Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)

Review:

I can’t exactly pin point why, but I have a theory that John Hughes understands more about the human psyche than most psychiatrists. For instance, he understands that there are but two ways to cope with travel: one is to go with the flow, not worry much, and have a good time. The other is to expect everything to follow a certain schedule and when that doesn’t happen, become enraged. And Hughes, in his delightful 1987 comedy, Plains, Trains, and Automobiles, pits these traveling behaviors against one another in a fierce battle of endurance.

The plot is simple. Businessman Neal Page, played by Steve Martin, is trying to fly home to Chicago from a business meeting in New York City. It is two days before Thanksgiving. At the airport, he meets Del Griffith, a talkative, innocently oblivious salesman. When their flight is cancelled, stranding them in Kansas, Del and Neal begin a haphazard road trip together. As suggested by the title, they employ many means of transportation but none of them proves fully adequate in getting them to Chicago.

An underlying theme for every road movie, be it Easy Rider or Road Trip, is that the journey itself is more important than the destination. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is no different. There are sentimental moments where truths are uncovered, emotional breakthroughs occur, and your heart feels a little warm. But this film is not successful for those reasons. This film is a comedy and it knows that with confidence. Most of the comedy derives from Neal Page’s inability to accept his stranded fate and Del’s innate enjoyment of their situation.

Notice how many times Neal Page nearly gets killed in this movie. It happens more than once and it’s almost always his own fault. No matter how much he tries to gain control of his traveling situation, he never gets anywhere without Del’s help. This speaks to Neal’s larger problem. He is so caught up in his work and self-interest that he never gets anywhere in life. His children and wife perpetually sit at home waiting and longing for Neal to be a real presence in their life.

John Candy gives a wonderfully enthusiastic performance as Del. You can tell Del might be an infuriating character to sit next to on a plane, but in the end, you can’t help but care for him. Steve Martin delivers yet another a great performance as a man out of his element that can only express his frustration in mad gesticulations. With Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, writer and director John Hughes has tapped into the all too common frustration of travel and reveals how deeply human (and humorous) those botched plans can make us.

Rating:

On a scale of one to Casablanca, this film is a "Dog Day Afternoon"

Rationalization:

This film is more affecting than I thought it would be. I found it surprisingly touching. There is a room in my heart for things that leave sweet aftertastes and this is one of those films. John Hughes films have a way of doing that, honestly - maybe more often than I should admit. "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" warms and alarms. And God, God Bless that John Candy. If he's not in heaven, I want nothing to do with it.