The Trip

Name: The Trip
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Released: May 9, 2003
Duration: 95 min
Rating: 47

2003

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Ratings

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7.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Ratings

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The Trip

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Movie Details & Credits

TLA Releasing | Release Date: May 9, 2003 | R

Summary: A portrait of a love story spanning two decades between a gay-rights activist and a conservative journalist during the 1970s and 1980s.

Director: Miles Swain

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 95 min

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Critic Reviews

Kevin Thomas

Swain balances the personal and the political, allowing his film to be intimate while keeping a larger perspective. It is refreshing to see people on screen who are living in a real world. Read full review

Marrit Ingman

If the film had allowed them to fall in love in real time, instead of to the drumbeat of history, their relationship would seem immeasurably more nuanced. Read full review

Robert K. Elder

Call it a weepy for the gay community:The Trip is an oddly marketed, oddly titled romance. Yes, there is a trip, but it takes place during the last 15 minutes of the film and seems almost tangential. Read full review

Rene Rodriguez

The story's third-act detour into tragedy is predictable and unwelcome, providing a resolution that is too pat and familiar to be moving. Read full review

Noel Murray

It doesn't help that Sullivan has twice as much screen time and half as much charisma as Braun. Read full review

Ronnie Scheib

The cataclysmic changes in attitude and lifestyles the characters pass through at irregular intervals from 1973 to 1984... seem to consist wholly of changes in hairstyle that look as wildly stereotyped and inauthentic as the gestures and lines that accompany them. Read full review

C.W. Nevius

It is never a good sign when the audience is two steps ahead of the characters on the screen. Waiting for them to catch up wears everyone out. Read full review

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User Reviews

davide.

Nov 20, 2005

At first sight it's an impossible love. Alan is a Republican journalist with ditto thoughts, Tommy is a gay rights activist. They meet when Alan wants to know more about homosexuality, since he is writing a book about that subject. Even though their political opinions are very At first sight it's an impossible love. Alan is a Republican journalist with ditto thoughts, Tommy is a gay rights activist. They meet when Alan wants to know more about homosexuality, since he is writing a book about that subject. Even though their political opinions are very different, love flourishes. Alan's book doesn't get published. The two are in a stable relationship that already lasts for a few years, when the book is published after all without Alan's consent. It turns out the book is very negative about homosexuality. The solid relationship bursts. Some years later. Alan is living with his dominant boyfriend Peter. He is told that Tommy is seriously ill. At first Alan doesn't want to visit Tommy, but his mother and his best female friend persuade him to go. When they meet again it is obvious they are still in love with each other. To let Tommy die at his parents house they drive to Texas. But they will never make it to their destination. The Trip covers a few years: the story starts in the seventies and ends in the eighties. To create the typical seventies atmosphere, the brillant director Miles Swain used film equipment from the seventies. The film gives a nice image of the political situation and acceptance of gays in that period. The story lines about friendship are very well written and played. Jill St. John's roll as Alan's mother is very amusing. The Trip is a serious and at the same time funny film.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Mary97206

Aug 15, 2011

Beautifully written, warmly touching, funny and smart. It was win, win, win, for me and this movie. Seen it ten times and will probably see it ten times more.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JimL.

May 16, 2003

Beautiful love story!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Rcavey92212

Aug 23, 2020

I love revisiting all these classics I haven't seen since they were released. The Trip was always one that really touched me. Plot wise there's nothing new here but the performers are adorable, talented and they have great chemistry. The film chronicles the love story between two men whoI love revisiting all these classics I haven't seen since they were released. The Trip was always one that really touched me. Plot wise there's nothing new here but the performers are adorable, talented and they have great chemistry. The film chronicles the love story between two men who meet under odd circumstances when one of them is supposedly straight. Over the years their relationship deepens and than something tears them apart. Years later one of them receives word that the other is very sick and abandons his life to rush and spend whatever time is left with the other. The movie is funny and sad, really sad. In fact the finale is one of the biggest tearjerkers ever. It's definitely worth a watch.

8.5/10… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Alexrove

Jan 4, 2020

Has some flaws but it is quite entertaining. I really enjoy it and wanted more, maybe it would work better as a 6 episodes series

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

larryw.

Sep 23, 2005

Some of the worst writing and directing I've come across. You can only pity the actors who seem to be biding their time until they can get the hell out of there. Shame Shame Shame.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

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