Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Plot synopsis:
Neal Page is an advertising executive on a business trip in New York City trying to return to his family in Chicago for Thanksgiving. After a meeting ends without a decision, Neal attempts to hail a cab. Del Griffith, a traveling salesman who sells shower curtain rings, has unknowingly taken a taxi that Neal bought from an attorney. The two meet again at La Guardia Airport where they board a plane to O'Hare. Their plane is diverted to Wichita due to a blizzard in Chicago.
The pair resort to various means to try and reach Chicago, but one attempt after another is defeated. Forced to share a room in a cheap motel on the first night, Neal loses his temper with Del and lambastes him. In response, Del admits that he regards Neal as a cold cynic and says that despite how Neal feels, he likes himself and his wife and customers like him. Neal calms down and the two men go to sleep. During the night their cash is stolen by a burglar.
The following day they attempt to reach Chicago by train, but the locomotive breaks down, leaving the passengers stranded in a Missouri field. After reaching Jefferson City, Del sells his remaining shower curtain rings to buy bus tickets, but neglects to tell Neal that they are only valid to St. Louis. Upon arrival, Neal again offends Del over lunch and the two part ways. Neal attempts to rent a car, but finds the space at the distant rental lot empty. After walking back to the airport terminal, Neal vents his anger at the rental agent to no avail. In desperation, he attempts to hail a taxi to Chicago, but insults the dispatcher, who then attacks Neal. Del arrives in time to rescue Neal with his own rental car. While driving, they find themselves arguing again. The situation is made worse when Del nearly gets them killed on a freeway after driving in the wrong direction, and driving between two semi-trailer trucks. While they take a moment to compose themselves by the side of the road, Del's carelessly discarded cigarette sets fire to the rental car. Neal initially gloats over Del's predicament, thinking that he is liable for the damage to the car. Neal's amusement turns to anger when Del reveals he used Neal's credit card to rent the car after their cards were accidentally switched.
With his credit cards destroyed in the car fire, Neal sells his designer watch to a motel clerk to pay for a room for himself. Del is broke and attempts to sleep in the car, which has lost its roof in the fire. Neal eventually feels sympathy for Del and invites him in from the cold and snowy night. Neal relaxes as the two consume Del's collection of airline liquors and laugh about the events of the past two days. The pair resume driving to Chicago the next morning, but their badly damaged car is impounded by the police. They finally make it to Chicago, two days late, in the back of a refrigerator truck.
They part ways at the LaSalle/Van Buren CTA station. While riding the train, Neal remembers some of the cryptic comments Del made about his wife during the journey and realizes that Del may be alone for the holiday. He returns to the station, sees Del sitting by himself and asks why he has not gone home. Del reveals that he does not have a home; his wife died eight years earlier. Neal returns home to his family and introduces them to Del, whom he has invited to Thanksgiving.

Tags: comedy, adult comedy, flashback

Review:
I'm not sure who is responsible for bringing Steve Martin and John Candy together,but they are a genius in my book,and they were brought together with just the right material.This comedy from John Hughes is without question his best work as a director.
I look at this film as a modern day Laurel and Hardy romp,which, incredibly was not included in the AFI's Top 100 comedies.It will cause you tears,both from laughter and it's touching ending.It is about two very different ways of life,clashing in the beginning, but slowly coming together from the realization they we are all human,despite our differences.It is becoming a tradition at the Williams household to view this movie every Thanksgiving.It is a must see,must own film.
Of course this Laurel and Hardy pair cross paths and from here on out Neil's simple task of getting home to his family for Thanksgiving is going to be a journey from hell.First of all he loses his cab in New York rush hour to Candy who unwittingly steals it from him, then he is bumped from first class and ends up sitting next to Candy on the plane.
It is also a wickedly funny movie and it will stand the test of time and I think in 30 or 40 years from now, it may be looked upon as Hughes best film.
When jittery advertising executive Neal Page (Steve Martin) is trying to go home for Thanksgiving, he gets stuck with boorish shower ring salesman Del Griffith (John Candy).
Side-splittingly hilarious film by writer-director John Hughes about uptight advertising salesman Neal Page (Martin in a versatile comic turn) faced with many pitfalls in reluctantly traveling with obnoxious yet well-meaning shower curtain-ring salesman Del Griffith (Candy in arguably his best role) offering assistance and resulting in setback.
Candy is bittersweet with his " I like me" moment but the best moments are him going down a highway the wrong way with two oncoming semis and Martin's priceless apoplectic moment at a car rental saying the "F" word 18 times (yes I counted!
This is a must see every fourth Thursday in November.In Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, a bumbling cynical marketing success story (Steve Martin) meets a talkative yet helpful and loving traveling salesman (John Candy) as they both embark on a road trip across the snow-infested United States to reach Chicago in time for Thanksgiving.
Throughout all the troubles, Neal and Del learn a lot about each other, and a bit more about themselves.Steve Martin and John Candy were decent before, but absolutely delivered in this movie.
There was such an amazing balance in this movie, it would be years before we see such chemistry amongst the main two stars in a film (See: Dumb and Dumber in 1994).John Hughes, known for his teen comedies that mesh hilarity with angst and heart, reached his quality peak here.
Steve Marin and John Candy are hilarious together in this comedy about a guy trying to get home to his family for thanksgiving with a guy who is really annoying.
Of friends of mine I know who have seen this movie, they all vividly remember this movie and their favorite scenes.Martin and Candy are stuck without plane rides home and wind up trying all modes of transportation to reach their destination.
What is a more funny movie, then one with both Steve Martin and John Candy, `Planes, Trains and Automobiles,' kept me laughing the whole time.
He is perfect as the uptight, fastidious, and intolerant Neal Page who's frustration over a client who can't make up his mind over which advertising campaign to go with, causes him to worry that he will be late getting home in time to share Thanksgiving with his family.Candy is also perfect as Dell Griffith, the overbearing but well meaning nomadic shower curtain ring salesman.
He adds such sensitivity and sweetness to the role that it takes this movie from a rolling in the aisles comedy, to a sweet and tender story about two strangers overcoming their character flaws to walk in each others shoes for a moment.To be sure, it's hilariously funny and I never tire of the gags and pratfalls every time I see it.
They make the perfect odd couple: Steve Martin as the prim and proper, fastidious and somewhat uptight ad exec Neal Page and John Candy as the obnoxious, uncultured and unkempt shower curtain salesman Del Griffith.
This is not to discard classic works like Sixteen Candles, the Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink, but Hughes hits pure gold with Planes, Trains & Automobiles.It begins in New York as Neal Page (Steve Martin) is getting done with business but must hurry to catch a plane to Chicago and be with his family for Thanksgiving Dinner.
Dealing with the Thanksgiving rush home, they become stranded and decide to trek together across the U.S. using planes, then trains, then automobiles (but the title leaves out use of the bus).Very much like National Lampoon's Vacation, the audience can laugh because we can identify with layovers, losing wallets, messed up car rentals, being robbed, and all the other travel frustrations.
Neal Page (Steve Martin) just wants to go home to his family, but the weather, the car rental company, the railways, and pretty much everyone else just won't let him get there.If thats not bad enough, Del Griffith (John Candy) a shower curtain ring salesman, is there to keep him company, and he may be his only chance.Caught up in Hilarious Circumstances time and time again, the duo ride the roller-coaster all the way to a heart warming conclusion.Very Funny, this remains one of John Candys Finest Roles ever.8/10.
John Hughes took a break from teenagers to tackle adulthood in this warm and funny comedy featuring Steve Martin & John Candy, who play Neal Page and Del Griffith, two men trying to get home from work for the Thanksgiving Holiday, but instead meet with mounting frustration as everything that can go wrong does, threatening to make these men either bitter enemies, or close friends.Both Steve Martin & John Candy give fine performances, both in the slapstick comedy and heart-warming drama, which strikes the right balance between the two.
I enjoy this film, it is lighthearted and very funny.There are different times in this film where you love and hate each character.It is a great film for all the family.It is one of Steve Martin's best films.It is one of John Candy's best films.This is one of the many films that I have watched that I have watched more times than I can remember.This film is 1 million times better than the odd couple.I don't buy many DVD's but I did buy this one..
Like the other Holiday Season classic from the 1980's "A Christmas Story" (based on humorist Jean Shepherd's memoirs), "Planes Trains and Automobiles" captures the essence of the monochromatic Midwest winter with the snow, the slush, the gray landscapes and the people alternately maddening, sad, lonely, guarded and warm and fuzzy.The comedy flows naturally from the aches of both Steve Martin's and John Candy's characters.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles has become a cult classic and it is easy to see why- featuring great performances by the ever-dependable Steve Martin and the tragically departed John Candy.
A Relief from the "Raunchy Comedy" Explosion that Permeated the Genre and Developed a Huge Fan-Base and Endless Entries during the Era, this Extremely Popular Movie Entertains with a Fast Pace and Two Endearing Talents, Steve Martin and John Candy.The Film is a Smooth Road Trip Adventure with the Adjective "Heartwarming" Attached Routinely from Fans and Critics.It is a Funny, Non-Threatening, Piece of Fluff that has an Easy Time Entering the Consciousness of the Audience and makes it a Congenial Ride-Along and Rewards with its Uncomplicated Scenario and Sharply Defined, if Elementary, Personas of the Characters.The Humor Results from the Dialog, mostly, and the Visuals are more Slow-Burn Expressionistic than Slapstick.
The Director takes His Time setting up the Situations and then uses Martin and Candy to Punctuate the Proceedings with Their Individualistic Charm.Routinely Stopping the Film for Tugs at the Heart, with a Tear-Jerk of an Ending, the Movie Finds a Nice Tone that Separates it from the Routine.
Sincerely rare times l enjoy Steve Martin,But l always love John Candy in particular way in this movie,your character is amazing funny in all situation making the life of Martin a hell,apart the scene on car where is trapped in the belts the rest is fantastic......in the end the great surprise of the movie where martin realize that Candy have no home A Priceless moment!!!John Candy you are in my heart!!!
Snobby businessman Neal Page, (Steve Martin) tries to make it home for Thanksgiving while being delayed and having to use multiple means of transportation, while constantly being badgered by blabbering salesman Del Griffith, (John Candy).Like most John Hughes screenplays, It's very raunchy, but manages to stay focused as well.
A fun Thanksgiving movie for the entire family, (as long as you don't let your kids watch the car rental shop scene, Steve Martin was not a righteous dude)..
At the end of the film, Martin's character learns that he has to appreciate what he has before it is gone, and Del even remarks "You're a lucky guy, Neal.", to which Martin responds "I know." PTAA is a simply hilarious comedy as well as a superb drama.
In John Hughes 1987 comedy, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" we find Neal Page (played beautifully by Steve Martin) and Del Griffith (played by the late John Candy) as two guys who have absolutely nothing in common, forced by fate too sharing a trip all the way home for Thanksgiving.
You laugh, you cry, you will love "Planes, Trains and Automobiles." If you watch closely at the start of the film, a young Kevin Bacon has a cameo as the man who races Neal (Steve Martin's character) to the cab in New York..
The man nearly defined the 80's with his films about teens and this adult comedy starring the late John Candy and the funny man Steve Martin.
During his time at the airport he makes the acquaintance of a shower curtain ring salesman (Candy) and the two set out on a rather funny road trip as nothing goes right and while Candy's character wants to help, the poor guy seemingly hinder Martin's progress at every turn.
The chemistry between Steve Martin and John Candy really works, and this comedy is well-written with many very funny scenes.
This film was released in 1986 and today is still holding its ground and being played on television every Thanksgiving.Planes, Trains and Automobiles stars Steve Martin as Neil Page and John Candy as Dell Griffith.
This odd couple creates hilarious comedy.The plot of this film is a working man named (Martin) is trying to get from New York to go home to Chicago for thanksgiving with his family.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is an eternal tribute to how great Martin used to be before he sold himself out to family movies and how wonderful John Candy was as an actor and a person.
Steve Martin and John Candy are at their best in this comedy about two strangers thrown together in their common quest to get home.I find this classic so easy to watch, everything ties in so perfectly together, all the crazy supporting characters, all the situations they find themselves in, Candy and Martin's chemistry.
​'PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES' - 1987Directed by John HughesStarring Steve Martin AND John CandyPlot Overview: ​Desperate to get home for Thanksgiving, Neal Page(Steve Martin) enlists the help of a friend he met at an airport, Del Griffith(John Candy) to transport him home, using whatever means necessary!American or not, I can understand the appeal for this movie.
Steve Martin and John Candy shine in this hilarious comedy about two men and their disaster filled race to get home for thanksgiving.
Non-stop gags and continual comical commentary on bosses, taxis, air travel, motels, train travel, rental cars, and so on.The film concerns two disparate individuals, buttoned-down family man Neil Page (Steve Martin) and shower-ring salesman Del Griffith trying to get home for Thanksgiving.
In the best way possible, we didn't really expect the classic road trip film like Planes, Trains and Automobiles; the first different type of film he did as a director.Two days before Thanksgiving, Neal Page (Steve Martin) and Del Griffith (John Candy) are traveling from New York to Chicago and are both trying to get home for the holiday.
John Hughes did so many great things in his career and Planes, Trains and Automobiles is the quintessential road trip film.
Nothing.This movie is one of the funniest of all times.John Candy is annoyingly funny starting with waving his socks in Neal Page's face, none other than Steve Martin.These two put on a show, filled with laughter and hilarity to the end.
It goes a nice pace because the film is not a long one and this makes it even better, never afraid to rush scenes and the dialogue and things going are not done lazily at all, just some good work put in here.Steve Martin is not in his main funny role but he likes his angry main character role, and that's what he provides, funny anger.
John Candy is the real funny man of the film and we feel sorry for him on more than one occasion, he just exudes laughs and warmth and even though annoying, still a good guy in the end.
I loved the chemistry between the two, they work so well together and more collaborations would have be welcome, if it were not for Candy's untimely death(in real life).John Hughes directs and writes this just as a comedy and possibly drama genre should be, his skill in the screenplay is plainly seen as I said about the un lazy scenes of the film, hard work put in for sure.
I will say on that point, Candy saves the day a few times, and coaxes Martin in to being a funny guy.If you like this kind of lazy afternoon comedy fun time then this is for you, it really is a film that is to be watched when one is happy.
If you ask me, the way that Neal (Steve Martin) and Del (John Candy) were almost always bickering was hilarious.
Directed by John Hughes Planes, Trains & Automobiles tells the story of an Advertisement Executive Neal Page played by Steve heading home to his loving family in Chicago for Thanksgiving.
I'm no great fan of John Hughes, but I think this is a clear best for him as director; it's a wonderfully funny film, with great performances, direction, music and script.Steve Martin - who's never been better as the snarky marketing executive - plays the straight man to John Candy's salesman buffoon, and the comic interplay between these two is great, like a modern-day Laurel and Hardy.
His movies with John Candy are all great but this movie goes above and beyond the others with great performances.Steve Martin is excellent in this as the lead who is a nice guy and very accommodating but he just has a hard time putting up with this man who he has been thrown into a travel adventure with.
We see this role in comedy duo films all the time now, but the role John Candy plays in Planes, Trains, & Automobiles is always played up way too much and everything they do is just for a laugh, not to develop a character.
The plot is simple: Steve Martin plays an everyday business man trying to get home for Thanksgiving but with mistakes, cancellations, bad luck, and the most annoying travel companion that embodies everything that one hates when traveling in the form of John Candy, it makes the trip hell for him but enjoyable for us.
Steve Martin plays the uptight Neal Page so well and John Candy is at his brilliant best as the really annoying Del Griffith.
From the works of late and great John Hughes, is Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.Neal Page (Steve Martin) is an advertising executive who is short tempered while trying to get home to his family for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The lead roles in this energetic comedy are played by Steve Martin and John Candy, and these two comedians really carry the film.
With "Planes, Trains & Automobiles", both Hughes and Candy really showed their talent, and may they both R.I.P. Steve Martin obviously deserves credit for his performance in this hit 80's comedy as well, and so do some of the cast members who played smaller roles.
The movie has music going through the whole film that put a date stamp that says it's taking place in the 80's, but that's part of the reason why it's so delightful.Steve Martin is just trying to get home when he runs into John Candy over and over again until he must travel with him, even though he can't stand him.
Planes, Trains & Automobiles tells the story of big-shot advertising executive Neal Page (Steve Martin) as he tries to get home to Chicago from New York in time for Thanksgiving.
A warm yet nevertheless hilarious comedy with two great comedic actors: Steve Martin and John Candy.
John Candy and Steve Martin will have you laughing all the way through the movie.
The movie starts out with Neil played by Steve Martin trying to get home for Thanksgiving, but everything that is possible to go wrong, does.
With all the bad luck going Neil's way, he gets stuck traveling with Del an annoying, loud, over-talkative man which is opposite of Neil.Steve Martin and John Candy are known for being great comedians, this movie definitely shows their talents.
Although they were mainly the only characters throughout most of the movie, Steve Martin and John Candy worked so well together, it couldn't have been a better match.