When Comedy Hits the Road: Why John Hughes’ 1987 Planes, Trains and Automobiles Still Feels Timeless

Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a 1987 comedy and one of my favorite movies of all time. The film stars Steve Martin as Neal Page and John Candy as Del Griffith, two extremely different people who are forced to travel together while trying to get home to Chicago for Thanksgiving. What should be a relatively simple trip from New York turns into a complete disaster involving planes, trains, rental cars, hotels, and basically every other possible travel problem. 

One surprising thing about Planes, Trains and Automobiles is that it is rated R. This is especially strange considering how much the movie has become associated with families and Thanksgiving. The rating mostly comes from one famous scene involving Steve Martin at a rental car counter, but otherwise the movie feels very different from what you would normally expect from an R-rated comedy. Today, many people who originally watched the film with their parents now have kids of their own who they watch it with. I think that says a lot about how well the movie has aged. It has basically become a Thanksgiving tradition for multiple generations. 

The film was written and directed by John Hughes, and it very much fits into the style of movies he was known for making. Hughes was extremely good at taking relatively simple situations and finding both comedy and emotion within them.  All his films are so good that it is hard to pick a favorite.Planes, Trains and Automobiles in particular is extremely funny. It is easily one of the most laugh-out-loud movies I have ever seen.The film also uses a huge variety of comedy, from situational humor and awkward dialogue to complete slapstick and physical comedy.  A lot of the funniest scenes also build on each other. Every time you think Neal and Del's trip cannot possibly get worse, something else goes wrong. The pacing and editing help keep thi going because the movie is consntantly moving them from one disaster to another without letting the story feel repetitive. 

The performances are also some of the best I have seen from either actor. Steve Martin and John Candy play such contrasting characters that they work perfectly together.Neal is impatient, serious, and increasingly angry about everything going wrong, while Del is talkative, optimistic, and somehow able to annoy Neal without even trying. Their comedic timing and chemistry are amazing, and I honestly cannot pick which performance I like more. Martin's reactions to Del are often just as funny as anything Del actually says. At the same time, Candy gives Del a lot more depth than you initially expect. He could have easily just been the annoying guy that Neal is stuck traveling with, but as the film continues you begin to understand why he acts the way he does. 

Although the movie is extremely funny, it also does something that I love about American comedy movies, which is mixing a lot of humor with a surprising amount of heart. .John Hughes is able to shift the tone from a ridiculous comedy scene into a genuinely emotional moment without making it feel like you are suddenly watching a different movie. The screenplay slowly changes the way we see Del throughout the story. At first, we mostly understand Neal’s frustration , but over time, both Neal and the audience begin to see another side of his character. This makes the emotional momemts near the end much more effective because the film has spent the entire journey building their relationship.The movie ultimately has great messages about family, friendship, and being willing to look beyond your first impression of someone. 

The plot itself is also much more interesting than it might initially sound. Two people trying to get home for Thanksgiving is a very simple premise, but Hughes finds so many different ways for the journey to go wrong that it never becomes boring. There are also some twists and emotional reveals that completely change how you view earlier parts of the movie. I think that is part of what makes the film so rewatchable. Once you know where the story is going, certain lines and character moments take on a completely different meaning. 

Finally I have to mention the music. The score is one of my favorite parts of the entire film and does a great job matching its changes in tone. The music can be energetic and comedic during the crazier travel sequences and then become much more emotional during the quieter scenes. My favorite piece by far is "Power to Believe." It is an extremely memorable piece of music and fits perfectly with the scenes where it is used. The score is another reason the film's combination of comedy and emotion works so well. 

Overall, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is one of those movies that seems simple on the surface but has a lot going on underneath. The direction, screenplay, comedic timing, performances, and music all work together in a way that turns a simple road trip story into something both hilarious and meaningful. Most importantly. The relationship between Neal and Del gives the story its heart. It is obviously a comedy first, but I think the reason people are still watching it almost 40 years later is because underneath all the ridiculous situations, it really is a movie about empathy, friendship and what it means to have someone to come home to.