FBMR - Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Film-Buff Movie Reviews


PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES (1987) ***1/2

The eighties were the decade of John Hughes comedies, both as writer and director. He is both for this movie, and it’s one of his best, I find. It’s about a guy named Neal Page (Steve Martin) who is just trying to get from New York City to Chicago for Thanksgiving weekend, but everything that could go wrong, does. Along the way he encounters Del Griffith (John Candy). They keep running into each other everywhere they go, much to Neal’s dismay. Del is the kind of guy that you would rather not sit beside because, although he’s got a heart of gold, he’s far too chatty and uncouth. They eventually team up to try to help each other get home, which ends up being one of the most unfortunate road trips I’ve ever seen, going from one problem to another, similar to the De Niro/Grodin road trip movie MIDNIGHT RUN.

Some classic scenes are the race for the cab, the motel room the morning after, and at the car rental desk.