Life's a Trip - Aka Two Tickets to Paradise

Year: 2007
Genre: Comedy

Cast:
John C. McGinley
Paul Hipp
D.B. Sweeney
Ed Harris
Moira Kelly
Janet Jones

Director:
D.B. Sweeney

Synopsis:
Although life hasn’t turned out the way they once dreamed, life-long buddies Mark, McGriff and Jason are managing to stay above water in their small Pennsylvania hometown. Mark (John C. McGinley), whose fleeting college football glory has morphed into a dangerous obsession with gambling, is becoming more and more estranged from his wife Sherry and son Hayden. McGriff (DB Sweeney) has never let go of his rock-n-roll aspirations, but somehow became complacent because of his lovely wife Kate. And then there’s Jason, who’s still living with his parents and letting them dictate his life.

The guys are in for a few surprises. First, a shady collector forces his way into Mark’s home to settle a debt, scaring Sherry into leaving with Hayden – all in the same week that Mark’s father dies. Meanwhile, McGriff comes home from work early and finds his wife (Moira Kelly) in a compromising position with another man. What to do when life deals you hard knocks? Jason has the solution: A road trip from Pennsylvania to the Sunshine State of Florida to see a Championship football game.

Things don’t go as smoothly as planned, though. After a series of incidents involving psychedelic mushrooms, man-eating alligators, and an accidental fire, tensions rise between the three friends and the shortcomings of each become apparent.

When they run into Melville (Ed Harris) a mysterious, one-armed carnie, his pseudo-prophetic advice starts to put things into perspective for the guys and the mission of their trip changes. Between Melville’s words and their situations back home, the buddies decide to fake their own deaths and give themselves a chance to start over with clean slates!

After pushing Mark’s prized vintage car into an alligator infested swamp, the trio disbands, knowing that to pull off this caper they must vow to not see each other again. But starting a new life is not as easy as it seems. They still have the same problems, the same heartaches, the same failed dreams.

Once on their own they begin to discover what is really important, whether it’s family, career, dreams, or in the case of these three, their lifelong friendship. Both hilarious and heartwarming, this film truly proves that LIFE’S A TRIP!