7.6/10
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Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

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1:26 | Trailer

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A man must struggle to travel home for Thanksgiving with an obnoxious slob of a shower curtain ring salesman as his only companion.

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Writer:

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Popularity
3,914 ( 1,550)
1 nomination. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Joy
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Peg
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Doobie
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Walt
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Waitress (as Susan Kellerman)
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Storyline

All that Neal Page wants to do is to get home for Thanksgiving. His flight has been cancelled due to bad weather, so he decides on other means of transport. As well as bad luck, Neal is blessed with the presence of Del Griffith, shower curtain ring salesman and all-around blabbermouth who is never short of advice, conversation, bad jokes, or company. And when he decides that he is going the same direction as Neal.... Written by Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

What he really wanted was to spend Thanksgiving with his family. What he got was three days with the turkey. See more »

Genres:

Comedy

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

25 November 1987 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Planes, Trains and Automobiles  »

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Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,009,482, 29 November 1987, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$49,530,280
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Editor Paul Hirsch, the original cut of this movie was three hours and forty minutes long. He and John Hughes edited it down to two hours. This version was test screened, and it was probably used to edit trailers for the film, which is why they show a lot of deleted scenes. The movie was then edited again down to one hour and thirty-three minutes for theatrical release. According to Hirsch, a two hour version still exists, but he doesn't know where it is. See more »

Goofs

While sitting and waiting for a ride to the train station, Neal is wearing black snow boots, when throughout the film he is always wearing dress shoes. See more »

Quotes

[last lines]
Neal: Honey, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine.
Susan Page: Hello, Mr. Griffith.
Del: Hello, Mrs. Page.
See more »

Crazy Credits

After all the end credits, we get to see advertising exec William Windom in the office as in the scene in the beginning of the movie, still examining the pictures Neal Page were waiting for him to get through with at that point. See more »

Connections

Features Galaga (1981) See more »

Soundtracks

Ba-Na-Na-Bam-Boo
(1987)
Written by Elizabeth Westwood, Nick Burton, and Robert Andrews
Performed by Westworld
Produced by Mark Ferda
Westworld performs courtesy of BMG Records Ltd.
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

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User Reviews

 
The best Thanksgiving movie ever!
1 December 2005 | by See all my reviews

When jittery advertising executive Neal Page (Steve Martin) is trying to go home for Thanksgiving, he gets stuck with boorish shower ring salesman Del Griffith (John Candy). Their experiences over the next two days are some of the funniest moments ever to grace the silver screen. The best parts are the "pillow" scene, the car rental scene, and the freeway scene (warning: you may very well laugh yourself to death). But overall, the reason that the movie is so good is because we come to understand why these two men are like they are.

I can't do "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" justice by trying to describe it. You have to see it to understand how hilarious it is. You won't have a dull moment in it.


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