Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
The Road Trip Moment: En route to California for little Olive’s beauty pageant, the Hoover family suffers a major setback when grandpa Edwin (Alan Arkin) dies.
Why It’s Crazy: The family sneak his body out of the hospital, pile him into the van and illegally transport his corpse over state lines to reach the pageant in time.
The Blues Brothers (1980)
The Road Trip Moment: On the road to reform their old blues group, Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) are pulled over for running a red light. When the trooper realises Elwood’s license is suspended, the pair drive off with the cops in hot pursuit.
Why It’s Crazy: In a jam, the brothers opt for a direct way out of their predicament: by driving right through the middle of a mall.
National Lampoons Vacation (1983)
The Road Trip Moment: During the Griswolds’ cross-country vacation to theme park Walley World, they pick up Ellen’s aunt Edna and her dog, Dinky and stop for the night at a campground.
Why It’s Crazy: Clark (Chevy Chase) forgets to untie Dinky from the bumper - but only realises hours later when a passing cop spots the dog’s leash dangling from the rear of the car.
Harold & Kumar Get The Munchies (2004)
The Road Trip Moment: On their quest for the perfect boigah, Harold and Kumar indulge their charitable natures and pick up a hitchhiker.
Why It’s Crazy: It’s Neil Patrick Harris. High-as-a-kite on ecstasy, whose inebriated state means he has no charity - he steals their car while the pair are in a convenience store.
Road Trip (2000)
The Road Trip Moment: Josh (Breckin Meyer), E.L. (Seann William Scott), Rubin (Paulo Costanzo) and Kyle (DJ Qualls) hit a deadend when they approach a dilapidated bridge - meaning they’ll have to backtrack for hours, or attempt to fly over it...
Why It’s Crazy: They soar through the air, and land unharmed. The car however, is totalled. Any thoughts of auto repair quickly exit their minds as Josh’s trusty four-wheeler explodes.
Moving (1988)
The Road Trip Moment: On the road to their new life in Idaho, Arlo Pear (Richard Pryor) and his family look out from their trusty station wagon and spot Brad Williams the squeaky-clean young man they’d hired to drive Arlo’s Saab cross-country for them.
Why It’s Crazy: Brad is one of many personalities of the person they entrusted with the task of driving Arlo’s pride and joy. As he passes them by, the Pears look on in horror: the car has been vandalised, and behind the wheel sits Williams, dressed up like a deranged hooker.
The Sweetest Thing (2002)
The Road Trip Moment: During her upstate road trip with Courtney (Christina Applegate), a visit to a dingy loo for Christina (Cameron Diaz) quickly goes south as she attempts to unravel the mystery behind the hole in the toilet wall...
Why It’s Crazy: It’s a glory hole. She puts her face up to a glory hole while an interested member pokes her in the eye.
Borat (2006)
The Road Trip Moment: During a trip round the States, Kazakh TV journalist, Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) and his producer Azamat (Ken Davitian) fling cash at a gaggle of cockroaches while spending an evening at a B&B.
Why It’s Crazy: The idiotic duo believe the cockroaches are in fact the Jewish couple who run the B&B after some sort of impossible metamorphosis.
Bustin Loose (1981)
The Road Trip Moment: Convict Joe Braxton (Richard Pryor) wangles a deal with his parole officer, who forces him to drive a bunch of schoolkids cross-country. When their bus gets stuck in the mud, Joe gets out to survey the damage.
Why It’s Crazy: Rather bizarrely, he enlists a group of KKK clansmen, who happened to be walking by, to help lift the vehicle back onto the road.
Joy Ride (2001)
The Road Trip Moment: Two brothers, Lewis (Paul Walker) and Fuller (Steve Zahn) fool about on a cheap CB radio during their trip back home. Lewis’ high-pitched flirtations rouse the attention of a trucker, Rusty Nail, whom they genuinely fool into believing he’s a woman.
Continuing the chuckles, they agree for Rusty to meet them at their motel - but give him the wrong room number as a prank.
Why It’s Crazy: “A bit of a laugh” with a guy who’s an absolute psychopath and things get murderous, fast. He brutally slaughters the innocent chap in the adjacent room and begins his pursuit of the teens with a gritty determination.
