When screenwriter Daniel Davis conceived the idea for Bonneville, it was, quite literally, a return home. A current resident of Los Angeles and previously a jetsetting corporate attorney for Citibank in Boston, Davis was born and raised in the small town of Pocatello, Idaho. Inspired by the life of his own grandmother, Bonneville follows three women on a journey across the American West.

"My grandmother was quite a few years younger than my grandfather," explains Davis. "When he died, she seemed to lose her sense of purpose and interest in life. Bonneville came from my desire for a happier ending, one where grief gives way to the realization that another life full of adventure and discovery lies ahead."

It's no coincidence that Davis set his story on the roads between Pocatello, Idaho, and Santa Barbara, California. Amid stunning landscapes and breathtaking vistas lifelong friends Arvilla (Jessica Lange), Margene (Kathy Bates) and Carol (Joan Allen) are met with adventure and discovery at every turn.

The women begin their trip just after Arvilla has lost her husband, Joe. Arvilla's stepdaughter, Francine (Christine Baranski), has decided she wants to bury her father's ashes next to her mother in Santa Barbara, even though Arvilla promised Joe she'd scatter his ashes. Left without a copy of Joe's updated will, Arvilla must face this dilemma head-on: give Francine Joe's ashes or Francine will sell the house Arvilla and Joe lived in for 20 years.

With best friends Margene and Carol along for moral support, Arvilla hits the road in Joe's 1966 Bonneville convertible, determined to deliver Joe's ashes to Francine in person. The women soon find that life on the open road has far more to offer than they could have anticipated.

Indeed, the landscapes boast a starring role in Bonneville right alongside Lange, Bates and Allen. Showing off such extraordinary destinations as the Bonneville Salt Flats, the majestic Bryce Canyon and incandescent Lake Powell, there's no question why the cast and crew felt lucky to be on location there.

"The bonus in doing the work is getting to go to these incredibly beautiful places that I had never been to," says Allen. And the bonus for audiences is getting a glimpse of what the West has to offer. If you've never seen this magnificent part of the country with your own eyes, Bonneville will give you plenty of reason to want to pack your bags, grab your friends and hit the road.

Setting out in her husband's classic 1966 Bonneville convertible, Arvilla (Lange) and her friends retrace the honeymoon trip she took with her husband 20 years prior. Their first stop is the Bonneville Salt Flats. Like no other place on Earth, the Salt Flats span over 30,000 acres and resemble endless plains of snow. Despite being one of Utah's most fragile natural resources, it is a preeminent spot for speed racing due to the unparalleled straightaway, which the women in Bonneville test out for themselves.

Just down the road from the Salt Flats on Route I-80 is Wendover, Nevada, home of the Wendover Nugget Hotel & Casino. Some of the "Las Vegas" casino scenes from Bonneville were shot at this location.

Another highlight on Arvilla's road trip is Bryce Canyon. This natural masterpiece offers truly spectacular views from the rim, as well as more than 50 miles of hiking trails, horseback riding and free snowshoes from the visitor's center in the winter. Despite its name, Bryce is not actually a canyon but a giant natural amphitheater distinctive for its geological structures called hoodoos  towers formed from the erosion of sedimentary rocks along the side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. While Bryce's remote location has kept it lesser known than its neighbors, Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, it's truly a breathtaking, if hidden, gem.

Finally, Bonneville may inspire you to follow Arvilla's example and trade the conventional hotel room for a house boat, inspired by a memorable visit to Lake Powell. Straddling the border between Utah and Arizona, Lake Powell is a massive red-rock canyon filled with bright blue water and stunning sandstone scenery. It is the second largest manmade reservoir in the U.S., storing up to 24.3 million acre-feet of water. On the Colorado River, it was created by flooding Glen Canyon and formed almost 2,000 miles of shoreline. It boasts some of America's finest fishing for bass, bluegill, green sunfish, walleye, black crappie, northern pike and catfish. And as evidenced in Bonneville, it is one of the country's most popular houseboating destinations."

"I especially loved being on Lake Powell and working on the houseboat," says Allen. Arvilla takes her friends out on a houseboat, just as she and her husband did 20 years before. This cinematic feat, shot entirely on location without water tanks or sets, was accomplished with two 70-foot houseboats, a barge, a crane and several motorboats. However, for the casual vacationer, houseboats come in many more manageable varieties, featuring boats anywhere from 30 to 70 feet equipped with a kitchen and bedrooms. Larger houseboats can feature all the luxury of a posh hotel with hot tubs, big screen TVs and other deluxe accommodations.

Though it's a physical journey that takes the characters of Bonneville through Utah, Nevada and California, Lange aptly explains, "It really becomes a journey of self-discovery."

As anyone who has taken a road trip can attest, the fun and adventure of the open road can create quite a revelatory journey. At Bonneville's core is an emotional journey as, amidst all the stunning scenery, Lange and her friends learn about themselves, their friendship and the importance of living life to the fullest.

AAA’s Bonneville Road Trip

Is it time for a road trip? As the “Official Bonneville Road Trip Travel Planner,” AAA has developed a customized TripTik routing that follows the route taken by Jessica Lange, Joan Allen and Kathy Bates. Members can download the special Bonneville TripTik at: www.bonnevillethemovie.com.
See you on the road!