Oscar Week: Travel Movies We Love

In the spirit of Oscars weekend and the big-ass party we’re having with great friends at our Pennington Pad on Sunday (OK, it’s a small gathering, but it’s BIG on fun), I’ve created a list of 7 movies that beckon the wanderlust we all love.

While I’ll never travel to outer space like Sandra and George in “Gravity,” the destinations in these flicks are within reach. And the destination you'll go to is ... 

The African Queen (1951) – Bogart and Hepburn brave rapids on a long journey down an African river. Sounds like a fun way to see the continent (minus all the Germans shooting at you, of course).

---

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) – Never has wandering through the Arabian desert been more appealing than when viewing the sweeping vistas of the movie on a wide screen with Peter O’Toole majestically adorned in his flowing white robes.

---

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) – I especially want to revisit this one to catch the great early work of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Matt Damon chillin’ in those swim trunks on a beach in Italy is priceless, too.

---

Lost in Translation (2003) – Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson cross paths while on separate trips to Japan. I’ve not yet been to this wonderful country. But, as a Westerner, the title fits what I’m expecting. 

---

Sideways (2004) – I’m no wine drinker, but I wanted to be after watching Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church slosh their way through California wine country.

---

Into the Wild (2007) – Head to the Last Frontier as Emile Hirsch embodies Chris McCandless in the true story of a young man who shunned his possessions and hitchhiked to Alaska to find a new life. “The core of man’s spirit comes from new experiences.”     

---

The Way (2010) – Martin Sheen embarks on a pilgrimage on El Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, in northern Spain as a way to honor his dead son in what turns out to be a journey of self discovery. The pic features great natural settings that beckon you to rise to the challenge of this famed trek. 



I know there are  tons more. What did I miss? Let me know your favorites.

JR

---