Eleven films to get the juices flowing when you don’t know where to go next.
When you’re ready for love: Before Sunrise
Cinematic proof that love can pop up anywhere. By the final Vienna train station scene, we were all rooting for Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. (That is, until we saw Before Midnight.)
When you’re second-guessing your choices: It Happened One Night
Sparks fly (but subtly—this 1934 Capra screwball comedy had to conform to the Code) when Claudette Colbert runs from her domineering father and new husband and hitches a ride with Clark Gable.
When you’re considering a Wild-style solo trek: Tracks
Robyn Davidson’s 1,700-mile camel ride through the Australian desert will help you pluck up the courage for any adventure you can think of.
When you feel like your life is anywhere but here: The Motorcycle Diaries
Gael García Bernal’s debut as Che Guevera on his iconic road trip will light a fire under anyone seeking their life’s calling.
Before you’re considering going off the grid: Into the Wild
Take a look at this cautionary tale, the true story of a talented graduate who traded the fast track to soul search in Alaska.
When you have no clue what to do next: Lost in Translation
Neon Tokyo is a playground for the unlikely friendship between Bob, a washed-up movie star, and Charlotte, a neglected newlywed.
When you worry your relationship might be overly complicated: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, and Javier Bardem collide in every possible configuration in Woody Allen’s tangled tribute to love abroad.
When you wish you could act like a teenager again: Y Tu Mama Tambien
Two teen boys convince an older woman to join them on an impromptu road trip to a mystical Mexican beach.
When the men in your life have let you down: Thelma & Louise
Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon bail on their men, kill, steal, and bond in their classic (and doomed) flight through the American southwest.
When you’re deep in a midlife crisis: Sideways
A wine geek and his philanderering friend mix pinot and midlife malaise on a road trip through California wine country.
When you’re facing down retirement: About Schmidt
An unexpected bookend to Jack Nicholson’s 1969 Easy Rider: Here, he plays a retiree with a Winnebago but no clue where to go.
