The 25 Movies That Literally Moved Us

21. South Pacific, French Polynesia, 1958

South Pacific's previous incarnations won two Pulitzers (in 1948 for fiction and in 1950 for drama), and the movie was a monster hit. But its most lasting achievement was the image rehabilitation of the Pacific, site of some of World War II's nastiest battles. Your Turn: James A. Michener wrote the book on which the movie was based while stationed in Vanuatu, but the script describes the setting generically as "two islands in the South Pacific." A few clues-a French-born male lead and a U.S. military base in sight of a spectacular mountain-sound like French Polynesia, although most of the film was shot in the North Pacific, in Hawaii. From Kauai's main town of Lihue, take Highway 56 north about 40 miles to Lumahai Beach--it's where Mitzi Gaynor tried to wash that man right out of her hair. Beware of riptides. For $101, Hawaii Movie Tours leads five-hour trips to famous locations from South Pacific and other movies shot on the island, such as Six Days, Seven Nights (800/628-8432, hawaiimovietour.com).

20. In the Mood for Love, Hong Kong, 2000

And what a mood it is: Director Wong Kar-wai's 1962 Hong Kong is all dramatic shadows, swinging hips, lingering glances, and stunning clothes. After discovering their spouses are having an affair, two neighbors, Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung) and Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) turn to the only people they can-each other. Your Turn: The retro-chic Hong Kong of 1962 doesn't exist, which is why the exteriors were shot in Bangkok. Compare the two cities yourself: Escapes Unlimited is selling a package that goes to Hong Kong and Bangkok; it includes round-trip air on Cathay Pacific from L.A. or San Francisco, two nights in Hong Kong, and three nights in Bangkok (800/243-7227, escapesltd.com, $899, valid through March 31). Even better, there's an optional $499 add-on to Cambodia, so you can end your trip at Angkor Wat, just like in the movie. While in Hong Kong, be sure to stop at the trapped-in-amber Goldfinch Restaurant, in Causeway Bay. It still feels like the '60s inside, which is why Wong Kar-wai shot restaurant scenes there (13-15 Lan Fong Rd., 011-852/2577-7981).

19. Auntie Mame, New York City, 1958

The quintessential New York movie: Not because you see the city-the film is mostly set in Mame's ritzy Beekman Place apartment-but because Mame is the quintessential New Yorker. A socialite pressed into a sort of social work, caring for Patrick, her orphaned nephew, Mame (Rosalind Russell) is an irrepressible bon vivant-and what every New Yorker aspires to be. Did we mention that apartment? Your Turn: "Live, live, live!" is Mame's philosophy. "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!" So stop worrying about money and start having fun. During the Depression, Mame sells roller skates at Macy's, but Bergdorf Goodman is a better bet for department-store glamour (754 Fifth Ave., 212/753-7300). Savor caviar-"fishberry jam," in Patrick's words-at Petrossian (182 W. 58th St., 212/245-2214, prix fixe pretheater dinner $31, caviar is a $10 supplement). Have a nightcap at Top of the Tower, on the 26th floor of the Beekman Tower Hotel, near Beekman Place, where Mame lived. What to order? "Anything, darling," says Mame. "Just make it a double" (49th St. and First Ave., 212/980-4796, martini $10).

Reel Life! I loved Only You, with Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr. If you don't want to go to Italy after seeing this movie, you don't have a pulse! --Kimberly Carmen-Smith, Pittsburgh, Pa.

18. Easy Rider, The southwestern U.S., 1969

Freedom is a state of mind in this counterculture classic. Hippies Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper, who directed) set off on a motorcycle trip from L.A. to Louisiana. They're joined along the way by an alcoholic southern lawyer (Jack Nicholson). Your Turn: First, rent a Harley-Davidson from EagleRider (800/501-8687, eaglerider.com, Sportsters for $75 a day, valid motorcycle license required). The duo camps in Bellemont, Ariz., 12 miles west of Flagstaff. The Pine Breeze Inn-they're denied a room-has closed, but you can camp on the property. Down the road, the Route 66 Roadhouse Bar & Grill is packed with Harley memorabilia (928/774-5080). They ride through Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and Utah's Monument Valley. In New Orleans, the boys celebrate Mardi Gras on the corner of Bourbon and Toulouse. Afterward, walk through St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, where Billy, Wyatt, and friends drop acid.

17. "Crocodile" Dundee, Australia, 1986

Kangaroos, the Opera House, Outback pubs serving Foster's... Australians grumble about the clich}s in this vehicle for comedian Paul Hogan, but there's no arguing that the blockbuster did wonders for the country's profile. Americans saw Australians the way we used to see ourselves-pioneering, unflappable, and at ease in the wilderness. Your Turn: When you get to Darwin, in the Northern Territory, hook up with Adventure Tours for a guided foray into the bush. For $525 including meals, transportation, and tented camping, you get a six-day Top End Safari through the terrain covered by Mick Dundee (Hogan), including Kakadu National Park (011-61/8-8309-2277, adventuretours.com.au). The pub scenes were filmed at the Federal McKinlay Hotel, 1,100 miles away in McKinlay, Queensland. The hotel-which in Australia usually denotes a bar, not lodging-has been renamed Crocodile Dundee's Walkabout Creek Hotel. Fortunately, the joint is nowhere near as rowdy as depicted on-screen (Middleton St., 011-61/7-4746-8424).

Reel Life! Summer Lovers captivated me during the summer of '83. I was hooked on Greece. Two years later, I toured Mykonos and Santorini, but never got to the village of Ia, Santorini, where the movie was filmed. Almost 20 years later, I rented a villa just four houses away from the one in the movie. --Jack B. Fowler, Orlando, Fla.