Travel & Movies: Always a Good Combination (Part II)
We hope you had the chance to take a look at 'Travel & Movies: Always a Good Combination (Part I).' Have you seen any of those films? What is your favorite one? Here are nine more travel movies that will take you on a journey around the world. These films are inspiring, and they might make you anticipate your vacations or just to pack your bag and hit the open road.
10 – Thelma & Louise
Ridley Scott's Thelma & Louise was controversial at the time of its release on May 24, 1991. To write that the two main characters’ weekend getaway went awry would be a massive understatement, and the actions resulting from it made some men uncomfortable. Six Academy Award nominations (and one win), plus almost a quarter-century later, it’s considered a classic, important film. Here are some facts about the film.
Intrigued by the idea of “women outlaws,” the Kentucky-raised Callie Khouri spent six months writing Thelma & Louise in 1988 while producing rock videos for artists like Alice Cooper. She won the movie’s only Oscar, for Best Original Screenplay. And it was her first screenplay ever. Khouri later wrote the films 'Something to Talk About and Divine Sisters of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,' and created the current ABC TV drama 'Nashville'. It’s theorized that Thelma was based on Khouri’s friend, country singer Pam Tillis. Funny thing is that Bradd Pitt was paid US$6,000 for his work in the film. That was in 1991. Just five years later, he earned US$10 million for his work in Barry Levinson's 'Sleepers'. Holly Hunter, Frances McDormand, Jodie Foster, Michelle Pfeiffer, Meryl Streep, and Goldie Hawn were all considered for Thelma or Louise. Another fun fact is that the actors were not sober all the time. Upon Sarandon’s request to do some Method acting, Davis admits that for the roadhouse scene, “We asked the prop guy, ‘Do you have any real tequila? Because it’s easier to act if we taste alcohol.' So we pounded back quite a few, and we’re laughing between takes and both feeling, We’re so drunk! This is great!” Michael Madsen (Jimmy) said that he and Pitt smoked a few joints during filming. There was an alternate ending for the film. On the DVD release, it was revealed that a different cut of the ending was made where you could see the Thunderbird descend to B.B. King’s “Better Not Look Down.” In the final, more upbeat version, the car and its occupants freeze in mid-air.
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11 – Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Based on Hunter S. Thompson’s epic 1971 piece of Gonzo journalism, the film captures Sin City's one-time campy glitz and glamour—but once you add in hallucinogenic drugs, you'll have a far creepier experience. Journalist Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) travels to Vegas with his lawyer friend, Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro)—he's ostensibly there to report on a motorcycle race, but the pair end up getting into all manner of drug-fueled shenanigans (in casinos, on the Strip, and in the desert) instead.
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12 – The Talented Mr. Ripley
It may be creepy as hell, but The Talented Mr. Ripley also happens to be one of the most beautiful depictions of Italy ever captured on film. Set in the 1950s, the movie follows a group of pretty young things (including Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Matt Damon as the titular sociopath) on their luxurious-slash-murderous holiday, from the pristine beaches in Lazio to the opulent hotels in the amazingly beautiful Venice.
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13 – Catch Me If You Can
Steven Spielberg's stylish caper tells the real-life story of Frank Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio), a teenage con artist who manages to avoid the feds while pulling off elaborate schemes. Abagnale famously impersonated a Pan Am pilot, and the film plays this up with plenty of vintage air travel eye candy. The coolest part? Getting a glimpse at Eero Saarinen's space-age TWA terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where one scene (a conversation between Abagnale and Carl Hanratty, played by Tom Hanks) was filmed.
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Continued below.
14 – Lost in Translation
Lost in Translation chronicles the budding friendship of two Americans in Tokyo (played with the perfect amount of resignation by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson), shot in typically beautiful Sofia Coppola fashion. From the upmarket Park Hyatt hotel to the neon-filled karaoke bar and streets, the movie is like a tourism ad for Tokyo. But more importantly, it’s a melancholy portrayal of loneliness—even in a city filled with millions of people. You might be also interested in reading this article, where Sofia Coppola discusses 'Lost in Translation' 10th anniversary, celebrated in 2013.
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15 – Under the Tuscan Sun
Before there was Eat, Pray, Love, there was Under the Tuscan Sun, the story of a woman who buys a villa in Italy after her marriage falls apart. Frances Mayes, widely published poet, gourmet cook, and travel writer — opens the door to a wondrous new world when she buys and restores an abandoned villa in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. In evocative language, she brings the reader along as she discovers the beauty and simplicity of life in Italy. Mayes also creates dozens of delicious seasonal recipes from her traditional kitchen and simple garden, all of which she includes in the book. Doing for Tuscany what 'M.F.K. – A Memoir of Food and Friendship' did for Provence, Mayes writes about the tastes and pleasures of a foreign country with gusto and passion. Now click play and buon viaggio!
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16 – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Of all the fictional hotels in the cinematic world, none come close to rivaling the top-notch service of the Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson's latest hyper-stylized confection. Complete with a world-class dining room and pink façade, the hotel owes much of its success to Monsieur Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), the most dedicated concierge of all time. Whether he’s or providing, er, "company" to the older female guests or fighting off murderous armies, it becomes immediately clear that Gustave would truly do anything for his beloved GBH.
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17 – Slumdog Millionaire
Featuring a teen who grew up in India's slums and then makes it on the show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," "Slumdog Millionaire" shows India in its true form: overcrowded, dirty, and poverty-stricken. But it shows the country nonetheless and is sure to spark some curiosity in avid travelers who have never been. The movie was filmed mostly in the cities of Agra and Mumbai.
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18 – Seven Years in Tibet
In "7 Years in Tibet," Brad Pitt plays an Austrian explorer who befriended the Dalai Lama as China was taking over Tibet. It's a true story, and some of the scenes in the movie were actually filmed in Tibet. Other shooting locations include Argentina, Canada, Austria, Chile, and England.
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What are the must-watch travel movies on your list? Did you know you can take a tour of your favorite movies locations? Learn how to do that with a personalized tour of top destinations in the U.S.