LEARNING INTENTIONS

To identify the tropes and genre conventions used in famous road trip movies and TV show episodes. 

To use the generic conventions of the road trip to create an original movie pitch

The Road Movie

Films with a road trip plot are called "road movies" and are a distinct cinematic genre. 

Easy Rider (1969)

In the role that made him a star, Jack Nicholson hops on a chopped-out motorbike with hippies Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper on their epic, doomed trip from L.A. to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.  A total mess of a film, but its open-road counterculture spirit hit it big.

Wyatt and Billy are freewheeling motorcyclists. After smuggling cocaine from Mexico to Los Angeles, they sell their haul and receive a large sum of money. With the cash stuffed into a plastic tube hidden inside the Stars & Stripes-painted fuel tank of Wyatt's California-style chopper, they ride eastward aiming to reach New Orleans, Louisiana, in time for the Mardi Gras festival.

Rain Man (1988)

A crooked Lamborghini salesman (Tom Cruise) and his long-lost brother, an autistic savant genius (Dustin Hoffman), see the nation in a 1949 Buick Roadmaster convertible. At first con man Cruise wants to screw Hoffman out of their father's $3 million inheritance, but instead of a mark, he discovers a brother whose uncanny skills come in handy gambling in Vegas.

Thelma & Louise (1991)

When shy Thelma (Geena Davis) and brassy Louise (Susan Sarandon) take a weekend road trip from Arkansas and Louise shoots a would-be rapist assaulting Thelma, what's a girl to do but put pedal to the metal in their ‘66 T-Bird and flee with Thelma to — and right into — the Grand Canyon, pursued by kindly cop Harvey Keitel?

Almost Famous (2000)

Cameron Crowe was a 15-year-old journalism genius who travelled with Led Zeppelin and others and turned his memories into a road-trip masterpiece about his coming of age

Little Miss Sunshine 

A 2006 American tragicomedy road film about the Hoover family -- who all pile into a VW bus and head to California to support Olive, their daughter in her bid to win the Little Miss Sunshine Contest. The sanity of everyone involved is stretched to the limit as the group's quirks cause epic problems as they travel along their interstate route.

The Sopranos, “College”

Who Goes On The Trip? 

Tony and Meadow.

Where Do They Go? 

Tony takes his daughter on a trip to Maine to visit colleges.

What Happens Along The Way? 

Meadow asks Tony if he is "in the Mafia." Tony spots Fabian Petrulio, a former member of the Di Meo crime family who turned FBI informant. After a few obstacles, he strangles Petrulio with a wire. He continues his trip with his daughter nonetheless.

How the episode develops the characters

This episode is considered to be one of the best of the series. It’s filled with emotional conflict, confessions big and small, and some strangely funny scenes. "College" takes its time with the hunt after Tony spots Petrulio, and balances him following the rat with him spending time with his daughter beautifully. The juxtaposition of the innocuousness of a college tour against the viciousness of Tony’s business was stunning. It was the first time Tony killed anyone, thus cementing the fact that, despite being the lead and a sympathetic character, Tony Soprano was not a nice guy. 

Community, “Basic RV Repair and Palmistry”

Who Goes On The Trip? 

The Save Greendale Committee. In other words all the main characters - Abed, Britta, Dean Pelton, Elroy, Annie, Frankie, and Jeff.

Where Do They Go? 

The gang travels to deliver a giant hand that Dean Pelton bought to its new owner.

What Happens Along The Way?​​​​​​​ 

Elroy's RV breaks down. Abed provides meta commentary and flashbacks. They drain the secondary battery by charging their phones. The giant hand falls off the top of the RV, causing havoc.

How the episode develops the characters

In typical Community fashion, the episode pokes fun at its own story structure, especially by having Abed trying to telepathically take everyone back to three weeks earlier for an establishing flashback. But ultimately, it's wonderfully absurd, packed with great dialogue, and reveals more about the study group and their relationships. 

"The Road Trip To Harvard" - Gilmore Girls

Where Do They Go? 

They leave without any clue about their destination, but end up visiting Harvard, where Rory was dreaming of attending college.

What Happens Along The Way? 

All sorts of classic Gilmore adventures. They almost starve to death. They argue over maps. They stay at a creepy motel and have to make small talk with other travelers. The horror!

How the episode develops the characters

What really makes the episode shine is the fact that it puts both characters at a juncture. When they eventually arrive at Harvard, Rory is scared and hopeful for the future. Meanwhile, Lorelai contemplates the life she would have had if she had gone to college herself. It’s a touching installment that pushes both characters forward instead of allowing Lorelai to wallow after running away from her fiancé.

Futurama, “Bendin’ in the Wind”

Let’s say you are a robot, and a can opener rips open your body and paralyzes you. What do you do? If you’re Bender, you become a washboard player in Beck’s band and tour the country. Now, let’s say you buy an old Volkswagon bus, and then you accidentally wash all your money and ruin it. What then? Well, if you are Fry, Leela, Amy, and Zoidberg, you drive around in said bus, following Bender on tour, living like the filthy hippies of days gone by. 

The Simpsons - "Bart on the Road"

It is the last week of school before Spring Break at Springfield Elementary. Principal Skinner is planning on spending the break in Hong Kong. While sitting in his office, he discovers that the airline has mistakenly booked him for a flight that leaves on Friday instead of Saturday. Unable to charge the huge fee that the airline would charge to change the flight date on his itinerary, Skinner plans to promote a "Take your kids to work day" on the Friday before Spring Break. Bart wants to see women in the workplace, and he reluctantly goes to the DMV with Patty and Selma (his first choice was staying at home with Marge but finds that housewife does not count as a job since you do not get paid), Lisa goes to the nuclear power plant with Homer which she doesn't like at first (especially since she has signed many petitions to shut down the plant) but eventually makes the job fun for Homer. Milhouse discovers the exciting world of Crackers and Martin makes a million dollars trading commodity futures (although seconds later, he loses all but $600).

At the DMV, Bart creates a fake driver's license for himself while no one is looking. He, Nelson and Milhouse are unsatisfied with its local operations, such as admitting them to see the film version of Naked Lunch, which they assumed to be about pornography and drinking. They eventually plan to use some money that Martin has to rent a car and decide go on a road trip. As a cover story, Bart, Martin and Milhouse tell their parents that they have been selected by their school to attend the National Grammar Rodeo in Canada. Lisa, who has never heard of such an event, can easily see through Bart's fib but Marge only thinks that Lisa is trying to get attention. Martin and Milhouse have no problems convincing their parents. Nelson just tells his mother that he is going away for a week.

The boys drive the car and enjoy the road trip, Martin still thinks they are going to the Grammar Rodeo but Bart tells him that was an alibi. Seconds later however they soon stop when they suddenly realize of not being certain of their destination. Finding an old brochure in the glove box of the car, they plan to go to the World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. But first they take a detour in Branson, Missouri (Bart: "Dad says it's just like Vegas... if it were run by Ned Flanders"), where Nelson makes them stop so he can see his hero, Andy Williams. 

Back in Springfield, Homer asks if Lisa would like to come spend her spring break at work with him and she enjoys herself there; meanwhile, Marge becomes bored at home. 

After arriving in Knoxville, the boys are shocked, finding out that the World's Fair was over 10 years ago and the aging Sunsphere has been turned into the Wigsphere (a wig shop). Despite the group having come a long way for nothing, Bart tries to be optimistic and points out that they still have a car and a lot of money. However, Martin informs the group that they don't have any more money as he spent their last ten dollars on an Al Gore doll. Out of extreme anger Nelson throws a rock at the Sunsphere, which topples it over and destroys their car.

Now without a car, any money and no one else knowing where they really were, the boys are forced to admit that they are stranded in Tennessee. Martin maturely says that they should call their parents. Bart, terrified of the punishment that their parents (specifically his own) would lay upon them convinces everyone to find a way to get home on their own. So, the boys go to a local pawn shop to make money. Nelson grabs Milhouse's glasses and gives them to the register. The register says that they are perfect for rebottling some antique coke bottles but takes back the money after Milhouse blindly and accidentally knocks down and shatters all of the coke bottles. The kids try to catch a train that leads through Springfield, they succeed in tossing their luggage onto the train but fail to get on themselves (after the train outspeeds them, abandoning the gang without any luggage).

With no other options left Bart calls Lisa and tells her the truth, which confirms her earlier suspicions. She gleefully states he will be in so much trouble when he gets home, however one story from Bart about how he is pretty much already in deep trouble convinces her to help without telling Homer or Marge. She suggests that he become a Courier as a possible way to get home. Bart manages to get a job (even with his unlaminated, unsigned license). His first job takes him to Hong Kong to deliver eyeballs, while his friends stay behind (during the trip, Principal Skinner sees Bart at the airport). After finally returning from his first delivery, Bart calls Lisa and tells her that she needs to help him find a method to have a package, large enough to accommodate Martin, Milhouse and Nelson, shipped to Springfield. Lisa tells Bart that she's not sure how she could be of any help regarding that issue as such a delivery would cost a small fortune. A frustrated Bart tells Lisa that they're counting on her, before he's ordered by his manager to deliver Big Macs to Marlon Brando's private island.

The following morning, while Lisa meets with Homer, he notices that she seems troubled by something and asks her what is the problem. Lisa agrees to tell Homer on the condition that he wouldn't tell anyone else (especially Bart) and she explains just what Bart has been up to. Homer's face goes a literal red with fury and he vents his displeasure by yelling into the helmet of his hazmat suit to the point that the visor completely fogs up. Homer plans to send Bart the money to get home before murdering him for lying but is unable to otherwise he will spoil Lisa's trust in him by revealing she violated her agreement with Bart not to say anything. 

After some slight research about the location of Knoxville and learning that it's home to the Oak Ridge Nuclear Facility, Lisa and Homer decide that the best course of action would be to order something from the facility so Bart can act as the courier. Homer calls Oak Ridge, but quickly realizes that he doesn't know what to order, until he looks down at his T-437 console and places an order for a replacement. When the facility informs him that his console is fully operational, Homer purposefully spills Buzz Cola on it causing a malfunction and then finishes the order using a pseudonym to hide his involvement. 

Bart forces Nelson, Milhouse and Martin to get in the crate to fly home.  

At home, Bart talks about his trip to the "Grammar Rodeo" at dinner but everyone glares at him except Marge, who smiles after hearing the story. After going to bed she receives a call from Skinner asking if Bart travelled to Hong Kong, a call asking if Bart's car was abandoned in Tennessee, and a call inquiring about Bart's availability to deliver a human kidney to Amsterdam. After saying no to all of these calls, Homer chuckles and Marge asks him if he is laughing at her.

Examples of an elevator pitch

‘A Quiet Place’:

“Imagine a world where dangerous creatures have killed most of the human race, leaving just a small percentage of the population left in hiding, struggling to survive — only these survivors can’t make a single sound because the quietest noise instantly attracts the creatures. My script is called ‘A Quiet Place’ and tells the story about a post-apocalyptic world where a family is forced to live in silence while hiding from monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing. It all builds to the final moment of the wife having to give birth while her family has left her alone. And she has to do it in silence to avoid triggering the creature’s sensitive hearing. And the father has to sacrifice his own life to save his children by drawing the creatures away from them with a scream! It’s ‘War of the Worlds’ meets ‘Hush.’”

 ‘The Man From Earth’:

“Imagine a group of college professors that gather to say goodbye to a colleague, only to listen to his claims of being an immortal man. My screenplay is called The Man From Earth, and tells the story of an impromptu goodbye party for Professor John Oldman that becomes a mysterious interrogation after the retiring scholar reveals to his colleagues that he has a longer and stranger past than they can imagine — he has been walking the earth for 14,000 years. It’s ‘12 Angry Men’ meets ‘The Twilight Zone.’”

‘Jaws’

“Imagine a tourist island that is ravaged by an unstoppable great white shark that nobody can catch. My book is called ‘Jaws’ and tells the story of a killer shark that unleashes chaos on an island resort — and it’s up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down before it kills again. It all builds to the final moment of the police chief — remember that he’s afraid of water — alone on the end of a sinking boat in the middle of the ocean with a rifle pointed at this gigantic and menacing great white shark that is swimming towards him with a barrel of compressed air stuck in its jaws. Smile you son of a b—h. Boom! It’s slasher flick meets ‘Moby Dick.’”