Modern travel comes with a lot of options. From western Washington, you can travel by plane, car, ship or train. You can also travel cinematically.
KPLU’s Ed Ronco and travel expert Matthew Brumley picked some of their favorite travel movies – either films about a journey, or those that transport you effectively to a different place.
Matthew’s Picks
The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
After the death of their father, three brothers set out on a train journey across India, searching for their mother. Wes Anderson directs Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman in this quirky comedy.
Lost in Translation (2003)
Bill Murray stars as a once-famous actor traveling to Tokyo to film a whiskey commercial. Brumley enjoys the bar scene, specifically. “It’s that sense of being alone when you’re traveling and looking around the room, and having those quiet moments where you feel a little bit invisible,” he said.
The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
In the early 1950s, Ernesto Guevara, then a medical student, set out across South America on a motorcycle. This film dramatizes the journey – literal and emotional – taken by the man who eventually became known as “Che.”
Ed’s Picks
Shirley Valentine (1989)
A British woman escapes her loveless marriage in the UK for a two-week vacation to Greece. The romantic comedy is on this list not because of its romantic aspects, but rather a particular scene where Shirley tells off some obnoxious fellow travelers (in the way we all wish we could sometimes). A good lesson for the transformative power of travel ... and it's funny.
National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985)
Clark Griswold and family are back on the road, this time to Europe. Over-the-top hilarity ensues, including several trips through London’s Lambeth Bridge roundabout. “Look kids: Big Ben, Parliament!”
Waking Ned Devine (1998)
There’s no “journey” in this movie, per se, but it definitely transports me to Ireland. A man in a small Irish town wins the lottery and the dies before he can claim the prize. The town’s residents conspire to claim it on his behalf.
Those are some of our favorites. What do you think? And what are yours? Tell us in the comments below.
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Going Places is KPLU’s weekly exploration of travel topics. Matthew Brumley is the co-founder of Earthbound Expeditions on Bainbridge Island, which provides small group travel to clients including KPLU. Suggest future segment topics – or weigh in on this one – in the comments section.
