When uptight workaholic Neal Page (Steve Martin) finds himself stuck with chatty shower ring salesman Del Griffith (John Candy), a hilarious series of misfortunate events occur between the two strangers.
Produced and directed by John Hughes, the comedy “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” centers around two polar opposites who constantly find themselves crossing each other’s paths on their separate journeys from New York to Chicago. However when a sudden storm in Chicago forces the duo to find other means of transportation, the mismatched pair constantly bump heads along the way.
Griffith’s main reason for reaching Chicago is later revealed in the film and it’s a startling revelation, while Page’s primary focus is to get back to his family before the Thanksgiving holiday. Throughout the film the mismatched duo is forced to embark on a draining three day expedition filled of delayed plane flights, broken down trains and scorched automobiles.
Martin and Candy superbly embody the relationship of an oil-and-water pair who unexpectedly form a friendship despite their differences. With the fantastic cinematography done by Donald Peterman and the selection of more melody, less lyrical music by Ira Newborn all complimented the comical vibe in the film. Hughes’s “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” echoed that movies of today simply aren’t made like this anymore.
