We made it through a whole summer without a road trip — well, one very rushed day-trip to Richmond but nothing compared to previous years’ travels. I find I feel like something is missing — like Kiddo can’t possibly be going to school on Tuesday already because we haven’t really left the city.
In part, we can’t go too far because of our cat’s health (he has a thyroid condition requiring medication twice a day and finding someone who can pill the cat while we’re away has been a challenge). Added to that has been some fiscal issues including knowing that really, we need to get the brakes done on the van before we do much highway driving. Oh, and our passports expired last week… so… yeah.
So if I can’d go away, I will ask you to indulge me in detailing some of my favourite road movies… in alphabetical order because I don’t want to pick favourites!
Broken Flowers is an understated and bittersweet about a man’s search for a former love and the child he may have fathered. It was released soon after Lost in Translation and suffered in comparison as a “dramatic Bill Murray role” but considered on its own, it’s a lovely study in revisiting the past.
Highway 61 is a Canadian film that Mike introduced me to. Don McKellar plays a barber who is convinced to drive a woman and a corpse across the border. It’s really grown on me over the years and I can’t think of BINGO any more without thinking of Mr. Skin (a.k.a. Satan)… shortly before the BINGO scene there’s this little exchange — what an asshat!
Little Miss Sunshine brings quirky and dysfunctional to new levels but there is so much heart and such a great message about the bond of family that I watch it every 5 or 6 months. If you want to get an idea of my sense of humour, start with this film; the first time I saw it I laughed until I cried.
National Lampoon’s Vacation is silly, crass, and a must-see every couple of years. I think everyone has one memory of the family road-trip from hell. The vacation to Wally World goes from a simple road trip to a manic mission as every possible obstacle is put in the Griswolds’ path.
One Week is a beautiful little Canadian film about a motorcycle trip from Toronto to Tofino. Having travelled the Alberta-BC section of his trip (last year), it really was nice to see on screen, too.
Zombieland is not exactly a typical road movie — more an escape than a vacation as each of the characters has a destination in mind and one is on a quest for Twinkies. There’s a lot of humor in Zombieland amid the gore.