Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

Director:

John Hughes

Writer:

John Hughes (written by)

Release Date:

25 November 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Steve Martin had no reason to panic...until John Candy came along.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Thanksgiving | Shower | Shower Curtain Ring | Bad Luck | Slob

US TV Schedule:

Sat. June 9

3:00 PM

TVLAND

Cast

Steve Martin	...	Neal Page
John Candy	...	Del Griffith
Laila Robins	...	Susan Page
Michael McKean	...	State Trooper
Kevin Bacon	...	Taxi Racer
Dylan Baker	...	Owen
Carol Bruce	...	Joy
Olivia Burnette	...	Marti
Diana Douglas	...	Peg
Martin Ferrero	...	Second Motel Clerk
Larry Hankin	...	Doobie
Richard Herd	...	Walt
Susan Kellermann	...	Waitress (as Susan Kellerman)
Matthew Lawrence	...	Little Neal
Edie McClurg	...	Car Rental Agent
George Petrie	...	Martin (as George O. Petrie)
Gary Riley	...	Motel Thief
Charles Tyner	...	Gus
Susan Isaacs	...	Marie
Lulie Newcomb	...	Owen's Wife
John Randolph Jones	...	Cab Dispatcher
Nicholas Wyman	...	New York Lawyer
Gaetano Lisi	...	Cab Driver - New York
Diana Castle	...	Stewardess
Julie H. Morgan	...	Stewardess
Bill Erwin	...	Man on Plane
Ruth de Sosa	...	New York Ticket Agent (as Ruth De Soza)
Ben Stein	...	Wichita Airport Representative
Kim Genelle	...	Receptionist (as Kim Genell)
Grant Forsberg	...	Brand Manager
David Raiport	...	Cafe Patron
Andrew J. Hentz	...	Bus Lover
Karen Meisinger	...	Bus Loverette
Gary Palmer	...	Pilot
Diane Nieman	...	Earring Customer
Sylvia Vitrungs	...	Earring Customer
Joann Taylor	...	Earring Customer
Julie A. Herbert	...	Earring Customer
Jennifer Allswang	...	Earring Customer
Wendy Lee Avon	...	Earring Customer
Amy Meyers	...	Earring Customer
John Moio	...	Screaming Driver
Victoria Vanderkloot	...	Screaming Driver's Wife
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Troy Evans	...	Antisocial Trucker (uncredited)
Richard Fike	...	Street background (uncredited)
Angella Kaye	...	Child at Wichita Airport (uncredited)
Nancy Kusley	...	Mother in airport (uncredited)
Larry Ludwig	...	Man at Wichita Airport (uncredited)
Daniel Niswander	...	Man at Wichita Airport (uncredited)
Peter Austin Noto	...	Baker (uncredited)
Ricardo Sandoval III	...	Man at Motel (uncredited)
Ken Tipton	...	Holiday Traveler (uncredited)
Lyman Ward	...	John (uncredited)
William Windom	...	Bryant (uncredited)

Directed by
John Hughes

Writing credits
John Hughes		(written by)

Produced by
Bill Brown	....	associate producer
Michael Chinich	....	executive producer
John Hughes	....	producer
Neil A. Machlis	....	executive producer (as Neil Machlis)

Original Music by
Ira Newborn		(music score)

Cinematography by
Donald Peterman		(director of photography) (as Don Peterman)

Film Editing by
Paul Hirsch

Casting by
Janet Hirshenson
Jane Jenkins

Production Design by
John W. Corso

Art Direction by
Harold Michelson

Set Decoration by
Jane Bogart
Linda Spheeris

Costume Design by
April Ferry

Makeup Department
Frank Griffin	....	makeup artist
Ben Nye Jr.	....	makeup designer: John Candy
Dione Taylor	....	hair stylist
Toni-Ann Walker	....	hair designer: Steve Martin

Production Management
Neil A. Machlis	....	unit production manager
Tom Razzano	....	unit production manager: New York (as Thomas A. Razzano)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur Anderson	....	second assistant director
Bill Brown	....	second unit director
Patrick Burns	....	assistant director: New York (as Pat Burns)
Jeanne Caliendo	....	second second assistant director
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	second unit director (as Bennie Dobbins)
James Giovannetti Jr.	....	first assistant director: second unit, Chicago
Richard Graves	....	first assistant director: second unit
James Greenhut	....	assistant director: New York (as Jimmy Greenhut)
Gaetano Lisi	....	assistant director: New York
Mark Radcliffe	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Mike Blaze	....	propmaster: second unit (as Michael Blaze)
Ed Brown	....	lead person (as Edmond Brown)
James M. Davis	....	propmaker foreperson (as Jim Davis)
Louis M. Mann	....	set designer (as Louis Mann)
Jack M. Marino	....	property master (as Jack Marino)
Jeff Passanante	....	construction foreperson (as Jeff Passante)
Edmund Villa	....	assistant property master (as Eddie Villa)
Ed Brown	....	lead man (uncredited)
Phillip Ellman	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Anthony Joseph Fatigato	....	stand-by painter: St.Louis (uncredited)
Robert E. Knight	....	signwriter (uncredited)
Alan Sims	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Mark Sparks	....	propmaker foreman (uncredited)
Timothy W. Tiedje	....	property master: Chicago (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Agalsoff Jr.	....	cableperson
Greg Agalsoff	....	boom person
James R. Alexander	....	sound mixer (as James Alexander)
Lorna Anderson	....	sound editor
Lon Bender	....	supervising sound editor (as Lon E. Bender)
David E. Campbell	....	re-recording mixer (as Dave Campbell)
Dean Drabin	....	foley artist
Stan Gilbert	....	adr supervisor
Victor Grodecki	....	sound editor
Gary A. Hecker	....	foley artist (as Gary {Wrecker} Hecker)
Chris Hogan	....	assistant sound editor
Chris Jargo	....	sound editor
Randy Kelley	....	sound editor
Larry Kemp	....	sound editor
John T. Reitz	....	re-recording mixer (as John Reitz)
Dan M. Rich	....	sound editor (as Dan Rich)
Gregg Rudloff	....	re-recording mixer
Wylie Stateman	....	supervising sound editor
Alicia Stevenson	....	foley artist
Claus Wedemann	....	consultant: Dolby Stereo (as Claus Wiedemann)
Hugo Weng	....	sound editor
William Dotson	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Mark Ferda	....	sound engineer (uncredited)
Ed Golya	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Craig Harris	....	special sound effects (uncredited)

Special Effects by
William Aldridge	....	special effects (as Bill Aldridge)
Roger Lifsey	....	assistant special effects
Stan Parks	....	special effects
Ken Speed	....	special effects (uncredited)
Dieter Sturm	....	special effects snow maker (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Mat Beck	....	visual effects camera: Boss Films Studios (uncredited)
Dennis Michelson	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunt coordinator (as Bennie Dobbins)
Corey Michael Eubanks	....	stunt driver (as Corey Eubanks)
Kent Hays	....	utility stunts
Robert Jauregui	....	stunt double: Neal (as Bob Jaurequi)
Jeff Jensen	....	stunt double: Del (as Jeff Jenson)
William T. Lane	....	utility stunts (as Bill Lane)
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunt double: Doobie and Owen (as Rick LeFevour)
Mike Tillman	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Mark Abbott	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Mark Abbott	....	chief lighting technician: second unit
Phil Abraham	....	assistant camera operator: New York
Roger G. Anderson	....	chief lighting technician: Chicago (as Roger Anderson)
Paolo Cascio	....	second assistant photographer: Chicago (as Paul Cascio)
Richard Dow	....	dolly grip
Robert W. Faison	....	first assistant photographer: Chicago (as Bob Faison)
Richie Ford	....	gaffer: New York (as Richard Ford)
Vincent Galindez	....	assistant camera operator: New York
John Hudecek	....	first company grip: Chicago (as John Hudacek)
Jeffrey Laszlo	....	camera operator
Earl Linder	....	first company grip: second unit
Dave Lowry	....	key grip: New York (as David Lowry)
Ken Nishino	....	first assistant photographer
Gary Palmer	....	chief lighting technician
Jay Peterman	....	first assistant photographer
Keith Peterman	....	camera operator
Joyce Rudolph	....	still photographer
Waverly Smothers	....	second company grip
Calvin Sterry	....	first company grip (as Cal Sterry)
Cheryl Thompson	....	video assist
Jeffrey Thorin	....	second assistant photographer: second unit (as Jeff Thorin)
D. Michael Wheeler	....	first assistant photographer: second unit (as Mike Wheeler)
Murphy Wiltz	....	lamp operator
Frank Byrne	....	second assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)
Myron Hyman	....	best boy: process (uncredited)
Keith Peterman	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
Dennis Seawright	....	film loader (uncredited)

Casting Department
Nan Charbonneau	....	casting: Chicago
Barbara Flinn	....	extras casting: Central Casting
Richard S. Kordos	....	casting: Chicago
Catherine Jane Holzer	....	extras casting (uncredited)
Mark A. Ridge	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Paul Lopez	....	key costumer
Silvio Scarano	....	key costumer
Dennis Schoonderwoerd	....	costumer: Steve Martin

Editorial Department
Deborah Belovitch	....	apprentice editor
Adam Bernardi	....	additional editor
David Dresher	....	assistant editor
Jerrie Fowler	....	assistant editor: Chicago
Rick Howe	....	apprentice editor
Andrew London	....	additional editor
Jim Prior	....	assistant editor
Peck Prior	....	additional editor
Robert Raring	....	color timer (as Bob Raring)
Emmy Scharlatt	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Brian Banks	....	composer: additional music score
Jeff Carson	....	music editor: Segue Music
Tarquin Gotch	....	music supervisor
Gary Ladinsky	....	music scoring mixer
Anthony Marinelli	....	composer: additional music score
Don Nemitz	....	orchestrator
Ron Payne	....	music coordinator
Bob Bornstein	....	music preparation (uncredited)
Greg Fulginiti	....	music engineer (uncredited)
Anthony Marinelli	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
James Thatcher	....	musician: French horn (uncredited)

Transportation Department
John Hardy	....	transportation co-captain: Chicago
Dan Marrow	....	transportation coordinator
Billy Martin	....	transportation captain: Chicago (as Billy Martin Jr.)
Gaston Veilleux	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Iono Abrams	....	production assistant (as Jono Abrams)
Pamela Alch	....	script supervisor (as Pam Alch)
Kevin Richard Buxbaum	....	assistant production auditor (as Kevin Buxbaum)
Peter Carley	....	production assistant
Nyna Cravens	....	assistant: John Candy
Katharine Ann Curtiss	....	production office coordinator (as Katherine Ann Curtiss)
Lydia Dean Pilcher	....	location coordinator: New York
Julie Donall	....	production assistant
Robbie Goldstein	....	location manager (as Robert J. Goldstein)
Linda Gordon	....	secretary: John Hughes
Scott E. Hart	....	animal trainer (as Scott Hart)
Billy Higgins	....	location manager: Chicago
Nancy Hopton	....	script supervisor
Michele Imperato	....	production secretary
Art 'Klondike' Jones	....	craft service (as Art Klondike Jones)
Andrew Lipschultz	....	publicist
Tim McNeal	....	production assistant
Scott Nimerfro	....	production assistant
Robert Thorson	....	production auditor (as Robert C. Thorson)
Jane Vickerilla	....	assistant: John Hughes (as Jane Vickerella)
Kevin Bassett	....	second unit production assistant (uncredited)
Kathy Bond	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Susan J. Bonno-Buckner	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)
Devron Conrad	....	stand-in: Steve Martin (uncredited)
Tom Mogavero	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hughes Entertainment
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical) (a Gulf + Western company)
• Paramount Pictures (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (1988) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1990) (USA) (TV)
• Paramount Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1988) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) ("Those Aren't Pillows!" Edition)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)

Special Effects

• Sturm's Special Effects International (snow making) (uncredited)

Other Companies

• BT Industrial Supply  expendables
• California Department of Transportation  special thanks
• California Film Commission  special thanks
• California Highway Patrol  special thanks
• Central Casting  extras casting
• Chicago Film Office  special thanks (as Chicago Office of Film)
• Chicago Transit Authority  special thanks
• Evergreen Recording Studios  music recorded at
• Group IV Recording  music recorded at
• Holzer Roche Casting  extras casting: Chicago (as Holzer Roche Casting Inc.)
• Hughes Music  soundtrack album available on
• Illinois Film Office, The  special thanks
• Illinois State Police  special thanks
• MCA Records  soundtrack album available on
• Missouri Film Commission  special thanks
• New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theater & Broadcasting, The  special thanks (as New York City Mayor's Office For Film And TV)
• New York State Governor's Office for Motion Picture & Television Development  special thanks (as New York State Governor's Office For Motion Picture And TV Development)
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Reel People Inc.  negative cutting by
• Segue Music  music editing
• Simon and Ilmn  casting: New York

Also Known As:

"Planes, Trains and Automobiles" - USA (video box title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Ireland:15 | Netherlands:AL | Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #28537) | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Batavia, New York, USA

Company:

Hughes Entertainment

Trivia:

The taxi scene was filmed on a stretch of road in Madison, Ohio.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When traveling by car, Del adjusts his passenger seat via power controls while complaining about the position. Later when he is driving, he catches his parka on the controls but now they are manual controls.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Home Improvement: Games, Flames & Automobiles (#5.26)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

(Meet) the Flintstones

Consistently funny with some good adult sentiment

Neal Page is trying to get home in time for thanksgiving with his family. When his plane is diverted to Wichita due to heavy snow elsewhere he finds himself partnering up with shower curtain salesman Del Griffith. However Del is not Neal's immediate first choice for travelling partner and the two soon find that one misfortune after another wears their patience very thin.

While comedies have moved on to become more grosser and outrageous in order to tickle our dulled funny bone, PT&A manages it with what now seems like restraint but is really a good example of `wacky™' comedy, mixed with a good vein of sentiment and character. The plot is pretty good although some of it pushes the boat out to the unreal in order to get laughs – but this isn't a problem because it DOES get laughs, if it hadn't then it might have been an issue. Most of it is hilarious although some drags early on.

The deeper beauty of the film is how well controlled Hughes is in painting his emotions. Usually his stuff can be sickly sweet but here he mixes it well with the comedy. The relationship between Neal and Del is good and they both have things to learn (more so Neal), the hurt they inflict on one another is well done and not to the point that the comedy is stopped. Thankfully the two actors are good enough to carry it off. Martin is close to his manic best and Candy plays a loveable goof. The best scene to see them working is when Martin is laying into Del in the hotel room – the expressions on their faces (Candy esp) during this makes it hard not to feel anything. The support cast do good work whether it be now-famous cameos or just support cast but each character has their own little thing!

Overall I worry that modern audiences may have become so used to everything being so OTT and gross that this film may seem subtle (even though it isn't). However aside from that this is a very funny film that does have a good heart. Not a perfect film in any way but it does exactly what it says on the tin - it made me laugh hard but also had a believable emotional core.