Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

I first saw this movie back in 2007 and afterwards I felt a sense of guilt it’d taken me so long to see it. The next time was in the dead of a frostbitten, midwestern winter. I sat alone shivering in my car, one of two people who’d braved the cold to watch a John Hughes marathon at the local drive-in movie theater. I recently received it as a gift on DVD and immediately popped it in for a third viewing.

This is your ideal comedy. If there were such a thing as an LPC (laughs per minute) rating, I’d wager this film would rate in the upper-percentile of all comedies. The story is pretty straightforward: Neal (Steve Martin) is trying to get home for Thanksgiving, things take a decidedly bad turn, leading to a hilarious series of misadventures with fellow traveler and shower ring salesman Del (John Candy). Flights are canceled, trains brake down, cars erupt into flames, etc. While their perilous journey is tons of fun, the most satisfying aspect of this film is watching two certified comedy legends, Martin and Candy, at their absolute best. Martin plays the stuffy, straight man opposite Candy’s messy loudmouth. The performances are so pitch perfect, with absolutely impeccable timing, extraordinary chemistry, and so on, that both actors truly shine, and for my money Candy’s portrayal of lovable loser Del Griffith is one of cinema’s all-time great comedic roles.

The film is incredibly funny, but make no mistake, it also has tons of heart. It’d be difficult to narrow down my favorite moments. One smaller scene I really like, towards the end of their uncanny voyage, Del and Neal are up late in a cheap motel, drinking a variety of miniature bottles of alcohol, eating chips, laughing and bonding over the hardships they’ve survived. This film is full of terrific moments. I urge everyone to seek it out. It’s arguably John Candy’s greatest performance and amongst John Hughes’ best work.