Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

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

Director:

John Hughes

Writer:

John Hughes

Stars:

Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

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....

---

Plot Keywords:

airport | bad luck | wichita kansas | road movie | road trip | 

---

Taglines:

Pack in the Laughter!

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 November 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Filming Locations:

LaSalle/Van Buren CTA Station, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,009,482, 20 December 1987, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$49,530,280

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Hughes Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Dylan Baker.

---

Goofs

Despite his complaints about not being able to change clothes at the end of the film Neal's attire seems to be freshly cleaned and pressed.

---

Quotes

Gus: Del Griffith! How the hell are ya?
Del: Well, I'm still a million bucks shy of bein' a millionaire.
[Both laugh]
Del: Gus, I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine. This is Neal Page from Chicago. Neal, this is Gus Mooney.
Neal: Hi.
Gus: Glad to meet you, Nick.

---

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.

---

Alternate Versions

Some network TV versions include an alternate version of the scene where Neil confronts the car rental lady. This version (which has presumably been reshot) removes all the four-letter words from the scene.

---

Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: Curly Sue/House Party 2/The Butcher's Wife/The Rolling Stones at the Max/La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

---

Soundtracks

Power to Believe
(1987)
Written by Nick Laird-Clowes and Gilbert Gabriel
Performed by The Dream Academy
Produced by Hugh Padgham and Nick Laird-Clowes
Courtesy of Reprise Records
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Martin & Candy make for a unique odd couple; hysterically funny holiday comedy

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES (1987) **** Steve Martin, John Candy, William Windom, Edie McClurg, Laila Robins, Kevin Bacon (cameo). One of my all time favorite comedies. Side-splittingly hilarious film by writer-director John Hughes about uptight advertising salesman Neal Page (Martin in a versatile comic turn) faced with many pitfalls in reluctantly traveling with obnoxious yet well-meaning shower curtain-ring salesman Del Griffith (Candy in arguably his best role) offering assistance and resulting in setback. Great scenes all around in this first-rate buddy road flick. Candy is bittersweet with his " I like me" moment but the best moments are him going down a highway the wrong way with two oncoming semis and Martin's priceless apoplectic moment at a car rental saying the "F" word 18 times (yes I counted! in fact I watched this video at least once a week for two years at college with my roommates laughing helplessly).