John Hughes's Planes, Trains & Automobiles

[Hal2001]

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

Before starting John Hughes's "Planes, Trains & Automobiles," I saw the cast listing which included Steve Martin and John Candy, so I naturally thought, "Wow, this thing is probably going to be a laugh riot." Some of it is, but there is so much more to like in this film than just the comedy. It adds something that few other comedies actually add well: some very touching scenes that have heart.

Neal Page (Steve Martin) is a marketing executive trying to get back to his family in Chicago in time for Thanksgiving, which at the start of the film is two days away. While trying to get to the airport on time, his taxi is stolen by Del Griffith (John Candy). When he gets to the airport, he finds that the flight has been delayed and then runs into Del again, who feels bad for taking Neal's cab and wants to make it up to him. After a ticketing snafu, Neal is placed in coach right next to....that's right, Del. So begins a series of terrible misfortunes that keep bring these two men together as they both try to get to Chicago.

First off, the casting for this film is perfect. It's true that Martin and Candy are very well-known for their comedic work, but the relationship they form throughout this movie goes much deeper than that. It's a great example of a buddy comedy and a road movie combined with everything that could possibly go wrong actually going wrong.

Their misadventures include having to share a hotel room together (more than once), a broken down train, a car fire, and the fact that Neal wants nothing more than to be left alone while Del only wants to help. These mishaps would be extremely comical if they weren't so tragically holding these two back from getting to their families, but indeed they still manage to be funny. Notice the indifference with which the two watch their rental car burn, and how they eventually burst out laughing when they realize the rental company is never going to want to see them again.

The most extraordinary scene comes early on during the first night these men are together in a hotel room in Wichita. They enter the room, and while eying it over, there are several ominous cuts to the bed; a double bed. They both notice this and the first comment out of Del's mouth is "Want to take a shower?" at which Neal, without losing a second, immediately shouts "No!" Del clarifies by saying "I meant did you want to go first?" There's an obvious undertone to the situation as both men realize that they will have to share this bed tonight, and indeed this only leads to another awkward situation.

After the two men have settled in bed, all Neal wants to do is sleep, but Del first tries to read, then makes several loud attempts to clear his sinuses; here is where the film makes a sharp dramatic turn. Neal is furious and unloads all his feelings about Del right then and there. He tells him that his stories aren't interesting, that they need to have a point to make the listener interested, and that he would rather sit through an insurance seminar than listen to any more of Del's stories. Here is where John Candy shows how great an actor he was. He gives a speech that culminates with the simple phrase "I like me." In the hands of lesser actors, a speech like this could have come off as incredibly cheesy, especially after the amusing scene in the bed.

One of the most famous scenes in the film is when Neal has to return to where he had rented a car, by walking three miles along the highway, down a steep embankment, and across an airport runway, because the car he had rented was not in the lot. He goes up to the car rental agent (Edie McClurg) and says "You can start by wiping that f'ing dumb-ass smile off your rosey, f'ing, cheeks! Then you can give me a f'ing automobile: a f'ing Datsun, a f'ing Toyota, a f'ing Mustang, a f'ing Buick! Four f'ing wheels and a seat!" He continues in a like manner, earning the film's R rating more than a few times over. The scene ends with the car rental agent getting in two words that end it on the perfect note.

One part of the ending of the film feels a little random, as in they were trying to find a way to get these two characters together again, but it provides an appropriate emotional note that allows the film to end with a touching scene. We see the changes that these characters have been through, and most of all, we end up caring about what they've been through and where they are going.

John Hughes is probably more well-known for his teen comedies like "The Breakfast Club" about a group of high school students spending a Saturday detention together, and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," about a kid who skips school and spends the day in the city with his friends. While those films do have a little heart, the connection with the characters is not as prevalent as it is in "Planes, Trains & Automobiles." Who can honestly say that they have never felt like they have had the worst possible run of bad luck ever?

I didn't laugh as much as I thought I would during this film, but it doesn't seem like that was the main point of it. Hughes gives us characters in a simple situation that escalates into one of extreme misfortune. Throughout the film, we begin to get the feeling that we know these two characters, not because they are obviously famous actors, but because identifying with their simple desire to be home with their loved ones is so easy to do. Taking something simple and making it into something extraordinary is the true mark of a great film. 3.5/4 stars.

[JJFlamingo]

Hit or miss at times with its humor, but has a wonderful, emotional ending...

8/10

[Dr.Frankenstein]

What a gr8 film this "Planes,Trains & Automobiles"was/is-SCTV's -John Candy w/ Steve Martin, 2 comedic super heavy weights at their best here-in my opinion. "Masterpiece" in my book.

[Mr. Mxyzptlk]

This is a masterpiece for me, and I would rank it even among the true greats of all time. It's simple, but it is so human and evokes such emotion in me. Wonderful film.