SNMR 2.12: "Planes, Trains & Automobiles"

In recognition of Thanksgiving, tonight's SNMR feature is "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" (1987, R, 92 minutes), starring Steve Martin and John Candy. The film was directed by John Hughes.

This is one of those films that I first saw when I was a teenager working at the movie theater in my hometown. I've seen it dozens of time since then and it still is very funny. For me, this movie is always a tear jerker at the end because it reminds me how much we can take for granted our families and the houses that we call home.

From the DVD's dust case:

Neal Page is an advertising executive who just wants to fly home to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his family. But all Neal Page gets is misery. Misery named Del Griffith - a loud mouthed but never the less loveable, salesman who leads Neal on a cross-country, wild goose chase that keeps Neal from tasting his turkey.
Steve Martin (Neal) and John Candy (Del) are absolutely wonderful as two guys with a knack for making the worst of a bad situation. If it's painful, funny, or just plain crazy, it happens to Neal and Del in "Planes, Trains & Automobiles." Every traveler's nightmare in a comedy-come-true!

From Martin & Porter's DVD & Video Guide 2006, p. 882:

Although it tends to lose momentum in the last half, this screamingly funny film features Steve Martin and John Candy at the peak of their comedic powers. Martin is an uptight marketing executiveen route from New York to Chicago to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family, only to end up on a bizarre cross-country odyssey with an obnoxious bozo played by Candy.

This is definitely a Martin & Candy vehicle as the rest of the cast is ensemble, featuring cameos by Kevin Bacon, Ben Stein, Michael McKean, Edie McClurg and a very young Matthew Lawrence. Hughes has used some of these actors in other films he has directed. The script is well written, in spite of too much swearing which is the only reason this film garnered an "R" rating. The humor is subtle and the two leads play off of each other nicely. I like this film a lot. I'll give it four out of five stars.