In honor of Nomadland being released this weekend, the SiftPop crew is counting down our favorite road trip movies. Let us know @Siftpop what your ranking is!
If you haven’t seen the Amazon Prime movie Uncle Frank, then stop what you’re doing and go see it now (okay, maybe finish the BEC first and then watch it). Set in the 1970s, this movie examines what it was like to be gay during a time and in a region where it was viewed as nothing more than criminal. Paul Bettany delivers a powerful performance as the titular Frank Bledsoe, the uncle of Beth Bledsoe (Sophia Lillis) and the only person in her family that she feels as she can relate to, as he wrestles with the guilt of his past, his father’s disdain for his sexuality, and his family while traveling back home to South Carolina with Beth and his boyfriend Wally (Peter Macdissi). I usually don’t go for films where a character has to confront their past, but director Alan Ball has created a film that knows what it’s trying to say and manages to hit every emotional key perfectly. I will warn you that there is some rough language in this film, but if you want a film to keep you engaged and to travel on an emotional journey, Uncle Frank might just be the trip worth taking. (Joseph Davis)
Dumber and Dumber is a 1994 comedy from Academy Award winning director Peter Farrelly and his uncredited brother Bobby. This movie came out in a time when America needed it the most; it’s a social commentary on the struggle of the lower class and the upper echelon. As down on their luck hopeful business owners-to-be get mixed up in a deadly game of human chess we haven’t seen the likes of since the Hatfields and the McCoys. Harry and Lloyd set out on an adventure of a lifetime and Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are iconic in their roles. This is the GOAT of “dumb” comedies with the two leads playing it straight to make the comedy around them shine, which is where a majority of comedies fail. There is a childlike innocence in their portrayal of the characters that no other comedy can come close to copying. I’ve been watching this film for 27 years now (Holy crap, how old am I?) and to this day there are just many layers of jokes hidden in the film that I am STILL discovering. If you haven’t seen it, you really should. It’s a mistake you will not regret. (Frank Kemp)
Writer-director Andrea Arnold’s sprawling road movie American Honey tells the story of Star (Sasha Lane), who’s recruited by Jake (Shia LaBeouf) to join a group of youths led by Krystal (Riley Keough) that travel through the Midwest selling magazine subscriptions. This is Lane’s career-making performance, one that’s loaded with a spiritedness and thrill for adventure that sweeps you away in her travels. LaBeouf has great lovebird chemistry with Lane, and Keough is terrific as the quietly intimidating authority figure of the group. Besides Keough and LaBeouf, the cast is made up of unprofessional actors for the most part (including Lane, who had never acted before). The whole cast exhibits a bond as they go through the countless days on the road and enjoy their time together, culminating in a heartwarming scene near the end of the movie where the characters sing along to Lady Antebellum’s “American Honey” on their van’s radio, a sequence that encapsulates the feeling of freedom that you experience when sharing a road trip with your best friends. While the story may seem like it meanders a bit, the over two-and-a-half-hour runtime is more than justified because you feel the sense of scope for the journey of these characters, and the cinematography by Robbie Ryan captures the vastness and beauty of the landscapes through which the characters travel. This is a movie that takes you to many places, allowing you to meet people from several walks of life and showing you parts of America you might haven’t before seen. If you haven’t already done so, travel the roads of this film. (Vincent Abbatecola)
Zombieland is a sneakily excellent movie. I think many will agree that they didn’t expect much, but that a great time was definitely had. With a cast who all went on to become big names later in their careers, there is some serious star power in front of and behind the camera. From Oscar winning Emma Stone, Oscar nominated Jesse Eisenberg, Hunger Games’ Woody Harrelson, and Deadpool writing dream team Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, it’s no wonder this is one of the most enjoyable comedies of the early 2000’s. All that aside, this is just a fun road trip Zombie movie. Living entirely within the journey, you are along for the ride with this band of misfits as they try to navigate a world that has been toppled by a mystery disease. Fun in the action, and fun in the comedy, this is a definite recommendation for anyone looking for just that: fun. (Alice Micheli)
To the surprise of absolutely no one who is reading this, I hadn’t seen this film before this week (take a drink), though it was high on the list of shame. Easy Rider is an ode to the ‘60s, the era of counterculture and drugs such as marijuana and LSD, while Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper) travel across the nation after making a drug deal in order to celebrate at Mardi Gras, coming across a cross section of American culture during the counterculture movement. Along the way they run into a cast of different characters, ranging from the free love and communal living movement to people who live a more conservative lifestyle, including Jack Nicholson as an alcoholic lawyer who accompanies Wyatt and Billy. However, while we see people who live their lives and who help our heroes (?), they also run into those who will do anything to preserve what they view as the norms of society. This movie also was a new direction in cinema, moving away from the big budget, over-the-top films and into more complex and lower budget cinema, and ushered in a new wave of filmmaking we can still see today. If you’re looking to hit the road, hop on a bike and give Easy Rider a spin. (Joseph Davis)
Who else was unbelievably ecstatic that they were adapting the beloved comic book Old Man Logan as Hugh Jackman’s swan song as Wolverine? I know I was! The idea of an aging Logan who can no longer heal like he used to going on the road with a tragically demented Professor X and Logan’s long-lost daughter sounded like absolute gold. Throw in sharp and intense direction from James Mangold, a killer score from Marco Beltrami, and a violent take on the cinematic warrior and you got yourself an instant classic. Heck… this film was nominated for Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars! But Logan will always be special to me as a spiritual successor and descendant of the story that gave me my name, Shane. (Shane Conto)
When you take one part bold filmmaking and another part punchy dialogue, you get the unique film that is True Romance. Directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino, True Romance is the tale of a not-so-chance meeting that takes the viewer for a wild ride. The film has tons going for it, but it is the magnetic relationship between the two leads that earns the film’s name. Clarence (Christian Slater) and Alabama (Patricia Arquette) are far from your prototypical couple, but the way they express their love for one another is impressive to say the least. Besides having two excellent leads, the supporting cast in this film is insane, with the likes of Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, James Gandolfini, and Michael Rapaort. While True Romance is well directed, it is the writing that helps boost this into cult classic territory. If you are in the mood for a highly unconventional crime/romance, then True Romance will fill that void. (Joe Vargas)
I’m glad you’re talking again, Dwayne. You’re not nearly as stupid as you look. Have you ever seen a movie that makes you laugh a lot, explores the depths of the human spirit, and leaves you clueless as to what will happen next? Little Miss Sunshine chronicles the journey of an unusual family consisting of a failing father, a frustrated mother, a heroin-addicted aggressive grandfather, a homosexual and suicidal uncle, a son who has taken a vow of silence and strives to be part of the military, and a daughter whose only focus is on the Little Miss Sunshine pageant, which the family then decides to road trip to. If that doesn’t intrigue you, then I really don’t know what will! Be prepared for many laughs, many feels, and perhaps the most unforgettable movie ending ever when you get around to checking this one out. (Aaron Schweitzer)
The magic of Planes, Trains & Automobiles comes entirely from John Hughes’ kinetic script and the chemistry between John Candy and Steve Martin, both of whom are giving arguably one of their best performances in their careers. This movie so easily could have been like all the rest, featuring one strait-laced character and one over-the-top and eccentric one. However, it takes the road movie and holiday movie concepts and elevates them to a place of much more comedy, heart, and compassion. Yes, the character clash leads to some of the most iconic comedic moments in cinematic history, including but not limited to, “Those aren’t pillows!” and an incredible Steve Martin tirade that single-handedly forced the movie into an R-rating. But it is bigger than just the moments. It captures the truest nature of the holidays and the truest nature of what it means to be human. Candy specifically provides some of the biggest laughs, while also ripping your heart out multiple times with a mere line reading or facial expression. It is truly a masterclass in acting and character writing by John Hughes. If there is some reason you have not yet watched Planes, Trains & Automobiles in your life, I would implore you to check it out as soon as you can, because it easily ranks among John Hughes’ most rewatchable, lovable, and best films in his storied career. (Nashua Doll)
What’s a classic road trip movie without a classic road trip song? Apologies for getting “Movin’ Right Along” stuck in your head for the rest of the day. It should be no surprise that the music amazes, with Oscar nominations for both the song “Rainbow Connection” and score, as it’s such a big part of the Muppets’ brand. The film, released nearly three years after the debut of The Muppet Show, serves as an origin story of sorts for our felt friends as Fozzie and Kermit join forces on an odyssey out west to become Hollywood stars. The buddy road trip cliché serves as a great device for us to meet all of our characters—including one of the film’s “big” cameos. While there’s been no shortage of great Muppet cinematic entries (BRING Muppet Classic Theater TO DISNEY+ YOU COWARDS), the original film still stands the test of time more than 40 years after its initial release. (Jake Bourgeois)
Honorable Mentions
Tommy Boy
Let me tell you, Tommy Boy is awesome as a road trip movie. Starring the hilarious duet of David Spade and the late Chris Farley, the film centers around Tommy Callahan (Farley) and Richard (Spade) as they try to keep the former’s newly inherited auto brakes company from the brink of bankruptcy. The duo need to go on the road to ensure clients that the company and product will continue after the passing of Tommy’s father. What follows is a hilariously quotable and ridiculous trip across the midwest that forces the two to work together while squabbling all the way. Farley is as lovable and endearing as ever and Spade is the perfect foil, showing how great their chemistry is. Rounding out the cast is Bo Derek and Rob Lowe, Tommy’s stepfamily members that root for his failure. Lowe in particular brings his 90’s charm with a good mix of smarmy douchebaggery. I really love this movie for its low stakes but lighthearted humor, and it’s a film I’d confidently direct people to if they haven’t experienced Chris Farley before. (Evan Lucken)
A Goofy Movie
A Goofy Movie is a classic in its own right. It’s your typical coming of age summer story about a kid and his father going on a fishing trip, but the son has different plans when it comes to going to a sold out concert to impress his high school crush. The film shows the ups and downs of a relationship between fathers and sons. Even though parents don’t always see eye to eye (see what I did there) with their kids, they know that they’ll always be loved no matter what. A Goofy Movie is a heartfelt film for the family. It was also one of the first animated films that I know which made a fictional celebrity musician named Powerline and gave us the all-time favorite “I2I.” Also, if you check out your local Hot Topic, you’ll find a Powerline tour shirt; I totally have one. I mean why not? Sometimes, you just gotta ”Stand Out.” (Chantal Ashford)
Fanboys
I knew far too much about this movie for how quietly it came and went from theaters. I made my way to the only theater that was showing it, and was at Wal-mart at midnight when the DVD went on sale. Granted, the second part was partly coincidence. For a 19 year old in the midwest, there wasn’t much for me and my friends to do after 10pm besides walk around stores that stayed open 24 hours. Don’t judge me and my charmed life. All this said, Fanboys is inspired by a true story of a group of friends who, in 1998, drove across the country with the intention of breaking into Skywalker Ranch in California to watch Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace because one of them has terminal cancer and would not make it to the official release. Starring Sam Huntington, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell, and Chris Marquette, the five of them play off one another extremely well, feeling very much like a group of friends that have been together forever. While the premise is rather sad on its face, it’s uplifting and heartfelt as a group of friends band together to accomplish one last great bonding experience. The film was made with love and brings in a lot of great and some surprising cameos that I won’t spoil here. Fanboys is a fun ride and worthy of a watch. Enjoy. I am sure you will. (Evan Lucken)
Also See: Thelma & Louise, Vacation (1983), Borat, Green Book, Almost Famous, Rain Man, Bad Grandpa, Due Date, Road Trip