Zombieland

I thought the scene in the movie that supported this definition of a road trip was when Tallahase, Columbus, Little Rock, and Wichita are in Billy Mays' house playing Monopoly. Monopoly is a game that families often play together, and this scene shows that they are bonding, especially because this is the moment when Tallahase reveals what it is that he is really running from - the loss of his son. This shows that in this movie, a major component of a road trip is the relationship that grows between characters as they face conflict together. The farther they go and the more that they deal with, the more they learn about each other and the closer they become, until at the end Columbus recognizes that this is the closest thing he has ever had to a family. I think this scene is important because it is the first time that we get a glimpse of these characters as a type of family.

In the very end of the movie, I thought that Tallahase was going to sacrafice himself to save the others, because as Columbus points out earlier in the movie: "Once you take a man's son away from him, he has nothing left to lose." Why do you think Tallahase lived in the end? What does this say about this movie's definition of a road trip?

Zombieland

The most significant moment to me was when Wichita pulled over the Hummer so Columbus could get out and take the truck to find "whoever he was looking for" as Wichita put it. Columbus decides, however to get back in the car and finish the journey with Wichita, Little Rock and Tallahassee. This is the moment when Columbus realizes that there is more to life than being alone and shutting yourself in. He took a chance and got out of his comfort zone and realized that maybe he could be a happy social person. He wants to stay and be with Wichita wherever she goes, so he continues on the road trip. For Columbus, Wichita gives him hope and faith that he can survive this Zombieland and become a changed person. Even when Wichita convinces him to take off his seatbelt, he says something like "Wow it is kind of freeing". Columbus realizes at this moment that he never really was close with his family and I think he kind of regrets it. He makes a decision when he gets back in and shuts the Hummer door that this will be his new "family" and even later in the movie he says that these people were the closest he ever got to what he really wanted. This scene really puts emphasis on the road trip giving Columbus companionship, hope and change in his personality and outlook on life.

Question: Why does Wichita have such trust issues? Wouldn't she feel more protected with 2 guys there to help her survive, rather than feel threatened by them?

Zombieland

" I could tell she knew what I was feeling, we all are orphans in Zombieland." - Columbus

I believe this line was a significant moment in Zombieland because for Columbus this road trip was to find if his parents were still alive in this zombie apocalypse. Along the way he finds out that his hometown was taken over by zombies causing him to choose to stay with the group instead of looking for his parents. He recognizes along with Wichita, Little Rock, and Tallahassee that although they may be "orphans" and not have their families that through this road trip they became a family. No longer could Columbus play it safe and follow his rules but he needed to get over his phobias and let his life play its course on this road.

My question is why does Tallahassee reveal the death of his son to the group?

Zombieland

The scene where Columbus says, "It had to be a clown. No, it had to be a clown, and it had to be Wichita for me to finally understand that some rules are made to be broken." (Rule #17: Don't be a hero.) Columbus is faced with his biggest fear, which stands between him and Wichita. Not only is Wichita the girl he desires, but she has become an integral part of the "cool, functional family" he has longed to be a member of. Although he created this list of rules to stay alive, before meeting the other characters, how alive was he? He was a loner with IBS, pride and dignity were long gone, and he avoided people. The road trip gave him a chance to connect with people and to find what he always wanted, a girl to love and a functional family. But, in order to keep these things, he's going to have to break old habits, face his fears, and break his own rules. At that point in his life, it was time for him to either nut up or shut up.

Question: What was the purpose of using hometown nicknames?

Zombieland

I thought the most significant part of the movie was when they were on the road switching drivers from time to time. I thought here, they learned a lot about each others and showed each other their true selves as they trust each others more and more. I feel like this movie defines "road trip" as way to gain knowledge about your companions and share different experiences with them.

Why didn't Columbus go and check if his family was still alive or not?

Zombieland

I feel like the whole movie is significant for Columbus, as he seems to be searching for a "family that he never had." But the most significant moment for me was at the very end when Columbus finally has the guts to kiss Wichita. It's at that moment that Columbus narrates to the audience that despite not having a family growing up, he now feels like he has a family that consists of himself, Tallahassee, Wichita and Little Rock after all they went through at Pacific Playland (a place where they thought no zombies existed). In terms of travel and road tripping, I think this movie kind of fades away from what we have been discussing in class because the other movies and readings seem to have no set plan as to where they are going. However, in Zombieland, Columbus lays out the so-called "rules" for the road in the beginning (i.e. fasten your seat belt, double tap and don't try to be a hero), and abides by them up until the last scene when he tries to become the hero and impress the girl.

Do you think that having "rules for the road," although not stringent like Columbus', is necessary to have a better road trip?