Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

Director:

John Hughes

Writer:

John Hughes (written by)

Release Date:

25 November 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Steve Martin had no reason to panic...until John Candy came along.

Plot:

A man must struggle to travel home for Thanksgiving, with an obnoxious slob of a shower ring salesman his only companion.

Plot Keywords:

Thanksgiving | Shower | Shower Curtain | Taxi | Electronic Music Score

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 22	8:30 AM	COMEDY
Sun. Nov. 22	2:30 PM	COMEDY
Fri. Nov. 27	9:45 AM	COMEDY

Cast

Steve Martin	...	Neal Page
John Candy	...	Del Griffith
Laila Robins	...	Susan Page
Michael McKean	...	State Trooper
Kevin Bacon	...	Taxi Racer
Dylan Baker	...	Owen
Carol Bruce	...	Joy
Olivia Burnette	...	Marti
Diana Douglas	...	Peg
Martin Ferrero	...	Second Motel Clerk
Larry Hankin	...	Doobie
Richard Herd	...	Walt
Susan Kellermann	...	Waitress (as Susan Kellerman)
Matthew Lawrence	...	Little Neal
Edie McClurg	...	Car Rental Agent

Also Known As:

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (USA) (video box title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Ireland:15 | Netherlands:AL | Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #28537) | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Acton, California, USA

Company:

Hughes Entertainment

Trivia:

At the beginning of the movie, Neal Page (Steve Martin) races a character played by Kevin Bacon for a taxi. Later, Neal phones his wife to tell her that he has been delayed (again), in the background, you can hear the fight from She's Having a Baby (1988) (also directed by John Hughes) between Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern, when she screams that she doesn't like his friend's girlfriend.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Neal Page is dropped off at the car rental parking lot, he looks for his parking space, V5. When he is looking, the camera is reflected in the back of one of the cars.

Quotes:

Neal: You know everything is not an anecdote. You have to discriminate. You choose things that are funny or mildly amusing or interesting. You're a miracle! Your stories have NONE of that. They're not even amusing ACCIDENTALLY! "Honey, I'd like you to meet Del Griffith...

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 50 Greatest Comedy Films (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

(Meet) the Flintstones

The best Thanksgiving movie ever!

When jittery advertising executive Neal Page (Steve Martin) is trying to go home for Thanksgiving, he gets stuck with boorish shower ring salesman Del Griffith (John Candy). Their experiences over the next two days are some of the funniest moments ever to grace the silver screen. The best parts are the "pillow" scene, the car rental scene, and the freeway scene (warning: you may very well laugh yourself to death). But overall, the reason that the movie is so good is because we come to understand why these two men are like they are.

I can't do "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" justice by trying to describe it. You have to see it to understand how hilarious it is. You won't have a dull moment in it.