If you loved
The Car
Gary Paulsen · Book · 1994
What hooked you in The Car was the way a solitary road journey forces a vulnerable protagonist toward unexpected self-discovery.
Films on the same thread
Hugo
Martin Scorsese · Film · 2011
Like the protagonist of The Car, Hugo finds a sense of purpose and identity through mechanical restoration and the guidance of an older, distant mentor figure.
Central Station
Film · 1998
This film mirrors the cross-country search for family found in The Car, grounding the emotional weight of abandonment in the raw, transformative power of an open-road journey.
The Electric State
Joe Russo · Film · 2025
The Car captures the loneliness of a teen adrift, a feeling echoed here as a young orphan traverses a desolate landscape while navigating the complexities of human connection.
Lion
Film · 2016
The resilience Terry displays in The Car is mirrored in this story of a lost child traversing vast distances to reconcile his past and find his true home.
Series on the same thread
The Last of Us
Neil Druckmann · Series · 2023
The bond between an unlikely pair on a dangerous trek in this series reflects the mentor-mentee dynamic that helps the young lead in The Car survive his isolation.
Wayne
Shawn Simmons · Series · 2019
Much like the focus on the vehicle in The Car, this story uses a specific machine as a catalyst for a young person's journey toward autonomy and self-definition.
Tracker
Ben H. Winters · Series · 2024
The itinerant lifestyle of the lead character resonates with the themes of movement and survivalism found in The Car, emphasizing the isolation of a life on the road.
Reacher
Nick Santora · Series · 2022
The Car explores the life of a drifter finding his way, a theme that drives this series as a man moves through the country while confronting his own history.
Podcasts on the same thread
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
This investigative journey captures the same sense of searching for truth within a fractured environment that defines the internal and external odyssey of Terry in The Car.
To Live and Die in LA
Tenderfoot TV & Audacy · Podcast · 2023
The persistence required to uncover answers in this investigation matches the grit and determination shown by the protagonist of The Car as he tracks down his family.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Car based on a true story?
The Car is a work of fiction written by Gary Paulsen and published in 1994. It tells the story of fourteen-year-old Terry Anders, who builds a kit car and travels across the country to find his uncle after being abandoned by his parents.
What is the main character's motivation in The Car?
In The Car, fourteen-year-old Terry Anders is motivated by his abandonment. After assembling a kit car called the Cat in his father's garage, he sets out from Cleveland to Portland to search for an uncle he hardly knows and embarks on a journey of discovery.
Who accompanies Terry on his journey in The Car?
During his travels in The Car, Terry Anders picks up a wandering Vietnam veteran. This character serves as a guide for Terry, helping him navigate the road and facilitating his personal journey of discovery as they travel from Cleveland toward Portland.
Where does the journey in The Car begin and end?
The journey depicted in The Car begins in Cleveland, where Terry Anders finishes assembling his kit car. He then drives the vehicle, known as the Cat, toward Portland, Oregon, in an attempt to locate an uncle he has not seen in many years.