The Art of Travel (2008)

Director:

Thomas Whelan

Writers:

Brian LaBelle (writer)
Thomas Whelan (writer)

Release Date:

2008 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure

Tagline:

The art of travel is to deviate from the current plan.

Plot:

High school grad. Conner Layne is about to marry his first love, but when wedding plans fail, he goes solo on his honeymoon to Central America...

Plot Keywords:

Wedding | Hammock | Geyser | Campfire | Jungle

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Christopher Masterson	...	Conner Layne
Brooke Burns	...	Darlene Loren
Johnny Messner	...	Christopher Loren
James Duval	...	Taylor 'One Ball'
Shalim Ortiz	...	Carlos 'Bullet'
Jake Muxworthy	...	Justin 'Two Dogs'
Angelika Libera	...	Anna 'G-Spot' (as Angelika Baran)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maria Conchita Alonso	...	Mrs. Layne
Alexandra Breckenridge	...	Kate (as Alex Breckenridge)
Frank Califano	...	Priest
Annie Huntley	...	Sandra
Ernie Lively	...	Mr. Layne
Mushari	...	Sami
Tommy Savas	...	Travis
Silvia Spross	...	Vopka
Danny Trejo	...	Limo Driver

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some nudity.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bolivia

Company:

Brenster Productions

Trivia:

Filming in the jungle took place during the rainy season of August where it would rain at least three hours out of the day.

Soundtrack:

Ven A Mi

Can't have "Motorcycle Diaries" without a single compelling character

Inevitable comparisons to "Motorcycle Diaries". Yes, there is a difficult trek through Central and South America. But that's pretty much where the similarities end.

The Motorcycle Diaries succeeded because Che is a compelling character, not a fresh-out- of-high-school kid with a vindictive sense of humor. There is no self-discovery in this film; no greater themes (populism, for example, in MD).

The main character in this film simply realizes he likes running away from his seemingly-cool family and being a man-child with no responsibilities. He's the embodiment of every guy in a midlife crisis who still wants to do "something really cool" with his life, to get away from it all, with a threesome in a Nicaraguan hotel thrown in for good measure.

I will say that I laughed at certain points in this movie. The supporting characters are much more entertaining (not to say that Masterson was bad in the role; it's just not a very good role). But halfway through, when I started groaning and rolling my eyes more than laughing, it became less and less worth standing in line at the Philly Film Festival for.