Road-trip movies often capture the unpredictability of life’s journey, using the open road as a place for characters to grow, connect, or stumble through misadventures. In Dumb and Dumber, one of my favorite comedies, the journey is hilariously absurd. Two clueless friends set out on a cross-country trip, inadvertently causing chaos while revealing a surprising loyalty beneath their buffoonery. Wild takes a more reflective route, following a woman on a solo hike across the Pacific Crest Trail. She confronts her past traumas and finds a quiet resilience along the way. Both films show how being on the road – or trail – can challenge characters in unexpected ways.
Other films like Away We Go and Little Miss Sunshine explore the dynamics of relationships, using the road to deepen connections between characters. Thelma & Louise turns a road trip into a gripping narrative of friendship and defiance, as two women break free from societal expectations in a journey that takes them to the edge. These films, remind us that, whether through laughter or tears, road trips can be transformative in ways no one expects.
