Movies to Fuel Your Wanderlust

Friday, August 23, 2013Ryan Mach

If these films didn't make you feel inspired to hit the road, I'm not sure what would.

1. Into the Wild [2007]
Right after graduating from college, a young man (Emile Hirsch) decides to leave everything behind and heads to Alaska where he lives in isolation.

Source: Google Images

Favorite scene:

2. Motorcycle Diaries [2004]

Based on Che Guevarra's memoir, the film chronicles the adventures of two young men (Gael Garcia Bernal and Rodrigo de la Serna) who embark on an expedition, initially by motorcycle, across South America. Shortly after the film's release, tour operators in the region featured in the movie received tons of inquiries, with some of them even offering Che Guevara-themed trips, where travelers could "follow in the footsteps of the revolutionary icon."

3. On the Road [2012]
Adapted from the novel of the same name by Jack Kerouac, On the Road is more than just a road trip - ultimately, it's a tale about youthful searching, yearning and striving for experience.

4. Y Tu Mama Tambien [2001]
A coming-of-age story about two affluent teenage boys who go on a road trip with a woman in her late 20s, the film is set against the backdrop of the political and economic realities of present-day Mexico. (The boys have raging hormones you'd think they never run out of sildenafil 100 mg.)

source: tumblr

5. The Beach [2000]
An American college student (Leonardo de Caprio) finds a secret beach in Thailand. Towards the end of the film, he delivers a monologue that easily captures what the whole adventure is all about.
"Of course you could never forget what we have done, but we adapt. We carry on. And me? I still believe in paradise. But now at least I'll know it's not some place you can look for because it's not where you go, it's how you feel for a moment in your life when you're a part of something. And if you find that moment.....it lasts forever."

6. 127 Hours [2010]
A biographical survival drama film, 127 Hours stars James Franco as real-life canyoneer Aron Ralston, who became trapped by a boulder in an isolated slot canyon in Blue John Canyon, Utah, in April 2003.

7. Thelma & Louise [1991]
A plain housewife (Gene Davis) and a waitress (Susan Sarandon) go on a weekend trip, shoot a rapist and take off in a '66 Thunderbird across Arkansas.