Planes, Trains and Automobiles
A Bus?
John Candy, in any case (or trunk), plays Del with Second City precision. How does he play a bumbling boob with precision? Don't ask. Just sit there and pay attention.
Neal Page, on the other hand, is an ad exec who works in the city. (New York City. Where else?) He just wants to get home to his family in time for Thanksgiving. His home is only a short commute--try Chicago.
Yep! Chicago(???). Don't ask why this guy doesn't move his home closer to his work. Just sit there and pay attention. Anyway, Steve Martin plays Neal, but he's not the "wild and crazy guy" you normally expect. Rather, he plays straight-man to John Candy's goofball character.
Martin is actually quite impressive in this role and proves he can play it straight if the studio pays for his meds.
So...how do Neil and Del get together? Well, Neil procures a cab to the airport, but Del manages to steal it. When Neil finally arrives at the airport, he starts fuming when he spots Del. "You stole my cab!"
They spend the rest of the movie hanging out together(???). They even become friends. Keep in mind that this is a John Hughes film so anything's possible.
Flights to Chicago are canceled due to bad weather. Del and Neil, therefore, take a road trip that involves trains, automobiles and a bus. A bus? That can't be right! The title of this film is Planes, Trains and Rickshaws...er Automobiles.
Everything that could go wrong does go wrong on this trip. Neil and Del also meet a lot of wacky characters along the way that provide great laughs. My favorite is the Wichita cab driver who has Elvis sideburns and drives the most suped up, rock-n-roll cab you ever saw! Additionally, the rental car agent Edie McClurg does a funny f-word exchange with Martin.
This film even has a surprise maudlin twist at the end that brought a tear to my eye. It's an R-rated holiday romp!
Published by GMJ
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3 Comments
Post a CommentOne of my favorite John Hughes movies. John Candy gives one of his very best performances here. Still miss him.
You were four years old. Ga, ga, see the silly men? Goo, goo?
I dun neva seen this one. But it sounds like a good laugh. Although I may have seen it... dammit, but it was so dang long ago... when I was a witty baby.