# I'm in a movie, I'm driving; of course I turn around and we crash **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096 "2005-10-20T15:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/1 "2005-10-20T15:56:30Z")
Millions, How many movies contain that scene where the guy driving turns his head to talk to someone in the car and he crashes? About 4 billion, roughly—yet I can’t remember a single one right now. It’s very frustrating. What movies contain this stupid little trope? ---
**Author:** ![iluvurmom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iluvurmom/32/7276_2.png) [@iluvurmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iluvurmom)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/2 "2005-10-20T16:08:36Z")
> [@Birdmonster](#): > > Millions, > How many movies contain that scene where the guy driving turns his head to talk to someone in the car and he crashes? About 4 billion, roughly—yet I can’t remember a single one right now. It’s very frustrating. What movies contain this stupid little trope? Okay, now you got me. I am drawing such a blank and can only think of that commercial for All State with the couple on their way to the opera and they crash. oooo, wait…how about Clear and Present Danger? Does that happen in Crash? ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/3 "2005-10-20T16:56:53Z")
Tommy Boy… David Spade is making fun of Tommy and crashes into a large deer. ---
**Author:** ![iluvurmom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iluvurmom/32/7276_2.png) [@iluvurmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iluvurmom)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/4 "2005-10-20T17:00:50Z")
> [@USCDiver](#): > > Tommy Boy… David Spade is making fun of Tommy and crashes into a large deer. oh that one is much better… ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/5 "2005-10-20T17:07:10Z")
Phew…there’s one. I think it happens in dramas as well. Inexplicably. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/6 "2005-10-20T18:21:10Z")
> [@Birdmonster](#): > > Millions, > How many movies contain that scene where the guy driving turns his head to talk to someone in the car and he crashes? About 4 billion, roughly—yet I can’t remember a single one right now. It’s very frustrating. What movies contain this stupid little trope? [hijack & rant] There are gazillions more movies that bug the hell out of me, showing the driver looking at and talking to a passenger for minutes at a time while driving, and never hitting anything! Totally stupid, don’t these directors drive? [hijack/rant] ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/7 "2005-10-20T19:03:32Z")
Not quite matching the specs of the OP, but Robin Williams crashed his car due to similar inattentiveness in _The World According to Garp_. As a result, his character’s younger son died, his older son lost an eye, and his wife bit her lover’s penis off (she had been giving him a blow job in the car that got rear-ended). ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/8 "2005-10-20T21:10:20Z")
You’re right…that is a well-used device. Only one I can think of right now is _Angel Eyes_, however. Unfortunately, my saying that makes it quite clear that I’ve seen _Angel Eyes_. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/9 "2005-10-20T21:41:18Z")
It actually happened to me. Passenger: Hey, doesn’t the road curve up here a little bit? Me: (turning head to face him) What? ::crash:: ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/10 "2005-10-20T21:57:11Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Not quite matching the specs of the OP, but Robin Williams crashed his car due to similar inattentiveness in _The World According to Garp_. I wouldn’t classify it as “similar inattentiveness”. Williams had a game with the children where he would turn off the headlights and brake at the last minute. But in this one case there was an unanticipated car in the driveway (not enough room to stop) that he _couldn’t_ see. I raise you “Adaptation.” ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/11 "2005-10-20T21:58:32Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > It actually happened to me. > > Passenger: > Hey, doesn’t the road curve up here a little bit? > > Me: > (turning head to face him) > What? > > ::crash:: Didn’t \*Vacation \* and \*Planes, Trains, and Automobiles \* have some fun with this? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/12 "2005-10-20T22:04:15Z")
It happens in The Muppet Movie too. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/13 "2005-10-20T22:08:04Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I wouldn’t classify it as “similar inattentiveness”. > > Williams had a game with the children where he would turn off the headlights and brake at the last minute. But in this one case there was an unanticipated car in the driveway (not enough room to stop) that he _couldn’t_ see. > > I raise you “Adaptation.” Well, similarly inattentive to the principles of safe driving (watch where you’re going, don’t drive in the dark without your headlights on, stuff like that). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/14 "2005-10-21T15:29:09Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > Didn’t \*Vacation \* and \*Planes, Trains, and Automobiles \* have some fun with this? Sort of. _Vacation_ had Clark falling asleep at the wheel and I believe Del in _PT&A_ was the same. _Christmas Vacation_, IIRC, had Clark arguing with his family, causing him to drive under a logging truck, and crash into a snowbank. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-a-movie-im-driving-of-course-i-turn-around-and-we-crash/327096/15 "2005-10-21T15:30:41Z")
Oh, now I remember: _Vacation_ also had Clark eyeing the blonde in the sports car.