Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) Paramount/Comedy RT: 92 minutes Rated R (language, crude humor, slapstick violence) Director: John Hughes Screenplay: John Hughes Music: Ira Newborn Cinematography: Donald Peterman Release date: November 25, 1987 (US) Cast: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins, Michael McKean, Kevin Bacon, Dylan Baker, Olivia Burnette, Matthew Laurence, Edie McClurg, Ben Stein, Lyman Ward, William Windom. Box Office: $49.5M (US)
Rating: ****
Who would have thought that a slapstick farce starring Steve Martin (The Jerk) and John Candy (Stripes) would be one of the most sentimental buddy comedies ever made? Planes, Trains and Automobiles is one of those rare film comedies where everything comes together in perfect harmony. There’s not a single wrong note in this movie. Martin and Candy make a great comedy team, probably the best since Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon (The Odd Couple, Grumpy Old Men). I would definitely say this is the late John Candy’s best performance of his career.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles was also a major change of pace for the late writer-director John Hughes who was known for his many successful teen-oriented movies like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It’s also the first time he directed an R-rated adult comedy. It’s a complete success. Hughes manages to find the perfect balance between outrageous humor and touching drama. I get a huge lump in my throat every time I watch it which is yearly.
Neal Page (Martin) is an uptight, self-centered marketing executive who just wants to get home and spend Thanksgiving with his family. The trip from New York to Chicago should only take a few hours, but the trip is doomed from the first minute when Neal races another commuter (Bacon, Footloose) for a taxi cab and trips over somebody’s trunk. Then when he tries to bribe another commuter for his taxi, somebody loads their stuff into the trunk and rides away costing Neal the $75 bribe.
It turns out to be the work of Del Griffith (Candy), an obnoxious shower curtain ring salesman who doesn’t know when to shut up. Neal is clearly annoyed by Del’s incessant talking, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Their plane is rerouted to Wichita, Kansas after a major snowstorm closes down O’Hare Airport. After an uncomfortable night in the same motel room sharing the same bed, the two mismatched traveling companions try to find their way home to Chicago. They have a series of misadventures involving a train that breaks down mid-journey, a crowded bus ride, a perilous walk across an airport runway and a rental car that ends up all but totaled.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is one of my all time favorite comedies. It always brings a big goofy smile to my face. There’s so much quotable dialogue that to list it all would be tantamount to typing out the entire screenplay so I’ll just leave it at this, “Those aren’t pillows!” and “How would he know where we’re going?”. If you’ve seen it, you know what I’m talking about.
In addition to being hysterically funny, Planes, Trains and Automobiles also has a heart as big as Del’s. The chemistry between the two leads is excellent; Neal and Del couldn’t be more different. Neal is an uptight, anal-retentive control freak who only thinks about himself. Del is a big, friendly teddy bear who wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s also an inconsiderate slob who doesn’t think twice about using every towel in the motel bathroom and leaving his filthy socks in the sink to soak overnight. He smokes and spills food everywhere. When he finally pushes Neal to his breaking point, you can see the hurt on his face as he really lays into him. Yet Del still tries to be friends with him promising he will see Neal gets home in time for Thanksgiving dinner.
Even though the relationship is contentious, Neal and Del form a friendship and a bond. Even though they part ways a few times, fate always brings them back together. It’s like these men were destined to be together. Perhaps one of them will experience a character change along the way? Maybe Del’s good nature will melt Neal’s icy heart? That’s where the drama comes into the picture. While all the attention is focused on Neal and his family, there are only a few references to Del’s wife and his home. Del is hiding a secret from his newfound friend and it isn’t until near the end of the movie that Neal figures out a few things. Out of respect for those of you who have never seen this wonderful movie, I’m not going to give it away, but it’s a startling revelation that is sure to bring tears to the eyes of more sensitive viewers.
The last few minutes of Planes, Trains and Automobiles always puts a big lump in my throat. I’m not afraid to admit it. I have a sentimental side and this movie always brings it out. What really makes it work is the brilliant chemistry between the two leads as I mentioned earlier. Candy delivers the best performance of his career and Martin gives one of his best performances. It’s the first time the comedian got to show off his dramatic skills. At the same time, he’s as funny as he’s ever been. Martin has a real gift for physical humor and gets to show it off a lot here. The two leads literally take center stage; the other actors are merely supporting players who show up for a few scenes here and there.
Hughes does double duty here (writer and director) and his efforts earn him an A+. The comedy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles is completely outrageous at times. In a movie with nothing but great scenes, the one that really stands out is Neal’s f-word filled tirade against a cheerful car rental agent (McClurg, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) after being stranded in a parking lot far from the terminal. He goes off on her big time. Her response to his tirade is one the movie’s best lines. It involves McClurg, best known for playing perky, busybody neighbor Mrs. Poole on The Hogan Family, uttering the f-word. All I can say is, “Mrs. Poole, I’m surprised at you!”
It was this scene alone that earned Planes, Trains and Automobiles its R rating with the f-word being used about 18 times in one minute. Except for that scene, it could be a very nice family movie. It has positive values wrapped in crude humor and painful slapstick. You can just about feel it when an irate cab dispatcher grabs Neal by the testicles and picks him up.
What I also liked about Planes, Trains and Automobiles is that Hughes doesn’t resort to the obvious when it comes to the main characters. Del could have easily been a random, flatulent slob in the hands of another filmmaker. Thankfully, we are spared fart jokes and audible bathroom noises. Hughes takes the higher road and makes Del a believable (and believably dense) character. Likewise, Neal could exist in the real world. I’m sure we’ve all encountered unfriendly people who are self-absorbed to the point of indifference. These two guys make the most unlikely travelling companions, but when they’re together it’s like something magic happens.
It doesn’t happen often, especially in comedies, but every single thing about Planes, Trains and Automobiles works perfectly. None of it feels forced. The situations may be familiar, but Hughes and the two leads make them feel fresh. Plus, it’s genuinely touching. I pray that nobody tries to remake this wonderful film…. EVER!
