The Grand Canyon draws all kinds of people from all over the world — and this includes movie crews. If you want to experience the Grand Canyon from the comfort of your couch, here are seven excellent movies to check out.
(1) Fools Rush In
“Whatever you do, don’t tell them I picked you up outside a bathroom.” (Isabel Fuentes, played by Salma Hayek)
Alright, so it doesn’t scream Grand Canyon; what DOES, however, are some of the beautiful settings in this film, thanks to Las Vegas. Gorgeous sunsets and rugged terrain make for a film that’s visually appealing…and absolutely hilarious.
(2) National Lampoon’s Vacation
You can never go wrong with the Griswolds. Clark and the whole gang go on a cross-country road trip from Chicago to Los Angeles, making the Grand Canyon one of their pit stops. And who can forget Clark’s unplanned tour of the Hoover Dam?
(3) Transformers
Autobots, Decepticons, and Megan Fox. Megan Fox. Megan Fox. There is no shortage of beautiful things to look at in this flick.
In the film, Sam and Mikaela are brought into a secret lab–filmed at the Hoover Dam–after being taken into custody. The crew would shoot outside early in the morning before tourists arrived, at which point they would resume filming indoors.
Several scenes are also set in the Grand Canyon, depicted as Mars.
(4) Thelma & Louise
So it doesn’t exactly have the happiest ending at the Grand Canyon, but at least they had a beautiful view. This adventure film starring Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon follows Thelma and Louise as what starts out as a simple vacation turns into much, much more.
(5) Into the Wild
Christopher McCandless’s life is just starting after he graduates from Emory University.
He’s a star pupil and amazing athlete; but he decides on a different route when he gives up all of his money and possessions and hitchhikes to Alaska to live outdoors in the wilderness. One of his stops? You guessed it: the Grand Canyon.
If you want adrenaline-pumping adventure, breathtaking scenery, and a truly inspirational message (based on a true story!), you can’t miss this one.
(6) Waking Up in Reno
Two couples travel from Little Rock to Reno to catch a monster truck rally, but their trip is plagued by lies, affairs, suspicious pregnancies, and revenge.
It’s Darlene Dodd’s (played by Natasha Richardson) dream to see the Grand Canyon, but her strict and demanding husband Lonnie Earl (played by Billy Bob Thornton) makes things harder for her than they need to be.
(7) Nurse Betty
When Kansas waitress Betty (played by Renee Zellweger) witnesses the murder of her drug-dealing husband, she escapes her post-traumatic reality by assuming the identity of a character from her favorite soap opera. Her newfound persona and its accompanying goals take her to Arizona and then Los Angeles, her [imaginary] life taking the oddest twists and turns all the while.
Ready to plan your escape? GC Flight offers tours of the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam at great rates. Contact us today by calling (800) 871-1030 or (702) 629-7776.