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 ring curtain salesman, Del Griffith.
Credits: TheMovieDb.
Film Cast:
- Neal Page: Steve Martin
- Del Griffith: John Candy
- Susan Page: Laila Robins
- State Trooper: Michael McKean
- Owen: Dylan Baker
- Taxi Racer: Kevin Bacon
- Marti Page: Olivia Burnette
- Joy Page: Carol Bruce
- Peg: Diana Douglas
- Motel Clerk: Martin Ferrero
- Doobie: Larry Hankin
- Walt: Richard Herd
- Waitress: Susan Kellermann
- Little Neal: Matthew Lawrence
- Car Rental Agent: Edie McClurg
- Marie: Susan Isaacs
- Cab Dispatcher: John Randolph Jones
- Wichita Airport Rep: Ben Stein
- John: Lyman Ward
- Martin: George Petrie
- Motel Thief: Gary Riley
- Gus: Charles Tyner
- Owen’s Wife: Lulie Newcomb
- New York Lawyer: Nicholas Wyman
- Cab Driver – New York: Gaetano Lisi
- Stewardess #1: Diana Castle
- Stewardess #2: Julie H. Morgan
- Man on Plane: Bill Erwin
- New York Ticket Agent: Ruth de Sosa
- Receptionist: Kim Genelle
- Brand Manager: Grant Forsberg
- Cafe Patron: David Raiport
- Bus Lover: Andrew J. Hentz
- Bus Loverette: Karen Meisinger
- Pilot: Gary Palmer
- Screaming Driver: John Moio
- Screaming Driver’s Wife: Victoria Vanderkloot
Film Crew:
- Art Direction: Harold Michelson
- Costume Design: April Ferry
- Executive Producer: Michael Chinich
- Director of Photography: Donald Peterman
- Hair Designer: Toni-Ann Walker
- Unit Production Manager: Neil A. Machlis
- Producer: John Hughes
- Music Editor: Jeff Carson
- Editor: Paul Hirsch
- Supervising Sound Editor: Lon Bender
- Production Design: John W. Corso
- Original Music Composer: Ira Newborn
- Makeup Artist: Frank Griffin
- Makeup Designer: Ben Nye Jr.
- Set Decoration: Linda Spheeris
- Music Coordinator: Ron Payne
- Hairstylist: Dione Taylor
- Stunt Coordinator: Bennie E. Dobbins
- Sound Editor: Hugo Weng
- Second Assistant Director: Arthur Anderson
- Music Supervisor: Tarquin Gotch
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: David E. Campbell
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Gregg Rudloff
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: John T. Reitz
- Supervising Sound Editor: Wylie Stateman
- Sound Editor: Randy Kelley
- Sound Editor: Larry Kemp
- Special Effects: Stan Parks
- Sound Editor: Chris Jargo
- Location Manager: Robbie Goldstein
- Set Decoration: Jane Bogart
- Sound Editor: Lorna Anderson
- ADR Supervisor: Stan Gilbert
- Sound Editor: Dan M. Rich
- Sound Mixer: James R. Alexander
- Set Designer: Louis M. Mann
- Sound Editor: Victor Grodecki
- Special Effects: William Aldridge
- First Assistant Director: Mark Radcliffe
Movie Reviews:
- John Chard: How about those Bears?
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is written, produced and directed by John Hughes. It stars Steve Martin and John Candy. Music is by Ira Newborn and cinematography by Donald Peterman.
Marketing man Neal Page (Martin) is in a last ditch dash to get from New York to Chicago in time for the family Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately obstacles halt his every advancement, the biggest of which is the man who fate has decreed is his companion for the trip; Del Griffith (Candy), a larger than life shower ring salesman whose outlook on life is considerably different to Neal’s.
If you haven’t seen it yet? Then what is your excuse? You owe it to yourself to let this wonderful film into your life. John Hughes pitches two of America’s then biggest comedy stars together and puts them on a trip where everything that can go wrong, does! Cue chaos with the methods of transport in the title. Yet as funny as the mishaps are, and they are, with a number of events being things many of us can associate with, they would be nothing without the expert characterisations. Both as performed by a never better Martin and Candy, but also as written by Hughes.
Neal Page is anal retentive, snobbish and cynicism in a suit, Del Griffith appears oafish, over talkative and comes bedecked in cheapo winter wear. As time, options and sanity start to ebb away, desperation takes a hold and a surprising co-dependency starts to form. Something that beautifully sets us up for a finale that is as touching as it is genuinely surprising. It has mature comedy characterisations for the grown ups and chaotic actions for the younger crowd. Perfect and it should be prescribed at least once a year for a pick me up. 9/10
- r96sk: Entertaining 1987 flick from John Hughes.
‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ is an enjoyable watch, pure and simple. The pairing of Steve Martin and John Candy is a great one, with both holding their own and bringing a lot of humour to events. Away from those two, you also have interesting bit part roles for Kevin Bacon and Michael McKean.
The plot is one that could’ve got repetitive, but the film keeps it interesting for the whole 93 minutes. I will say, not that it’s an all that noteworthy thing, that it has more (overly?) dramatic moments than I was anticipating, especially at the end. I was expecting a flat-out comedy, but the additional heart fits in well enough.
It’s a film 100% worth watching, if only for the humour of the two leads; there are some funny gags in there.