Comedy as white bread, easily the worst out of John Hughes' 3 classic films. It's an uninspired story with a dynamic between the main characters we've seen a million times before, and their arc is executed in the most predictable way imaginable. The comedy leans heavily towards the cheesy side; just way too many dumb, obvious moments that really missed the mark for me. Steve Martin lays it on way too thick, which is also one of the reasons why I could never get into Only Murders in the Building. John Candy, on the other hand, is quite decent and got a few laughs out of me. Still, I find most of its choices too middlebrow and lame, as is often the case with mainstream comedies. It's like Hughes falls victim here to some of the things he omitted so well from previous outings. Even his filmmaking is quite weak; the interesting punctuation in the camerawork and editing from Ferris Bueller is nowhere to be found here, and the use of score/music is maybe the worst thing about the movie. If you want to look at movies that are way too eager to guide the viewer emotionally at every turn, this is one of the worst offenders when it comes to that. There's just not a lot about this that I can praise, though it's far from the worst thing I've seen. Ah well, maybe I should try this again in a few decades to see the charm in it. Shouldn't be impossible as I'll probably have everything erased from my memory in a few days.
3.5/10
Great fun with both actors managing to tread a fine line with their characters. Martin could come across as incredibly unlikeable and intolerant towards Del and Candy's character could also come across as way too annoying but the script smartly ensures each character's insecurities and awareness of their own shortcomings is evident to the audience throughout. This is also a reminder of how great Candy was before his untimely death and how much funnier early Steve Martin films could be. The jokes may be obvious and broad but its the interplay between the two characters that make this film worth revisiting.
Johny Candy and Steve Martin portray an Odd Couple road trip of sorts in this big-hearted family comedy from the pen of John Hughes. Once their paths have fatefully crossed, the short-tempered clean freak (Martin) just can't escape the orbit of the jovial, oafish shower curtain salesman (Candy) as they pound parallel paths to reach Chicago in time for a nice Thanksgiving meal with family. Along the way, the pair will argue, explode, split up, reconvene, make nice, hit a billion roadblocks and, as the title implies, constantly trade modes of transportation.
It's a great script, with more substance than most comedies (Hughes has always been so good at weaving real emotion in amongst the silly gags and punchlines), and the twin stars on the masthead are a wonderful pairing, perfectly capable of nailing the humor while unearthing those deeper riches. They're supported by an outstanding cast of quick-hit cameo players as the winding road bounces them all around the midwest - a cavalcade of "oh, (s)he's in this too?" - not to mention a mountain of classic quotes and situations. The two pillows, the airport tirade, the accidental convertible, the moment Martin finally figures out Candy's story; once you've seen them, they'll stick with you. A genuine, long-term holiday favorite.
An enjoyable but dated classic.
Dated in that it's very economical with script, the joke quota is a little low for the first half, and the feel of the film is very 80s.
There's a few really big laughs and a whole lot of little ones. John Candy has a charm that is irrepressible. Steve Martin plays the straight guy well but when the wheels fall off, he is brilliant.
It is good still but feels slight by today's standards.
(I'd like to give a bonus point for having a cover of the brilliant Hall & Oates/Paul Young "Everytime You Go Away" track.)
7.5/10
Never fails to make me laugh, always brings joy and gets better every time and both actors are fantastic and thank you John candy for entertaining me always..
Bloody awesome movie , with the combination of Steve Martin and John Candy . You can't go wrong with this one !
One of the best movies of all time! A long time family favorite, espcially at Thanksgiving.
Finally got to see this Classic American Holiday movie. It's said enough about this one, but what caught my attention is how much people smoke basically everywhere, in literally all public places. Some guys were smoking right in the bus while travelling between the cities, during a winter time with windows shut.
I guess a lot of things did get better since 1987.
A great Holiday classic, Steve Martin at his best.
A movie from my youth.
Still my stand out American comedy movie, with the usual John Hughes touch.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is one of the greatest comedies of the ‘80s. Steve Martin and John Candy have incredible chemistry, making for one of the best comedy duos of the era. And, the misadventures of these two traveling from New York to Chicago are both relatable and hilariously absurd. But, beneath the hilarity is a tender and emotional story about friendship and family. Writer/director John Hughes has crafted a timeless classic in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which continues to delight and entertaining audiences today.
I recently watched Ted 2 and was overjoyed and to see the part that referred to the great car scene with the legend John Candy. Doing the mess around.
A very funny movie with a lot of great moments that I've seen in clips before but never with the full context. The story i also very heartwarming.
:heart::heart::heart::heart::heart::heart::heart::heart: - As a fan of Steve Martin, I truly enjoyed this film
Here's how my rating system works:
10:heart:- Masterpiece :100:
9:heart:- Excellent
8:heart: - Amazing :ok_hand:
7:heart:- Great :sun_with_face:
6:heart: - Good :thumbsup:
5:heart: - Average :head_bandage:
4:heart: - Bad but watchable :octagonal_sign:
3:heart: - Bad :sob:
2:heart:- Awful :face_vomiting:
1:heart: - Bull Shit
John Candy as the typical jerk you meet when travelling.
PT&A is a film that has really stood the test of time with admirable aplomb. I don't think I fully appreciated it the first time round, but age, experience, maturity and a second viewing rectified that error in judgement. This film is a true classic; well directed and well acted, still completely feasible and relevant in today's world, and both Martin and Candy were outstanding throughout. It can be slow-going in places, but never loses the interest of the viewers (me and my two young-teen daughters, but probably everyone who watches this) as it's identifiable and has just the right amount of comedy and action to keep the pace going from end to end. I can only imagine that Neil Page's future with Del Griffith as an unofficially adopted part of the family continued to be a voyage of unpredictable, chaotic hilarity. This is a true classic, no doubt about it.
The greatest Xmas film ever and also the funniest comedy ever!
Happy Thanksgiving!!! Love this film! One of my all time favorites.
John Candy gives an amazing heartwarming performance
I personally love a road trip and a road trip film; Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a fun and entertaining masterclass in the comedy road trip subgenre.
Martin and Candy are the only two actors for this film, and that is not to say that aren't playing characters but rather that there is a clear comfort with each other and a familiarity with the characters the actors bring to screen. I was confronted with my conceptions of Martin as an actor and this film has reframed him in my mind, not to forget Candy who has moments of subtle and honest acting in the hotel room scene in particular.
In PT&A Hughes brings a entertaining and enjoyable plot that is mostly well paced and its genuine sensitive characters are relatable and more lived in, despite the broad comedy, than perhaps Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986).
I recommend this firm wholeheartedly, its well placed after a long day or when missing someone special.
What was that ending? I thought they could wrap it up in a better way. Anyway, it's an enjoyable movie, but they could make it a little bit better.
Entertaining 1987 flick from John Hughes.
'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' is an enjoyable watch, pure and simple. The pairing of Steve Martin and John Candy is a great one, with both holding their own and bringing a lot of humour to events. Away from those two, you also have interesting bit part roles for Kevin Bacon and Michael McKean.
The plot is one that could've got repetitive, but the film keeps it interesting for the whole 93 minutes. I will say, not that it's an all that noteworthy thing, that it has more (overly?) dramatic moments than I was anticipating, especially at the end. I was expecting a flat-out comedy, but the additional heart fits in well enough.
It's a film 100% worth watching, if only for the humour of the two leads; there are some funny gags in there.
A great classic holiday movie. It’s definitely one of the best 80s comedy with a heartwarming ending. Overall it’s a hilarious classic comedy movie which I consider a Christmas movie.
(8 out of 10)
"I'm not changing. I like me. My wife likes me. My customers like me. 'Cause I'm the real article. What you see is what you get."
The way John Candy delivers these lines, you feel a mixure of past regret and sadness.
While I'm not American and don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but nothing is stopping me from logging this classic in.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
There's not many movies where the main character's name is Neal (and spelt correctly) so I already like this movie for that. That car rental scene is worth the R rating. I know this is a Thanksgiving movie but it sorta feels like a Christmasy movie too.
Neal Page (Steve Martin) just wants to get home from a meeting in New York in time for Thanksgiving.
However his trip home keeps getting delayed and he is stuck with Del Griffith (John Candy) a shower ring salesman that he can't stand. While everything that could go wrong; does.
The Thanksgiving movie I have to watch every year. It makes you miss John Candy more than any of his other films.
Shout by notnixonVIP 11BlockedParent2017-11-27T16:20:06Z
I forgot the end of Planes, Trains and Automobiles goes full John Hughes and ended up blubbering like a baby.