Five movies with lessons for your next road trip

During my recent cross-country move, I kept seeing things that reminded me of road trip movies featuring Black women and their families. As cross-country travel hits different for us, there are a few special considerations to be made. Some of these films are classics and others are new. In their essence, some of these movies capture the complexities of making a cross-country move while Black. Others, however, simply focus on some of the challenges that people face when they’re cramped in a car for days on end.

From personal experience, I can tell you that each of these films illustrate many truths in the categories of road trip laughs and scares, too. Here are my top five movie recommendations for a taste of a typical road trip travel experience and the lessons that go along with them:

Us (2019)

Us is Jordan Peele’s story of a Black family, and although we understand that Blackness isn’t monolithic, there are some things about these people that are a little off. For example, they try too hard to talk “Black” and to satisfy all the elements of the proverbial Black experience. None of these people know how to clap on beat to “I Got Five on It,” which is a common song amongst marijauna enthusiasts in the Black community, by Luniz. The chorus is a plea from the singer that he’s broke, but can contribute $5 toward the marijuana purchase for the group. The characters go toward the danger in the movie instead of away from it. These small cues, among more notable things, are indicators of a deeper wrong. Lupita Nyong’ O plays the mother, Tonya. Her “alter” character still haunts me two years after seeing it.

The lesson in this film for road trippers is to master a playlist for the car ride. In addition to loading the playlist with Black culture classics like “I Got Five on It,” add some songs that the entire family can sing together. Just remember to practice those songs before adding the sing-along to the family road trip video.

Juanita (2019)

Alfre Woodard plays the title character, Juanita, in this film. She’s an overburdened mom who has raised her kids and now needs to find her own way. Juanita’s journey is one that progresses from hilarious to dramatic to steamy. Juanita’s day dreams of Blair Underwood and her raw approach to being a middle-aged Black woman traveling alone are just a few things that endear us to her throughout the film.

As a solo-traveling Black woman myself, I identify with Juanita’s guarded skepticism and the way it often underlies the laughs. That fear keeps her sharp, however, and therein lies the lesson. Listen to your gut (or your inner Blair Underwood) when traveling alone. Sometimes, you will feel that something is not right before you see it. I check my gut before entering creepy gas station bathrooms, for example. If there are any bad feelings about going inside, I don’t.

Moving (1988)

Starring the late comedian Richard Pryor, Moving is about a Black professional, his wife and their three kids (Stacey Dash as the teen daughter), and their well-planned move across the country. However, even the best-laid plans wouldn’t predict or accommodate the problems that followed, including bullies running the moving company, a mentally ill and dangerous car transporter (played by Dana Carvey) and a sadist of a neighbor (Randy Quaid), whose unpredictability alone seems to be enough to run the moving plan right off the rails.

In Moving, we learn that even the best-laid plans go awry, sometimes by no fault of our own. The best thing we can do is roll with the punches. Stay flexible and have a backup plan. Or, you could just go riding Mad Max style in the skeleton of your expensive car until you set everything back on schedule.

Away We Go (2009)

In this film, Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski play a couple — Verona and Burt — with a baby on the way. They are looking for a place to put down roots for the child. The result is a funny movie that follows the couple as they crisscross the country looking for the ideal place to live. Much of the depiction of the late-term pregnancy and travel combination was particularly relatable. As was the irritation that the couple began to feel during their trip.

The trip does take on a respectfully somber tone when the couple travels down south to see Verona’s Black family’s home. It is after this reflection on the struggles of her ancestors that Verona and Bert have an epiphany, which is that home is wherever they (and soon their baby) are. It’s a lesson in finding and appreciating not only where you come from but also the people you call family. Ultimately, Verona and Bert learned that the only thing they really needed was one another, which outweighed any relocation decision. Suddenly, the question of where the couple wanted to raise their baby seemed less important.

Wine Country (2019)

Another Maya Rudolph film, Wine Country, follows a group of friends (including Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Paula Pell and Ana Gastayer) as they celebrate a 50th birthday with a trip to wine country. They end up discovering many things about themselves, both individually and as a group. Between scamming bottles and other hijinks, the women manage to bond a little. Eventually, the group of friends learn that their physical and emotional problems are only compounded by alcohol and the rehashing of old drama.

The lesson here is to deal with the problems head-on before planning a road trip of any kind. The tight confines of a car or even a small tour van will only serve to make things fester more. Or until someone is hospitalized.

There are so many classic road trip movies out there that could lend some great advice on navigating a road trip with family and friends. What are some of your favorite road trip films and what message do they carry for you?

This story was originally published October 31, 2022 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Five movies with lessons for your next road trip."