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Top 10 Road Movies

By Ally Sinyard · July 11, 2012

Not many things are better for cleansing the soul than leaving everything behind and doing a bit of travelling. Personally, I like long journeys because I’m neurotic and constantly need to be doing something: working, writing, exercising, researching, socialising, whatever. However, when you’re in a car, on a train, on a plane, going from A to B, it is essentially empty time. You don’t need to worry about what you should be doing because there is nothing you CAN do, except sit there and wait for time to pass.

Generally, travelling is the ideal time to be alone with your thoughts; to rest and reassess. In the lengthier cases of the road movie genre, travelling is a time for a complete upheaval of one’s life. The characters in the films below take life-changing journeys. They’ve left their homes, usually for the purpose of escaping their current lives, and they’ve set out on “quests, pilgrimages, chases, crime sprees, spiritual journeys” (Will Aitken, “Matador Network.) They embrace the idea that tomorrow is another day, and that the road is the way to which this new beginning is possible.

It is one of my favourite genres because it is full of endless possibilities. No road movie is a simple journey from A to B. We meet a host of interesting characters and our protagonists get caught in troublesome/shocking/sticky/hilarious situations. It’s also a great genre because it shows people in their most primal states, with nothing but a little money and their clothes.

In a world of consumerism, it is refreshing to be reminded of the simpler things in life. By the time our protagonists reach point B (and not ALL of the trips below are so successful), they have undergone a major transformation. So the 10 films below are not the best road trips, but the best journeys.

10. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

For its sheer craziness and insight into the endless possibilities of a hallucinogenic-laced road trip, I couldn’t NOT include the adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Directed by unique visionary Terry Gilliam and featuring oddball performances from Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro, it tells the tale of an eccentric journalist and his attorney on a road trip to Las Vegas. We’re never entirely sure where they’ve come from or why they are going to where they are going, but it is not that which we are concerned with. It is one of the most unpredictable and directionless of films, reflecting an unsettling, unpredictable time and should not be ventured into by those looking for mild-entertainment or a simple A-to-B film. We cannot truly trust our two protagonists to get us to our destination safely, but we are supposed to just enjoy the journey and the wonderful visuals constantly being thrown our way. It is so stunning a film that we never once question what we have delved into…and by that point it’s too late to go back. What a trip!

9. Sideways (2004)

My favourite review of Sideways has to be the quote, “a gonzo teen sex comedy smacked upside the head by encroaching middle age” (Slate, David Edelstein.) Sideways is a unique road movie because our protagonists are not escaping a dire situation or on a major quest. One of them is to be married, they’re shit-scared about reaching middle-age and decide to go on one last hurrah on a wine-tasting tour. Essentially, they want to escape from the inevitability of life but rule number 1 in road movies is that both passengers should have the same goal. In this case, one wants to get laid one last time, the other just wants to enjoy some wine. Fireworks occur. It’s a “picaresque analysis of mid-life crises” that is thoughtful, profound and supported by a quartet of great lead performances (BFI Screen Guides, “100 Road Movies.) It helps that our two leading men, Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, are at this time not huge stars, so we are able to accept them as regular guys. It isn’t a tale of great courage, or prosperity, or even a slapstick about a mismatched pair. It’s simply a very human film with great humour, sharp dialogue and poignant observations about “middle-age, different facets of masculinity and male camaraderie” (Emanuel Levy.) It also increased sales of Pinot Noir nationwide!

8. The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

The Motorcycle Diariesis an epic road movie that has everything that you could want: “laughs, kicks, adventures, pathos, poetry, natural beauty, strange encounters and friendship tested and strengthened” (Shawn Levy, “Portland Oregonian.) It is about the journey and written memoir of 23-year-old Ernesto Guevara (Gael Garcia Bernal), who would later go on to be known as the Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara. This film gives the account of Guevara’s motorcycle expedition across South America with his friend Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna.) One of the reasons it is such a great road movie is because we all know where the journey will eventually lead them to, and who doesn’t want to know about the roots of a revolutionary? It is also one of the best examples of why characters take to the road: to escape obligations and to explore freedom “before debt and hunger force you to conform” (Sam North, “Hack Writers.”) It isn’t simply a story of two young men fleeing from their own personal issues, but an adventure that explores universal themes and educates its audience. It is beautiful poetic, constantly entertaining and perfectly captures youthful possibility.  

7. Into the Wild (2007)

Into the Wildtells the touching, true story of middle-class graduate Christopher McCandless, who gave away his law school fund, got rid of his car, burned his cash and spent two years tramping around the American Southwest before hiking in the Alaskan wilderness. In September, 1992 (SPOILER ALERT), he was found dead at the age of 24 by hunters. Emile Hirsch is “hypnotic” as McCandless and, though the movie is a tad long at 140 minutes, director Sean Penn makes the most of McCandless’ constant motion to enjoy the copious natural beauty (Roger Ebert.) On a quest for personal fulfilment, McCandless encounters many people on his travels and each is affected by his “desire to be true to himself and to truth” (Ed Perkis, “Cinema Blend.”) With a great supporting cast including William Hurt and Kirsten Stewart, it is one of the best films of the Noughties that I insist you watch if you haven’t already!

6. La Strada (1954)

Literally meaning “The Road,” La Strada has been referred to as “the Italian grandmother of all road movies” and is arguably one of Fellini’s best films (Will Aitken, “Matador Network.) La Dolce Vita and 8 ½ may be more beloved, but it was La Strada that put Fellini “on the map” (Eric D. Snider, “Film.com.) Certainly, it was the film he himself said was “most autobiographical, for both personal and sentimental reasons” and that he was “most attached” to. It is the poignant story of an innocent young waif called Gelsomina (Guilietta Masina, Fellini’s wife) who is sold to street performer Zampano (Anthony Quinn.) She vainly tries to escape, they join a circus and her friendship with the tightrope-walking Fool (Richard Basehart) brings its own problems. It is a great road movie because of its rawness and simplicity. It is a “barebones parable” about life on the road; a tale of redemption “rooted in the religious aesthetic that predated neorealism” (Rita Kempley, “The Washington Post.)  Masina’s emotive performance also makes it one of the most powerful and haunting films I’ve seen.  

5. It Happened One Night (1934)

This screwball comedy about a spoilt heiress (Claudette Colbert) on the run became the “template” for hundreds of comedy-romances on mismatched partners (Will Aitken, “Matador Network.”) We see a battle of the sexes as well as a battle of the classes. Fleeing her father after he annuls her marriage, she meets an out-of-work reporter (Clark Gable) who agrees to help reunite her with her husband if she gives him an exclusive on her story. Although the film is perhaps more famous for Colbert flashing a saucy bit of leg on the side of the road to flag down a car, it set the standard for Romcoms and buddy movies, was the first film to win all five major Oscars, and also took a toll on the sales of men’s undershirts! It’s influence, originality and ability to still entertain almost 80 years on is what makes it a great all-round road movie. Oddly enough, it was almost never made. Colbert didn’t want to make the film because she wanted to go on vacation instead and thought the script was weak. In return she got $50,000, a 4-week shoot, so she could go on holiday AND an Oscar!

4. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

In the words of Stephen Lackey for “Cinegeek:” “no road movie list would be complete without Plains, Trains and Automobiles.” It is a comedy classic featuring the late, great John Candy and Steve Martin as an odd couple travelling home for Thanksgiving. Here we have the ultimate in mismatched pairs: Martin as the uptight executive and Candy as the sunny, talkative and accident prone shower curtain ring salesman (of course.) You can imagine the movie without even having to see it, since it has influenced so many films, yet you just cannot beat the original. Their misadventures leave you in stitches and you really feel the anguish of Martin’s character. However, it’s also a great film because it reminds us that, no matter how much someone can get on your nerves, if they mean well, you just can’t hate them! A similar formula was used more recently in the film Due Date (2010), yet Candy’s onscreen warmth means that he manages to stay likeable throughout. A very simple, very heartfelt, and VERY funny road movie.

3. Rain Man (1988)

Rain Man is already a stand-out film for Dustin Hoffman’s now famous, incredible performance as Raymond Babbitt, an autistic savant.  As a road movie, it really grabs your attention and makes you rethink your own prejudices. It’s an original telling of the age-old fable that money isn’t everything and family is the most important thing. Although Hoffman’s performance and the unique character of Raymond draws the most attention to the film, it is actually his brother Charlie (Tom Cruise) whose journey we are focused on here. At the start, he is selfish and hostile and only after his dead father’s money, which has been left to the brother he never knew he had. By the time he reaches LA, he has undergone a transformation for the better. It has a great script, which won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and great performances to compliment a unique and wonderful story.

2. Thelma and Louise (1991)

Thelma and Louisedoes not just stand out for me because of its female protagonists, but because the road on which they travel, it seems, “is always a dead end” (Sam North, “Hack Writers.”) As with any film that features a crime spree, such as Bonnie and Clyde, it is tinged with fatalism. There is no point B in sight. Thelma and Louise simply wanted to escape from their lives as representatives of oppressed, everyday American women in the 80s. As the unequal worker and the mistreated housewife, they are at the mercy of the men in their lives. When they fight back in the form of the slaughter of the would-be rapist, we sense that they will inevitably be punished as various male figures try to snare them. Regardless of the fate that awaits them, however, they have thrown off their shackles and we see them evolve into strong heroines. Their freedom gives the film a “thrilling, life-affirming energy” which makes the film so memorable (Janet Maslin, “New York Times.”)

1. Easy Rider (1969)

It destroyed Peter Fonda’s friendship with Dennis Hooper and it made Jack Nicholson a star. It is one of the most important films of the late 60s, signaling the end of the hippie movement and the beginning of New Hollywood. It is a landmark counterculture film and also famous for its use of real drugs. Above all else, it is one hell of a road movie. Sean McLachlan of Gadling.com even wrote a whole article titled “Easy Rider: Greatest Road Movie of All Time” and RedCafe.Net call it “the godfather of all road movies.” Much of this extreme heralding will be down to the fact that it was made at a perfect time. The counterculture generation was becoming increasingly disillusioned with its government and “the Establishment” and the sense of freedom attached to bikers of the 60s and 70s meant that Easy Rider became an “anthem” for freedom, individualism and patriotism (Film 4.) However, this movie also suggests that this freedom and individualism is not without detrimental effects. Like Thelma and Louise, the destination is unfortunately never reached, but it is the journey itself that is more important. Our heroes Wyatt (Fonda) and Billy (Hooper) are exploring and celebrating the vastness of the American land and what is left of the communal lifestyle. They represent a time that has come to an end and so the ending, though tragic, is nevertheless very fitting.