Planes, Trains, & Automobiles

Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robbins, Michael McKean, Kevin Bacon, Dylan Baker, Ben Stein
Directed by: John Hughes
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
1987

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A man (Steve Martin) reluctantly teams with an annoying traveler (John Candy) to try to make it home in time for Thanksgiving. The trip proves far more difficult and frustrating than he could have ever imagined.


Review:

Tim: Planes, Trains, & Automobiles is one of my favorite comedies. John Hughes directs one of the funniest films I've ever seen. I laughed out loud continually throughout the film. It is hilarious. In addition, the film also perfectly captures the frustration we've all felt at one point or another relying on others to transport us to where we want to go. Not content just with that, Hughes also makes sure the film packs a surprisingly emotional punch as well. This is a terrific movie all around.

The film all starts with the pairing of Steve Martin and John Candy. These two comedy icons work extremely well together. Martin is perfect as the straight guy, suffering from the crazy problems plaguing his every move. He's so funny in this film. John Candy was perfectly cast as the annoying traveler who causes him constantly headaches while trying to help him. These two have so much chemistry on screen that it's impossible not to get sucked into the story. I just loved watching their love/hate relationship unfold and development. Their comedic timing is perfect and they give us some of the funniest, most memorable moments I've ever seen in a comedy.

It's those moments that really set this movie apart. The first truly hilarious moment is Steve Martin's complete dressing down of Candy in their hotel room. The things he says are so mean and so funny that I couldn't stop laughing. Martin is terrific in these kinds of roles and he simply unleashes a tirade on Candy. It's amazing. However, this isn't the best scene in the film (in my opinion). The movie's shining moment has to be Martin's conversation at the car rental counter. We've all dealt with incompetence at rental counters, and Martin perfectly embodies the feeling we all have. His unleashing of profanity and anger is one of the funniest scenes in movie history. He says the F-word 18 times in less than a minute. I laugh out loud simply thinking about this scene. It's just such a classic, hilarious moment. How can you not cheer for him during this scene? I love it.

Luckily, Planes, Trains, & Automobiles is much more than a few great scenes. There are humorous moments throughout the entire film (the fire and the near car crash had me rolling with laughter, too). I can't remember another movie where I laughed this much. I love that the film wasn't afraid to use vulgar humor, but balanced it out with some genuinely witty moments as well.

The film is just so relatable, especially for anyone who's done extensive traveling. It can be such a nightmare trying to get from point A to point B, and Hughes perfectly captures that feeling throughout this movie. The best comedies are the ones we can relate to, and no one did that better than Hughes.

I was also surprised at the ending and how powerful it turned out to be. While I kind of saw it coming, I was still shocked at the emotional punch Hughes delivers at the end. It was a fitting, satisfactory ending to the film.

To sum up, I love Planes, Trains, & Automobiles. It is a truly masterful comedy. It is such a pleasure to watch, and the memory of the funny moments lives on long after the movie ends. This is a comedy classic.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Uncle Buck