Planes, Trains, And Automobiles - A Perfect Thanksgiving Movie

Planes, Trains, And Automobiles - A Perfect Thanksgiving Movie

Released in 1987 by director John Hughes, known for the biggest teen comedies of all time. The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, and Ferris Buller’s Day Off. The 80’s were a huge triumph for Hughes, he really made an impact on the way filmmakers approach romcoms, coming-of-age stories, and even holidays films with his screenplays of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and both Home Alone 1 & 2. When it comes to Planes, Trains, And Automobiles he not only made a great holiday flick for the ages, he also managed to generate one of the most heartwarming stories about empathy and self confidence ever to be told. 

Starring the great Steve Martin as a businessman on a trip to New York City, just trying to get home to be with his family on Thanksgiving. When a blizzard diverts his flight to get back home, he has no choice but to team up with an overly chattering yet goodhearted salesman, portrayed by the late John Candy, as he decides to help him get home by taking a long road trip. Once they set off on their journey it seems as if the film is going to torcher viewers by having Martin ride along with Candy throughout the course of the runtime, which it seems to be for the most part it, yet just like all of of Hughes’s movies, it eventually leads to the characters discovering things not only about themselves, but with each other. 

On the surface this film probably shouldn’t be as funny or charming as it is, because whenever the film does decide to split them up from time to time, you're actually eager to see them get back together even with Martin being thoroughly pissed 95% of the time. It’s because Candy is so kind you just can’t help but smile every time he shows compassion for everything in the world. Martin and Candy somehow create an energetic field together here because the majority of films that will showcase characters disagreeing throughout anytime usually wouldn’t be allowed to have chemistry at all and yet somehow it's like lighting in a bottle here with these two. 

The film is full of road trip shenanigans and top-tier comedy that has left everlasting sequences of joy for people of any generation. The iconic Kevin Bacon chasing down the same taxi that Steve Martin is trying to catch in the beginning while not even mouthing a single line of dialogue, just pure smug facial expressions is the most New York thing ever. John Candy being distracted while driving and blasting/singing Ray Charles in such a high spirited way while Martin is trying to take a nap after their long miserable day, all after causing Martin to have a hilarious breakdown right after deserves to be on the list of top 10 funniest scenes of all time. For those who haven’t watched this cult classic, please do. By the end of this long and dreadful road trip for these two men, it turns into one of the most heartening movies ever made and reminds us all on why we really celebrate Thanksgiving in the first place. 

 

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By Danny Manna Twitter: @Cinemanna24 - Nerdthusiast Content Creator