Road Trip (film) - Plot

Plot

Josh and Tiffany were long-time friends who became high school sweethearts, but they both had to face a long distance relationship when Josh enrolls at University of Ithaca and Tiffany enrolls at the University of Austin. Despite the distance apart, they make a promise to be true to each other and call each other every day. When Tiffany doesn't call Josh, nor answer Josh's calls, Josh is worried that Tiffany is seeing another man (actually, her maternal grandfather died). To show that he is still in love with her, he makes a daily recorded video blog to her. During Josh's last blog, his friends Rubin Carver and Barry Manilow barge into the video. Barry then keeps checking on Rubin's snake, Mitch, urging Rubin to over-feed Mitch. Josh tells Rubin to mail in his blog tape to Tiffany before leaving for class.

In class, Josh is flunking Ancient Philosophy and needs a B+ on his mid-term to pass the semester. Josh thinks that he will flunk anyway. Still worrying about Tiffany, Josh's friend E.L. encourages Josh to move on to another woman, such as Josh's friend Beth at his party. Jacob, the teacher's assistant, has a huge crush on Beth and she even knows that Josh likes her. Unbeknownst to Josh, he is being set up by Jacob to fail Ancient Philosophy.

During E.L.'s party, Josh attends and E.L. holds an auction for women, including Beth in the bid. Jacob also attends the party, too. Beth convinces Josh to outbid Jacob. But E.L. helps Josh win the bid at $26 when Jacob had $30. E.L. claimed that since Jacob was a teacher's assistant, his bid didn't count. After Josh and Beth dance, they decide to have sex. When they arrive at Josh's room, Beth decides to record their sex with the same camcorder that Josh uses for his video blogs to Tiffany and they start having sex.

The next day, Barry sings a song called "Tiny Salmon" as Josh arrives in the room in a very jolly mood. He confesses that he had sex with Beth. His friends object and want proof. Josh attempts to play the tape but then realizes that Rubin accidentally sent the sex tape to Tiffany. Josh then receives a voicemail from Tiffany saying that she didn't call him because her grandfather died and will be cleaning his house until Monday. Josh decides to go on a road trip because he doesn't have enough money for a plane ticket. So Josh and E.L. get Kyle to come along for his car. Kyle is a compulsive worrier who lives in constant fear of his overly strict father, Earl Edwards. So Josh, E.L., Rubin, and Kyle try to head to Austin, Texas for 1,800 miles in less than three days and leave Barry to take care of Mitch.

While Barry is taking care of Mitch, Beth asks him where Josh is. Barry tells her that Josh went to his Tiffany in Boston, in confusion with Austin. Beth then goes to the girls' showers where everyone is naked for some advice. They suggest that she should go to Boston to tell Tiffany about the situation, which Beth does. However, the Tiffany she confronts in Boston is the wrong one. But while on the road, the group talk about loop holes and then come across a ten foot gap that they think will waste 5 hours back tracking. But they soon think that they could jump the gap. Kyle objects but they jump it anyway. They make it but the wheels fall off and the car explodes. They continue on foot and stop at a motel. Rubin tries to score marijuana off the Motel Clerk (Andy Dick) and is informed that Kyle's credit card is maxed out.

Meanwhile, Kyle's father, Earl, tries to pay for a meal with the maxed out card, but is denied service. He then begins an all-out search for Kyle when he is informed by the police that Kyle's car has blown up and Kyle has turned up missing. On their way to Austin, the group goes through a series of hilarious misadventures, such as Rubin successfully bluffing his way into an all-Black fraternity house at the University of Tennessee and a riotous visit with Barry's grandparents. Since Josh's books were destroyed in the explosion, he calls his professor and gets an extension on his midterm.....or so he thinks.

The group finally gets to Austin and, once they get to Tiffany's dorm, Josh intercepts the tape he sent to Tiffany, who has just arrived back at school. Meanwhile, Earl shows up, enraged over what happened with the car and the credit card and threatens to take Kyle back home with him. Kyle finally gets the courage to stand up to him and states that he is going back to school with his friends. Josh and Tiffany watch the tape, which turns out to be nothing but Barry mooning for the camera. Beth has found out where the real Tiffany is and she calls to warn Josh that he has been duped by Jacob. Josh now has 48 hours to get back to school or else he will fail his midterm, fail the course, and, possibly, be kicked out of college. After they talk, Josh and Tiffany agree to break up and remain friends. Josh and his buddies head back to school and Josh arrives just in time to take his midterm – with a little help from Beth. Josh passes the course and he is now free to hook up with Beth and they make more videos together.