“The Trip” is a 2002 American romantic drama film directed by Miles Swain, which follows the love affair between a young gay rights activist and an initially closeted conservative. Openly gay actor Larry Sullivan plays the conservative, Alan Oakley, while Steve Braun plays the proud Tommy Ballenger. The film features trans actress Alexis Arquette, former Bond Girl, Jill St. John and a groovy soundtrack (featuring America, T Rex, Missing Persons, Ready for the World, Pointer Sisters and Bruce Springsteen), but unfortunately the tone of the film is extremely uneven; it just doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. Tellingly, the film’s score (which is occasionally effective) contradicts what is happening on screen several times, which is jarring. Also, there are some really horrific wigs.
When I’m watching the movie, I enjoy most of it, but it’s always a bit frustrating. Having said that, I’ve now seen the movie 4 times so there must be something there. I initially watched it when it was a new release at the video store where I worked (between 2002 & 2008). In late 2011 or early 2012 I found myself haunted by something I remembered of the film and I rewatched it. Then I watched it again on March 28, 2020 – again, during the NYC Covid-19 lockdowns. It was the second queer film I watched during that time and then I watched over 800 more. But I didn’t write anything up about it then. So here I am again in October of 2026. Maybe that means I’ll watch it again in a few years?
The movie covers a span of about 11 years, between 1973 & 1984, which isn’t wholly believable, but is often fun, and then brutally horrifying, before a tacked on happy-ish ending, that doesn’t feel like it belongs with what came just before. If it sounds like I hate this movie, that’s not accurate. This is very close to being something good, or at least something better, but it’s not. And that’s a shame, because there’s a lot of potential here. And maybe that’s why I keep revisiting it.
Also, despite the movie only featuring the song for maybe 30 seconds, I can’t here the song “A Horse with No Name” by America, without thinking of this movie.