Planes, Trains & Automobiles

One of the funniest films ever made, Planes, Trains & Automobiles details the wacky road trip that ensues after a fastidious ad man (Steve Martin’s Neal Page) on his way home for Thanksgiving is forced to team up with a garrulous traveling salesman (John Candy’s Del Griffith) on the journey. There’s little doubt that Planes, Trains & Automobiles‘ most potent weapon are the performances from both Martin and Candy, as the two actors slip into the shoes of their respective characters to a degree that’s simultaneously spellbinding and entertaining – with the palpable chemistry between the pair, which is, from start to finish, impossible to resist, elevating the movie above its similarly-themed brethren on an impressively consistent basis. And while the film is absolutely jam-packed with laugh-out-loud funny bits of comedy (Neal and Del’s hotel stay, Neal’s encounter with Edie McClurg’s perky car rental agent, etc, etc), Planes, Trains & Automobiles contains an undercurrent of heartfelt drama that’s been seamlessly integrated into the narrative by Hughes – which ultimately does ensure that the movie is often as touching as it is hilarious. (This is especially true, of course, of the wrenching stretch that closes the film.) The predominantly flawless atmosphere is, admittedly, hindered slightly by a very minor lull towards the end, with the sequence detailing Neal and Del’s drunken shenanigans at a ratty motel going on just a little longer than perhaps one might’ve liked. This is a minor complaint for a film that is otherwise completely captivating and engrossing from start to finish, and it’s ultimately worth noting that Planes, Trains & Automobiles still holds up remarkably well in the decades since its 1987 release.

**** out of ****