Hollywood is no stranger to producing hilarious and entertaining road trip films, with some of the most iconic featuring cross-country adventures and mishaps. With a wide array of hijinks and chaos at the center of such farces, and audiences yearning for comedic relief from life’s difficulties, it’s no surprise that audience’s can’t seem to get enough of this comedy staple. While many of these films are some of the funniest movies ever made, there are also some that take a more heartfelt and serious approach to the premise, utilizing the road trip as a way to express maturation, character development, and coming-of-age.
Since so many people’s travel plans have been cancelled the past two years due to pandemic pandemonium and extreme weather, it’s nice to live vicarously through the lives of these big screen characters. With such an impressive list of beloved classics to choose from, determining the greatest of these films is difficult and open to interpretation. Regardless, here is a deep dive into the best road trip movies in cinema history.
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10 Dumb and Dumber
New Line Cinema
Iconic buddy-comedy film Dumb and Dumber stars Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels as two dimwitted yet well-meaning friends who set off on a cross-country road trip from Providence, Rhode Island to Aspen, Colorado in order to return a briefcase full of money to its owner. The charm of the film lies in the delightful ignorance of Lloyd and Harry, who have no desire to grow or learn from their hilariously harrowing journey. Their personas simply don’t allow a lightbulb moment to occur, and the duo ultimately go off on more zany adventures without learning much. Dumb and Dumber found great success at the box office, and helped launch the career of the Farrelly brothers in the process.
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9 Y Tu Mamá También
IFC Films
Y Tu Mamá También is a coming-of-age tale of two teenage boys who set out on a roadtrip with a woman in her late twenties. The Alfonso Cuaron road movie features a talented cast including Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal and Maribel Verdú, who shine against the backdrop of Mexico’s economic and political realities in 1999. The intimate and tender story is an exploration of sexuality and maturity, with the young men’s journey leading to self-discovery and a loss of innocence amidst the stunning road trip setting. With the film using travel and journey as a metaphor, audience’s are able to witness the transformation of the leads from adolescence to manhood in a fresh and authentic way.
8 Easy Rider
Columbia Pictures
1969’s independent road drama Easy Rider tells the story of two bikers who embark on a journey through the American Southwest and South, transporting the proceeds of a cocaine deal. Starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper as the lead bikers and with a memorable, starmaking performance from Jack Nicholson as a boozy lawyer they pickup along the way, the film received critical praise upon its release. Easy Rider is credited at helping spark the New Hollywood era in the 1970s, and helped further propel the leads’ careers. The classic flick heavily focuses on the journey, not the destination, with the free-spirited bikers getting a harsh dose of reality as they travel across the country. Easy Rider is arguably one of the most important road trip movies in cinema history.
7 Rain Man
MGM/UA Communications Co.
The touching and deeply endearing 1988 classic Rain Man tells the story of conceited jerk Charlie Babbitt who, upon his wealthy father’s death, discovers the inheritance has been left to his unknown ausitic-savant brother Raymond. Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman deliver powerful performances as Charlie and Raymond, for which the latter earned an Academy Award. As the brothers travel from Cincinnati to Los Angeles, Charlie witnesses the restrictions of Raymond’s condition and in turn gains a new perspective on life and his own selfishness. The film’s unique premise and chemistry between Cruise and Hoffman as they travel the country make it a road trip staple.
6 Little Miss Sunshine
Oscar winning dramedy Little Miss Sunshine features an all-star cast (Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette and Abigail Breslin) and tells the story of a family determined to get their daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant. Setting off in their VW bus, the Hoover clan embarks on an 800-mile road trip to California and, naturally, hijinx ensue. The dysfunctional and colorful characters add depth and humor to the plot, and the goal of reaching the beauty pageant ultimately brings the family together. The funny and heartfelt script helps Little Miss Sunshine flourish, and the indie flick became one of the greatest films of 2006.
5 Almost Famous
DreamWorks Pictures
The critically acclaimed Cameron Crowe dramedy Almost Famous is the ultimate coming-of-age film, telling the story of a 1970s teenage rock and roll journalist as he travels with the fictitious rock band Stillwater. With an ensemble cast of Hollywood heavy hitters like Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand and Jason Lee, Almost Famous focuses on the young Rolling Stone journalist William Miller and his epic journey of self-discovery. As he follows the band across the country, William experiences the highs and lows of adolescence: falling in love, being rejected, making friends, and ultimately accepting himself. The movie received critical acclaim and numerous accolades, and is included in many lists of the greatest films ever made.
4 Thelma and Louise
Arguably the ultimate female buddy-movie, 1991’s Thelma and Louise tells the unforgettable tale of two best friends who take off for the open road after a tragic event forces them to flee for greener pastures. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon star as the ride-or-die duo who zip across the country in Thelma’s 1966 Ford Thunderbird. The iconic friendship of the film’s titular leads, impressively performed by Davis and Sarandon, firmly cement Thelma and Louise as a landmark feminist film. It also features a young Brad Pitt, in one of his first major roles, as a drifter who catches the eye of Thelma. Thelma and Louise’s iconic ending remains one of the greatest in Hollywood history.
3 The Blues Brothers
Universal Pictures
Beloved Saturday Night Live alums John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd reprised their sketch characters for the silver screen, starring as “Joliet” Jake Blues and blood brother Elwood in 1980’s The Blues Brothers. The pair are hilarious as sleazy musicians who make it their mission to save the orphanage they were raised in from foreclosure. The classic comedy focuses on Jake and Elwood as they reunite their R&B band and travel around Chicago in their “bluesmobile,” playing music for money. With exciting car chases, comical shootouts, and unforgettable musical numbers, The Blues Brothers remains an iconic classic of road-trip cinema.
2 National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
Warner Bros.
The film that kickstarted a beloved comedy franchise which continues to this day, 1983’s National Lampoon’s Vacation focuses on the Griswold family as their patriarch leads them on a cross-country trip to an amusement park. Naturally, chaos and hilarity arise. Starring Saturday Night Live alum Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, Vacation also features the talents of Beverly D’Angelo, Anthony Michael Hall and Dana Barron as his wife and less-than-adoring children. The outrageous farce depicts the reality of any family, where none are perfect and all are full of endearing dysfunction. Chase is brilliant as the comical and determined Clark, and the success of Vacation led to four sequels.
1 Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Paramount Pictures
Comedy legends Steve Martin and John Candy partnered up with famed director John Hughes for 1987’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which depicts an unwanted three-day adventure the two leading men embark upon. Martin stars as uptight Neal Page and Candy portrays the overbearing but kind-hearted Del Griffith, who join forces in an effort to get Neal home to Chicago in time for his family’s Thanksgiving dinner. The chemistry between the two leads is impressively hilarious and the film features plenty of side-splitting scenes and situations, while also being surprisingly emotional and movies. Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a heartfelt flick that fully utilizes its comedic talent and has since become a Thanksgiving classic and road-trip favorite.
