A sharp, heartfelt road comedy that turns travel misery into one of the great odd-couple movies. It’s funny in big bursts, but what lingers is the warmth, sadness, and genuine affection between two very different men.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Comedy
Thu · 1h 32m
Director: John Hughes
Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins
Overview
An irritable marketing executive, Neal Page, is heading home to Chicago for Thanksgiving when a number of delays force him to travel with a well meaning but overbearing shower curtain ring salesman, Del Griffith.
Director
John Hughes
Cast
Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, heartfelt road comedy that turns travel misery into one of the great odd-couple movies. It’s funny in big bursts, but what lingers is the warmth, sadness, and genuine affection between two very different men.
Best for
fans of character-driven comedies
viewers who like holiday movies with real emotion
people who enjoy mismatched-buddy chemistry
audiences looking for a classic 1980s studio comedy
Skip if
you want nonstop jokes without sentiment
you dislike broad physical comedy and profanity
you prefer modern pacing over episodic road-trip structure
Overview
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is one of the rare comedies that keeps getting funnier because it keeps getting kinder. The setup is simple and almost cruel: a tightly wound businessman is trapped with a relentlessly chatty salesman on a Thanksgiving trip from hell. But the movie keeps finding new shades in that mismatch, letting irritation, embarrassment, and loneliness build into something unexpectedly moving.
Worth noting
Steve Martin plays exasperation like a symphony, while John Candy gives Del a huge, open-hearted presence that never feels merely cute. The film’s best scenes are comic set pieces, but the reason they land is that Hughes understands how humiliating travel can be and how quickly strangers can become necessary companions. It’s a messy, human movie in the best way.
Bottom line
What makes it endure is the balance: the jokes are hard-edged, the emotions are sincere, and the ending earns its warmth. It’s a Thanksgiving staple for a reason, but it also works as a reminder that great studio comedy can be both abrasive and deeply compassionate.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Rachel Rhodes (5★) · 3140 likes
That shot of John Candy as the devil 👨🍳💋
Den_of_geeks (3.5★) · 2769 likes
I love how they contained every single f bomb to one scene lol
DirkH (5★) · 2325 likes
I really hate this film..... BECAUSE EVERY TIME I SEE IT, IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY AND THEN I WANT TO DANCE, BOOGIE WOOGIE, DO SOMERSAULTS AND BACKFLIPS, POP AND LOCK AND EVEN A TWIRL AND A FAME JUMP OR TWO BUT I CAN'T BECAUSE I'M BUILT LIKE AN ELEPHANT AND HAVE THE MOTOR SKILLS OF A PREGNANT HIPPO!!!! And I really, really miss John Candy....
vi (3.5★) · 1899 likes
"what do you think the temperature is?" "one."
oleff (4.5★) · 1389 likes
“where’s your other hand” “in between two pillows” “oh. okay :)”
A chaotic journey movie where the comedy comes from relentless obstacles and escalating absurdity.
Themes
odd-couple friendship, holiday travel chaos, loneliness and connection, class and temperament clash, male vulnerability, road-trip misadventure, family and homecoming, comic humiliation