We all know what it feels like to watch the credits roll on a movie that has made us question the frivolity of life.
Reality, beautiful as it is, somehow never manages to seem quite as impressive as what is on the silver screen. If it’s not wondering why mail-delivering owls aren’t actually a thing after watching Harry Potter, it’s trying to figure out why we can’t all get around on hover boards like Marty does in Back to the Future.
But if there’s one kind of movie that can change your life forever (and for the better); it’s films that tell tales of travel. Getting lost in the adventures of strangers, regardless of the presence of a happy ending, can inspire dreams big, little, wide and small. Before you pressed play you were thinking about the load of washing you still hadn’t done. But once the movie’s over you’re Googling flights to Europe, trying to figure out the complexities of foreign exchange rates, and staring at your empty suitcase in the cupboard; a look of determination in your freshly opened eyes.
Yes, nothing induces the travel bug quite like movies do. And so, to kick start the daydreaming, we’ve compiled 7 of the best films to get you in the mood for travel.
Thelma & Louise
Granted, the ending is a tad emotional, but if there’s one thing this movie proves: it’s that sometimes we can be more adventurous than we thought. When Thelma and Louise’s impromptu weekend getaway turns into a chase from the law, we’re left on the edge of our couches, wondering what their fate will be, and why we’re not driving through the American countryside in a Thunderbird convertible.
Before Sunrise
American boy meets French girl on a train to Vienna, the synopsis alone is enough to make you weak at the knees. Sure, the film is essentially a couple of strangers walking around and talking. But that’s beside the point. It’s the intensity of their connection and the sheer beauty of their surroundings that makes this film so good. Set in the heart of Vienna, Before Sunrise will leave you brushing up on your German, and most probably investing in a checked flannel shirt.
Roman Holiday
Take Audrey Hepburn, add Rome, and you can’t really go wrong. But essentially it goes something like this. A princess goes out on the town in Rome, falls asleep on a park bench, and is found by an American reporter (the love interest). What ensues is one of history’s best rom-coms—Roma style. From Hepburn eating gelato on the steps of Trinita Dei Monti, to her shoe shopping by the Trevi Fountain; Roman Holiday is essentially a moving, talking guide book to the famous Italian city. There’s nothing quite like watching Audrey Hepburn zoom round Rome on a Vespa to make you yearn for Italy.
Midnight In Paris
When Gil Pender, an aspiring novelist, goes on vacation in Paris with his fiancée, he takes to meandering the city streets alone. On one such starlight sojourn, Pender is swept into a car by three familiar strangers, time travelling back to 1920s Paris. But the more time he spends in the past, the more he resents the present. Meanwhile, the more of Paris we see—both the vintage and the modern—the more we resent Pender. Beautifully shot and powerfully imaginative, this film may cause champagne cravings, and random acts of reverie.
Tracks
A cinematic reminder that anything is possible if you want it bad enough, Tracks tells the true story of Robyn Davidson, a young Australian woman who embarked on a solo trip across the desert from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean—accompanied by her dog and four temperamental camels. The ultimate tale of self-discovery, Tracks makes you realise that travel doesn’t always have to look like something from a brochure. Your journey is your own; don’t be afraid of turning in a different direction.
Into The Wild
Into the Wild takes you to the wilderness proper, telling the true story of Christopher McCandless, a man who dreams of losing himself in the Alaskan wild, determined to live off the land. As gripping as it is glorious—McCandless story doesn’t end quite as he had planned—Into the Wild is a fine example of travel’s ability to teach you more than you thought there even was to know. Freed of books, classrooms and computers, the young explorer learns his lessons from the land. But just one word of warner: COTW does not advise exploring the Alaskan wilderness alone.
The Darjeeling Limited
Three estranged brothers reunite for a train trip across India, having not seen one another since their father’s funeral a year earlier. But when the boys are cooped up in the close confinements of The Darjeeling Limited, deep-rooted sibling rivalries threaten to ruin their journey.
The moral of the story might be one we’ve heard a thousand times before, but it’s still just as powerful as it ever was. Travel has the power not only to transform the self, but also to transform your relationships with others. Never underestimate the power of a road (or rail) trip to mend ties that were once tattered and undone.
