Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Patience, tolerance, and empathy are rare things, and for some are too easily discarded as they crumple under pressure. Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a comedy about an odd couple of men on an odyssey to return home after their flight from New York is diverted due to inclement weather. In one corner is the wealthy yet uptight advertiser Neal Page (Steve Martin), and in the other is the free-wheeling, boisterous shower curtain ring salesman, Del Griffith (John Candy). Both men find themselves stuck in the same bind and begrudgingly team up to make their way home to Chicago; but can they survive each other?
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Planes, Trains and Automobiles is the brainchild of John Hughes, who wrote, directed, and produced it. The film has gone on to become a Thanksgiving movie classic, in part due to the plot, which involves Neal struggling to get home in time for Thanksgiving. But beyond that, the movie is a story about gratitude and compassion, which Neal has to grow into during his journey with Del. Neal is in a constant state of tension from his first moment on screen, waiting for a client or boss to make up his mind about some advertising mockups. He arrogantly believes that he can get a cab to the airport from Manhattan in time for his six o'clock flight and be home that evening for dinner with Thanksgiving happening a couple of days afterward. In the chaotic curbside frenzy, countless other yuppies like Neal struggle to glean transport in a pre-Uber era, and he trips over a bulky travel case while bolting for a cab, allowing a rival (played by Kevin Bacon) to snag it instead. Still undaunted, Neal tries for another, only do discover that the owner of the case has apparently snaked the car out from under him. Yet despite these frustrating delays which have him yelling and chasing cabs down Broadway with reckless abandon, Neal still arrives in time for his delayed flight by bus. He sits opposite Del, and when Del tries to make pleasant small talk, Neal bites back with passive aggressive coldness upon realizing that Del is the same guy who "stole" his cab. Despite this, Del not only maintains civility toward Neal, but has the foresight to secure lodgings (such as they are) for both of them upon their arrival in Wichita, Kansas, far from their intended destination. This begins the back and forth hostility and camaraderie between these two diametrically opposed souls. But what more importantly follows is an introspective look into their respective personalities, extracted as a result of the pressure cooker scenario they find themselves forced to endure together. Del snorts, Neal sneers. Del inadvertently leaves a case of beer on the vibrating bed, and Neal grumbles about it exploding on his side of the all-too snug bed that the men are forced to share. And when Del's noisome bedtime habits prove too grating for the tightly wound advertiser to handle, he unleashes a far too lengthy, abusive tirade against this relative stranger. What is comical and funny to audiences at first becomes increasingly uncomfortable as it becomes apparent that Neal is going too far. All Del can do is deliver a response that is both heartbreaking in its sincerity and effective at shaming Neal into recognizing his anger has gotten the better of him. But even after this challenging moment, more and more trials on a nigh-Biblical level continue to test this bond. But even broken bones are stronger after the break.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles was made by John Hughes, it is said, as an attempt to avoid being pigeon-holed as a teen movie director. But what stands out as especially impressive about this work is that it still embodies that "search for self-awareness" that has made movies like The Breakfast Club such perennial classics. Just like the teens in his earlier movies, both Neal and Del are in need of something on a deeper level...something they didn't even recognize that they were missing about themselves. Superficially, Neal seems like he's doing very well for himself, commuting by plane to New York City and living in a rather affluent home in the Chicago suburbs. He has a loving family and doesn't appear to have any problems with his health or otherwise. But this movie focuses intently on his greatest shortcoming: he is terribly impatient and even intolerant. Perhaps it's a result of burnout from a long and tiring ad campaign finally nearing completion. Perhaps it's the stress of being out of control of his situation compounded with the promise he fails to deliver on to his wife, Susan (Laila Robins), that he'll be home in time for Thanksgiving. But it seems more likely that this is something deeper, something that has never been challenged throughout his privileged life. Del himself seems like an affront to Neal, not just because of his mannerisms and idiosyncrasies, but because he seems to be genuinely pleased with life, despite the ordeals he and Neal experience. Sadness and heartbreak is not unknown to Del--not by a long shot--but he maintains a positive attitude infused with gratitude regardless, nearly all throughout the film. Typically, the only moments where Del seems to be frustrated or upset come after Neal has unleashed his anger on him, or otherwise made him feel unimportant. Del sees life as a part of a community; like he says, his customers like him, and his wife likes him...most importantly, he likes himself. It is said that angry people are usually more dissatisfied with themselves than they are with others. If this is true, then Neal must have a lot of deep-seated self-loathing. Why? Perhaps because he feels that unlike Del who sells people functional things (i.e. shower rings), Neal only sells artifice. Neal also realizes just how ill-equipped he is for the world at every turn, including what to do when he has his cash stolen (why doesn't he have an ATM card?) to angrily chucking away his receipt for his absentee rental car, only to discover that he needs it later. Neal is far from perfect, but he has been operating on the idea that as long as he stays within his own sphere of influence that he will never have to face these kinds of problems for himself...until he has to. Del reaches out a helping hand--it's no coincidence that he offers Neal some "Life Savers" to make up for taking the cab early on--but Neal constantly slaps it away. This is because Neal is too proud to admit that someone else is better than him at something else, and that he needs help. Neal's lesson is an important one: it is about the virtues of humility, because without that, we can never truly sympathize or understand our fellow man.
Recommended for: Fans of a touching and meaningful comedy about a pair of fellas who become friends through adversity, and also about the myriad things that can (and sometimes do) go wrong when travelling. Aside from an out of character, profanity-laden tirade midway through the movie, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a heartwarming tale that imparts a good lesson about humanity that virtually everyone can appreciate.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles was made by John Hughes, it is said, as an attempt to avoid being pigeon-holed as a teen movie director. But what stands out as especially impressive about this work is that it still embodies that "search for self-awareness" that has made movies like The Breakfast Club such perennial classics. Just like the teens in his earlier movies, both Neal and Del are in need of something on a deeper level...something they didn't even recognize that they were missing about themselves. Superficially, Neal seems like he's doing very well for himself, commuting by plane to New York City and living in a rather affluent home in the Chicago suburbs. He has a loving family and doesn't appear to have any problems with his health or otherwise. But this movie focuses intently on his greatest shortcoming: he is terribly impatient and even intolerant. Perhaps it's a result of burnout from a long and tiring ad campaign finally nearing completion. Perhaps it's the stress of being out of control of his situation compounded with the promise he fails to deliver on to his wife, Susan (Laila Robins), that he'll be home in time for Thanksgiving. But it seems more likely that this is something deeper, something that has never been challenged throughout his privileged life. Del himself seems like an affront to Neal, not just because of his mannerisms and idiosyncrasies, but because he seems to be genuinely pleased with life, despite the ordeals he and Neal experience. Sadness and heartbreak is not unknown to Del--not by a long shot--but he maintains a positive attitude infused with gratitude regardless, nearly all throughout the film. Typically, the only moments where Del seems to be frustrated or upset come after Neal has unleashed his anger on him, or otherwise made him feel unimportant. Del sees life as a part of a community; like he says, his customers like him, and his wife likes him...most importantly, he likes himself. It is said that angry people are usually more dissatisfied with themselves than they are with others. If this is true, then Neal must have a lot of deep-seated self-loathing. Why? Perhaps because he feels that unlike Del who sells people functional things (i.e. shower rings), Neal only sells artifice. Neal also realizes just how ill-equipped he is for the world at every turn, including what to do when he has his cash stolen (why doesn't he have an ATM card?) to angrily chucking away his receipt for his absentee rental car, only to discover that he needs it later. Neal is far from perfect, but he has been operating on the idea that as long as he stays within his own sphere of influence that he will never have to face these kinds of problems for himself...until he has to. Del reaches out a helping hand--it's no coincidence that he offers Neal some "Life Savers" to make up for taking the cab early on--but Neal constantly slaps it away. This is because Neal is too proud to admit that someone else is better than him at something else, and that he needs help. Neal's lesson is an important one: it is about the virtues of humility, because without that, we can never truly sympathize or understand our fellow man.
Recommended for: Fans of a touching and meaningful comedy about a pair of fellas who become friends through adversity, and also about the myriad things that can (and sometimes do) go wrong when travelling. Aside from an out of character, profanity-laden tirade midway through the movie, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a heartwarming tale that imparts a good lesson about humanity that virtually everyone can appreciate.