Films About White People Going to Other Countries
The topic of films featuring white characters traveling to foreign countries often explores themes of cultural exchange, adventure, and sometimes the complexities of privilege and colonialism. These films can range from light-hearted comedies to serious dramas, showcasing the experiences of characters as they navigate new environments, confront cultural differences, and undergo personal transformations. While many of these films can be entertaining, they can also prompt discussions about representation, cultural appropriation, and the implications of portraying Western characters in non-Western settings.
Here is a list of notable films that fit this theme:
“The Beach”, 2000
Director: Danny Boyle
A young American backpacker, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, travels to Thailand in search of an idyllic beach that is rumored to be a paradise. However, he soon discovers the darker side of this seemingly perfect destination.
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Virginie Ledoyen, Tilda Swinton, Guillaume Canet, Robert Carlyle, Paterson Joseph, Zelda Tinska, Peter Youngblood Hills, Daniel Caltagirone, Daniel York, Patcharawan Patarakijjanon, Somboon Phutaroth, Weeratham «Norman» Wichairaksakui, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Jerry Swindall, Krongthong Thampradith, Apichart Chusakul, Sanya «Gai» Cheunjit, Kaneung «Nueng» Kenia, Somchai Santitharangkun, Seng Kawee, Somkuan «Kuan» Siroon, Victoria Smurfit, Peter Gevisser, Lars Arentz-Hansen, Lidija Zovkic, Samuel Gough, Staffan Kihlbom Thor, Jukka Hiltunen, Magnus Lindgren, Myriam Acharki, Andrew Carmichael, Josh Cole, Hélène de Fougerolles, Bindu De Stoppani, Stacy Hart, Nina Jacques, Sheridan Jones, Gunilla Karlson, Sian Martin, Isabella Seibert, Elizabeth Thomas, Michael Thorpe, Timothy Webster, Ramon Woolfe, Saskia Mulder, Simone Huber, Non Jungmeier, Irmelin DiCaprio, Ross Donnelly;
Production year: 2000;
Genre: thriller, drama, melodrama, adventure;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 119 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 6,6;
More information about the film “The Beach” on the website imdb.com
“Eat Pray Love”, 2010
Director: Ryan Murphy
Based on the memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, this film follows a divorced woman, portrayed by Julia Roberts, as she embarks on a journey through Italy, India, and Bali, seeking pleasure, spirituality, and balance in her life.
Starring: Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, Billy Crudup, Viola Davis, Mike O'Malley, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Christine Hakim, Sophie Thompson, Hadi Subiyanto, Ashlie Atkinson, Lisa Roberts Gillan, I. Gusti Ayu Puspawati, A. Jay Radcliff, Ryan O'Nan, Gita Reddy, Dwayne Clark, Jen Kwok, Mary Testa, Elijah Tucker, Karen Trindle, Zachary Dunham, Clair Oaks, Ned Leavitt, Lynn Margileth, Welker White, José Ramón Rosario, Lucia Guzzardi, Tuva Novotny, Luca Argentero, Silvano Rossi, Giuseppe Gandini, Ludovica Virga, Marco Lastrucci, Elena Arvigo, Andrea Di Stefano, Remo Remotti, Vanessa Marini, Lidia Biondi, Emma Brunetti, Chiara Brunetti, Ajay Bhandari, Michael Cumpsty, Rushita Singh, Ritvik Tyagi, Sd Pandey, Anand Yeshwant Bapat, Micky Dhamejani, Peter Davis, Shona Benson;
Production year: 2010;
Genre: drama, melodrama, biography;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 134 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 5,8;
More information about the film “Eat Pray Love” on the website imdb.com
“Lost in Translation”, 2003
Director: Sofia Coppola
This film features Bill Murray as an aging actor who travels to Tokyo for work, where he forms an unexpected bond with a young woman, played by Scarlett Johansson. The film delves into themes of loneliness and cultural disconnection.
Starring: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris, Akiko Takeshita, Kazuyoshi Minamimagoe, Kazuko Shibata, Take, Ryuichiro Baba, Akira Yamaguchi, Catherine Lambert, François du Bois, Tim Leffman, Gregory Pekar, Richard Allen, Diamond Yukai, Jun Maki, Nao Asuka, Tetsuro Naka, Kanako Nakazato, Fumihiro Hayashi, Hiroko Kawasaki, Daikon, Asuka Shimuzu, Ikuko Takahashi, Koichi Tanaka, Hugo Codaro, Akiko Monou, Akimitsu Naruyama, Hiroshi Kawashima, Hiromi Toshikawa, Nobuhiko Kitamura, Nao Kitman, Akira, Kunichi Nomura, Yasuhiko Hattori, Shigekazu Aida, Kazuo Yamada, Akira Motomura, Osamu Shigematu, Takashi Fujii, Kei Takyo, Ryo Kondo, Yumi Ikeda, Yumika Saki, Yuji Okabe, Dietrich Bollmann, Georg O.P. Eschert, Mark Willms, Lisle Wilkerson;
Production year: 2003;
Genre: drama, melodrama;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 102 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,7;
More information about the film “Lost in Translation” on the website imdb.com
“The Hangover Part II”, 2011
Director: Todd Phillips
In this comedic sequel, a group of friends travels to Thailand for a wedding, only to find themselves caught in a series of outrageous and chaotic events as they try to piece together the previous night’s antics.
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Mason Lee, Justin Bartha, Paul Giamatti, Jamie Chung, Nirut Sirichanya, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike Tyson, Sasha Barrese, Gillian Vigman, Aroon Seeboonruang, Yasmin Lee, Nick Cassavetes, Sondra Currie, Schnitrnunt Busarakamwong, Bryan Callen, Brody Stevens, Nimit Luksameepong, Michael Berry Jr., Andrew Howard, Danai Thiengdham, Thana Srisuke, Pairot Noiply, Penpak Sirikul, Sanita Jai-Ua, Chanicha Shindejanichakul, Vithaya Pansringarm, Kim Lee, Palakorn Chaiklang, Palakorn Gunjina, Pongsatorn Sawadchatchawan, Kaweewit Chaikaew, Pure Watanabe, Rattana Janprasit, Jetsada Yuktabutra, Tanner Maguire, William A. Johnson, Aedin Mincks, Dylan Boyack, William Jiang, Lynne Kidder, Frédéric North, Crystal the Monkey, Michele Aristy, Bruce Blain, Iran Daniel, Lex de Groot;
Production year: 2011;
Genre: comedy;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 102 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 6,5;
More information about the film “The Hangover Part II” on the website imdb.com
“A Good Year”, 2006
Director: Ridley Scott
Russell Crowe stars as a British investment broker who inherits a vineyard in Provence, France. As he reconnects with his roots and the beauty of the French countryside, he reevaluates his life and priorities.
Starring: Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard, Abbie Cornish, Freddie Highmore, Albert Finney, Tom Hollander, Rafe Spall, Archie Panjabi, Richard Coyle, Ben Righton, Patrick Kennedy, Ali Rhodes, Daniel Mays, Nila Aalia, Stephen Hudson, Giannina Facio, Lionel Briand, Maria Papas, Didier Bourdon, Isabelle Candelier, Kenneth Cranham, Igor Panich, Oleg Sosnovikov, Magalie Woch, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Jacques Herlin, Catriona MacColl, Patrick Payet, Félicité Du Jeu, Mitchell Mullen, Judy Dickerson, Gilles Gaston-Dreyfus, Philippe Méry, Dominique Laurent, Stewart Wright, Tom Stuart, Catherine Vinatier, Marine Casto, Gregg Chilingirian, Toney Tutini, Philippe Bergeron, Edita Brychta, Hélène Cardona, Jean-Louis Darville, Neil Dickson, Jean Gilpin, Nicholas Guest, Patrick Hillan, Frank Isles, Peter Lavin;
Production year: 2006;
Genre: drama, melodrama, comedy;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 117 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 6,9;
More information about the film “A Good Year” on the website imdb.com
“Into the Wild”, 2007
Director: Sean Penn
Based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, this film follows a young man who abandons his conventional life to travel across America and into the Alaskan wilderness, exploring themes of freedom and self-discovery.
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Hal Holbrook, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Brian H. Dierker, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, Jim Galien, James O'Neill, Malinda McCollum, Paul Knauls, Zach Galifianakis, Craig Mutsch, Jim Beidler, John Decker, John Hofer, Jerry Hofer, Terry Waldner, Robin Mathews, Candice Campos, Steven Wiig, Thure Lindhardt, Signe Egholm Olsen, Floyd Wall, Bryce Walters, Jim Davis, Cheryl Francis Harrington, R.D. Call, Haley Ramm, Merritt Wever, Everett «Insane Wayne» Smith, John Jabaley, Leonard Knight, Matt Contreras, Denise Sitton, Bart the Bear, Sharon Olds, Carine McCandless, Dan Burch, Doug Cartwright, Joe Dustin, Golbon Eghtedari, Alvin Ellie, Zoe Galvez, Caroline Gelabert, Geri Gilmore, Paul Haasch, Andy Hayward;
Production year: 2007;
Genre: drama, adventure, biography;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 148 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 8,1;
More information about the film “Into the Wild” on the website imdb.com
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, 2013
Director: Ben Stiller
Starring Ben Stiller, this film follows an ordinary man who escapes his mundane life through daydreams. His journey takes him to various international locations, including Greenland and the Himalayas, as he seeks adventure and purpose.
Starring: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott, Shirley MacLaine, Kathryn Hahn, Sean Penn, Patton Oswalt, Adrian Martinez, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Marcus Antturi, Jon Daly, Terence Bernie Hines, Paul Fitzgerald, Grace Rex, Alex Anfanger, Amanda Naughton, Nolan Carley, Joey Slotnick, Gary Wilmes, Amy Stiller, Rosamund Gundmundsdottir, Maariu Olsen, Makka Kleist, Þórhallur Sigurðsson, Ari Matthíasson, Hendrikus Schraven, Finni Johannsson, Eysteinn Gardarsson, José Antonio Alcántara, Rodrigo Espinosa, Seba Alón, Miguel Baez-Olavarria, Danny Orellana, Antonio Molina, Martin Lagos, Andres Quezada, Valur Snaer Hilmarsson, Eythor Atli Hilmarsson, Birgir Jarl Runarsson, Gunnar Helgason, Kai Lennox, Conan O'Brien, Andy Richter, Gurdeep Singh, Anthony Desio, Losang Thonden, Rinjee Sherpa, Haroon Nawabi, Stefan B. Onundarson;
Production year: 2013;
Genre: comedy, adventure, fantasy, drama, melodrama;
MPAA rating: pg;
Duration: 114 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,3;
More information about the film “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” on the website imdb.com
“Wild”, 2014
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Based on the memoir by Cheryl Strayed, this film features Reese Witherspoon as a woman who embarks on a solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail in the United States, facing her past and finding healing in nature.
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Thomas Sadoski, Keene McRae, Michiel Huisman, W. Earl Brown, Gaby Hoffmann, Kevin Rankin, Brian Van Holt, Cliff De Young, Mo, Will Cuddy, Leigh Parker, Nick Eversman, Alles Mist, Randy Schulman, Cathryn de Prume, Kurt Conroyd, Ted deChatelet, Jeffree Newman, Lorraine Bahr, Jerry Carlton, Kevin Michael Moore, Debra Pralle, Gray Eubank, Anne Sorce, Charles Baker, JD Evermore, Beth Hall, Jan Hoag, Carlee McManus, Art Alexakis, Anne Gee Byrd, Evan O'Toole, Jeanine Jackson, Jason Newell, Barry O'Neil, Rich Morris, Bobbi Strayed Lindstrom, Robert Alan Barnett, William Nelson, Tony Doupe, Dan Considine, Andrew Saunderson, Greg James, Orianna Milne, Brian Borcherdt, Eric D. Johnson, Matt Pascua, Edric Carter;
Production year: 2014;
Genre: drama, adventure, biography;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 115 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,1;
More information about the film “Wild” on the website imdb.com
These films not only entertain but also provoke thought about the experiences of individuals from privileged backgrounds navigating diverse cultures and environments.
The selection of films about white people going to other countries presents a complex and often problematic portrayal of cultural exchange and exploration. While some films in this category effectively explore themes of cultural understanding and personal growth, others perpetuate stereotypes and colonialist perspectives. These films offer an opportunity for audiences to critically examine the power dynamics at play when individuals from Western countries interact with other cultures, ultimately prompting important conversations about representation and the impact of historical narratives in contemporary storytelling.
