002) of Smoke Signals, based on a short story J.M. by Sherman Alexie, might be more accu- Crossroads tells the story of three child- rately described as "frenemies." Thomas On one level Y Tu Mam Tambin is a hood friends (Britney Spears, Zoe Sal- and Victor are two young men growing story of two recent high school gradu- dana, and Taryn Manning) who decide to up on a Native American reservation in ates friends Tenoch and Julio who take a road trip to Los Angeles after Idaho who set off to retrieve Victor’s driven by... graduating high school, each in search of father’s ashes. The long, lonely stretches their own paths in life. It's honestly hard of road give them time to talk, spar, Y Tu Mamá También (2002) to pick the best scene from Spears's big- watch Dances With Wolves for the thou- screen debut, which currently has a rat- sandth time (that one’s just Thomas), On one level, Y Tu Mamá También is ing of 14% on Rotten Tomatoes: Is it and unravel what it means to be Native a story of two recent high school grad- when the dulcet tones of her “I Love in America. By the end, they may not uates, friends Tenoch (Diego Luna) Rock n' Roll” cover change the lives of necessarily be friends, but they under- and Julio (Gael García Bernal) who, everyone in a roadside karaoke bar? Is it stand each other in a way few others driven by both boredom and masculine watching every turn of events go on to could. —L.M. inspire the lyrics of “I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Arguably the last good movie Woman”? Is it the mere by Cameron Crowe Almost fact that Britney's par- Famous is equal parts rock n' ents are portrayed by roll and sugary sweet. The Dan Aykroyd and Kim film tells... Cattrall? Like I said: impossible to pick. — Almost Famous (2000) C.M.
Arguably the last good movie This is where it all began by Cameron Crowe, Almost for Ernesto Che Guevara Famous is equal parts rock n' whose road trip across roll and sugary sweet. The Latin America with his film tells the story of a high pal Alberto Granado ... school journalist (Patrick Fu- git) who is given the chance to The Motorcycle Diaries write a story about an up-and- (2004) coming rock band for Rolling Stone, and leaves his overpro- This is where it all began tective mother to follow the for Ernesto "Che" Gue- musicians on the road. The vara (Gael García Ber- baby-faced teenager learns nal), whose road trip some valuable lessons during bravado, embark on a road trip through across Latin America with his pal Alber- his weeks on the band's tour bus, like the Mexico with the disillusioned (and to Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna) opened importance of honesty, the unimportance very sexy) wife of one of Tenoch’s Che's eyes to political injustice. Director of “coolness”, and the thrills and pains distant relatives in tow. They compete Walter Salles filmed their travels through of a first love. And if there was ever a for her attention, with mixed results— major landmarks in South America, as case to be made about choosing cars no spoilers, here—and return home they were in Che's memoir, from the over airplanes, Almost Famous definite- with their boyish self-assuredness thor- Andes mountain range to Machu Picchu ly makes it. —C.M. oughly destroyed. But there’s another and even a leper colony in San Pablo. – narrative at play: That of modern-day J.M. The Coen brothers's take on Homer's Mexico, whose indigenous cultures Odyssey perhaps the ultimate road tripO and sweeping class distinctions pro- Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Brother Where Art Thou substitutes vide the dusty, beautiful backdrop 1930s... against which the film plays out. It A suicidal brother, silent son, self-help doesn’t don the rose-colored lenses of obsessed husband, druggie father, and a O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) other road trip movies, where things seven-year-old daughter with dreams of seem to just work themselves out— becoming Little Miss Sunshine all join The Coen brothers's take on Homer's there’s pain here, but humor, too. — an overwhelmed mother in a beat up VW Odyssey—perhaps the ultimate road Betsy Blumenthal bus on one of the most dysfunctional trip—O Brother, Where Art Thou? sub- road trips I've ever seen. That said, the stitutes 1930s rural Mississippi for an- Crossroads tells the story of three car problems, family fights, and detours cient Greece and features George childhood friends who decide to take a aren't that different from the average Clooney, John Goodman, and Holly road trip to Los Angeles after graduat- interstate adventure. This award-winning Hunter, all of whom have become reper- ing... movie has got quirks for days and a tory players in the filmmakers' universe. whole lot of heart, plus the cast—which Also worth noting: The film has one of includes Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Ab- Page 12
igail Breslin, and Alan Arkin—handles frantic attempt to avoid the walking wife, Kate (June Squibb), try to convince the insanity here in stride. —Meredith dead Zombieland is a road trip movie... him the sweeps are a scam. But cantan- Carey kerous Woody—a lifelong alcoholic with Zombieland (2009) borderline dementia—wants his million Don't let the naked wrestling fool you bucks. So David agrees to drive him to Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Not so much a journey of discovery as Lincoln, leading us on a heartbreaking Make Benefit Glorious Nation of... a frantic attempt to avoid the walking trip past the corn fields of middle Ameri- dead, Zombieland is a road trip movie ca with a detour through the Grant fami- Borat (2006) nonetheless. The post-apocalyptic com- ly’s past. —Laura Dannen Redman edy follows a cast of survivalists Don't let the naked wrestling fool you: (played by Woody Harrelson, Jesse Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Ka- Breslin) across the country as they Quirky character studies and tales of self- zakhstan (or, as most people call it, Bo- search for a zombie-free sanctuary city. discovery are great, but sometimes you rat) might just be just want non-stop, one of the most adrenaline-pumping culturally aware action. That's cer- movies of the tainly what you get 2000s. The semi- with Mad Max: Fury documentary stars Road, the latest in- Sacha Baron Co- stallment in George hen's character of Miller's apocalyptic Borat Sagdiyev, a franchise. This time reporter from Ka- around, Max (Tom zakhstan who Hardy) gets captured leaves his village by the tyrannical to learn everything Immortan Joe, ruler there is to learn of a desert fortress; about America. he eventually es- During his trip capes and teams from New York to with Imperator Furi- California, Borat osa (Charlize The- encounters rodeo ron), a warrior at the attendees in Vir- wheel of a big rig on ginia, etiquette a freedom mission. coaches in Ala- It's one giant chase bama, drunk frat scene through the bros in South Car- red deserts of Na- olina, and pente- Crammed into a yellow Hummer, the mibia's Skeleton Coast, meant to stand in costal Christians in Arizona. The on- gang learns all about the rules of sur- for post-apocalyptic Australia. —C.M camera interviews continue to be as hi- vival (double-knot those shoelaces, larious and cringe-worthy today as they folks), opening up to other people, and Most blind dates end the minute they were in 2006. —C.M. how not to treat Bill Murray. —C.M. begin but right away something is differ- ent about the one that kicks off Queen ... Into the Wild (2007) Alexander Paynes Nebraska is no road trip noireven though it appears that way Queen & Slim (2019) An adaptation of Jon Krakauer's non- initially. Filmed in black and white fiction book of the same name, this Sean the... Most blind dates end the minute they Penn-directed film follows the real-life begin, but right away something is differ- travels of Christopher McCandless Nebraska (2013) ent about the one that kicks off Queen & (Emile Hirsch) across North America and Slim. This romantic crime drama shows Alaska in the 1990s. If you've survived Alexander Payne’s Nebraska is no road the social injustices that run through thus far in life without finding out how trip noir—even though it appears that many African American communities this story ends, kudos to you. Regardless way initially. Filmed in black and white with New Orleans, Mississippi, and Flor- of how it plays out, watching (with shades of melancholy), the 2013 ida as a backdrop. It's a true love story McCandless's travels, first in a Datsun indie follows the slow decline of elder- that has ties to slavery, feminism, mascu- Sunny and later in an abandoned bus, ly Woody Grant (Bruce Dern), whom linity, and religion. And it lays bare the makes you want to get out on the trail in we first see walking a busy stretch of ebbs and flows of a relationship and how one of America's national parks—just highway in Billings, Montana, desper- the challenges in our lives can either maybe take a few wilderness survival ate to get to Lincoln, Nebraska to pick push us away or bring us closer together. classes first. –M.C. up his $1 million sweepstakes win- —Shauna Beni nings. His son, David (Will Forte), and Not so much a journey of discovery as a Page 13 Page 14 2021 Club Calendar
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Cutie Invited Varsity Hop Guy Full of Whiskers Party a Flop —Burma Shave, 1935