Got plans to go on a road trip with your friends? You’re not alone as a new survey has found that about 75 percent of Americans plan to take at least one road trip this summer. Going on a long drive can be lots of fun since you’ll get to see spectacular nature views, taste local cuisine, or visit famous filming locations. If it’s your first time to go on this type of adventure, you’ll need some inspiration to get you pumped for your travels. And what better way to do that than by watching a few road trip movies from the 2000s?
Over the past 24 years, there have been a lot of road trip-themed movies that have made us laugh, cry, and yearn for the open road. Some of these films are so amazing that they have become instant favorites, while others are so bad, but they’ve managed to leave a lasting impression on movie goers. To get you hyped for your travels, here are some unforgettable road trip movies from the 2000s that you need to watch.
Little Miss Sunshine- 2006
Going on a road trip requires some thought and preparation. First, you’ll need to have a budget and a route for your trip. These two things matter since you’ll want to have sufficient funds to cover your travels, and you may also want to visit certain important landmarks or destinations while you’re on the road. And of course, you’ll need to have a safe vehicle with lots of room for passengers and personal belongings, such as a pickup truck or an SUV. Make sure that your vehicle is in good condition, especially if you don’t want to share the same fate as the Hoover family in the 2006 film “Little Miss Sunshine.”
In the movie, Sheryl (Toni Colette) and Richard (Greg Kinnear) go on a road trip to California with their daughter Olive (Abigail Breslin) so she could compete in the Little Miss Sunshine kids’ beauty pageant. Going along for the ride are Richard’s father Edwin (Alan Arkin), who was kicked out of his retirement home for doing drugs; Sheryl’s gay brother Frank (Steve Carrell), who recently attempted suicide; and Olive’s brother Dwayne (Paul Dano), who made it his mission to stay silent until his dreams of becoming a pilot becomes a reality.
While on the road, the characters experience some setbacks, and their vehicle, an old yellow Volkswagon van, develops a quirky mechanical problem that requires all of them to push it so it can start, and they have to board it while it’s still running. The film’s exceptional storyline, plus the actors’ outstanding performances, earned “Little Miss Sunshine” four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. If you’re a fan of unconventional characters and family dramedies, this road trip film could be the perfect one for you.
Crossroads- 2002
If you were a Britney Spears fan during the late 90s or early 2000s, it’s likely that you’ve watched “Crossroads,” the American teen road trip film which features the famous popstar as the lead actress. Though it was widely panned by critics, there are some people who continue to love it to this day since it shows how growing up is anything but easy, especially if you’re a girl.
In the film, estranged friends Lucy (Spears), Kit (Zoe Saldana), and Mimi (Taryn Manning) reunite on the eve of their high school graduation, and they go on a road trip to fulfill their childhood dreams. Since none of them have a car, Mimi asks her friend Ben (Anson Mount) to drive them from Georgia to Los Angeles. Along the way, the girls face the hard truth about their dreams. While Spear’s acting debut seems to have left critics cold, this film remains to be a pop fan’s guilty pleasure. One highlight of the movie is Spears’ karaoke scene– you’ll be inspired to make a playlist for your trip after seeing it.
Almost Famous- 2000
Imagine being 15 and traveling around the US on a tour bus with one of the most famous rock bands in America. That’s what “Almost Famous” is all about, and this film, which was written and directed by Cameron Crowe, appears to be inspired by his experiences as Crowe was a writer for Rolling Stone magazine when he was just a teenager. Starring Patrick Fugit and Kate Hudson, this film didn’t do so well in the box office, but it was hailed as one of the best movies of the year by critics worldwide.
The movie also boasts an awesome soundtrack that should definitely be on your road trip playlist– imagine grooving to “America” by Simon & Garfunkel while you’re on Route 66, or bopping along to The Beach Boys’ “Feel Flows” while cruising along the Pacific Coast Highway. Since there’s a lot of focus on the music and the fictional band Stillwater, real musicians like Peter Frampton were consulted to make certain elements of the movie believable and realistic. Frampton, who’s best known for his songs like “Baby, I Love Your Way” and “Show Me the Way,” also wrote two of Stillwater’s songs that were performed in the film. As for the actors’ performances, be on the lookout for Hudson as she was especially memorable as manic pixie dream girl Penny Lane, and Billy Crudup, who plays rock star god Russell Hammond.
Joy Ride- 2023
In the early 2000s, most road trip-themed comedy movies typically featured male leads. For instance, there’s “Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle,” and of course, who can forget the 2000 sex comedy film “Road Trip?” But in 2023, a road trip movie that features an Asian female cast made waves for its clever storyline and raunchy humor. “Joy Ride” tells the story of Audrey (Ashley Park), a successful lawyer who was adopted by her American parents when she was just a baby. To secure a promotion at her law firm, Audrey flies to China to secure a deal, and she takes her best friend Lolo (Sherry Cola) and Lolo’s cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) with her. In Beijing, they meet up with Audrey’s former college roommate Kat (Stephanie Hsu), who has become a famous Chinese actress.
Everything seems to go perfectly for Audrey, but then she is told that in order to close the deal, she must first know something about her birth parents. As the four girls go all over China to find clues, they get into all kinds of shenanigans, which include some chaotic sexy time with professional NBA players and a run-in with a drug mule. Later, Audrey finds out that her birth parents are actually Korean and not Chinese, so they head to South Korea where they find themselves trying to convince border officials that they’re a new K-pop group. This film isn’t for the prudish, and it’s certainly not for kids, but if you enjoy ribald humor, “Joy Ride” will have you rooting for these girls every step of the way.
A road trip is one of the best ways to travel with your buddies. Get hyped for your drive by watching these 2000s films, and enjoy your time on the road!
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