The original theatrical poster.
Title-PlanesTrains&Automobiles
Planes, Trains & Automobiles is a Thanksgiving/Christmas-themed film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes, and starring Steve Martin and John Candy.
Synopsis[]
Neal Page is a marketing account executive on a business trip in New York City, eager to return to his family in Chicago for Thanksgiving, which is in two days. After attending a tedious business meeting that ends without a decision, Neal unsuccessfully attempts to hail a cab during rush hour. He is further delayed after paying a greedy attorney for a cab that is inadvertently stolen by Del Griffith, a loquacious traveling salesman who sells shower curtain rings. Neal and Del cross paths again at LaGuardia Airport, where they board a plane to O'Hare. Their plane is diverted to Wichita due to a blizzard in Chicago.
Neal discovers that, because of the adverse weather, he is stuck in Wichita, and no hotel rooms are available. Del manages to book a room, and Neal accompanies him to a poorly-maintained motel. During the night, Neal loses his temper with Del and lambastes him for being annoying and having caused him so much trouble. In response, Del admits that he can be annoying but regards Neal as a cold-hearted cynic; despite how Neal feels about him, Del likes himself, and his wife and customers like him. Neal calms down, and the two men go back to bed. As they sleep, a burglar breaks into the room and steals all of their cash.
The following day, they attempt to reach Chicago by train. To Neal's relief, their assigned seats are in separate cars and they say goodbye prior to boarding. En route, the locomotive breaks down, stranding the passengers in a Missouri field where Del and Neal are reunited. After they reach Jefferson City, Del raises cash by selling shower curtain rings to passersby, advertising the items as jewelry. Del uses the funds to buy bus tickets. After arriving in St. Louis, Neal inadvertently offends Del over lunch, and the two part ways again.
At the St. Louis airport, Neal attempts to rent a car but finds the space at the distant rental lot empty. After a long and perilous walk across a highway and the airport runway, Neal arrives back at the terminal and vents his anger with a profanity-laced tirade at the rental agent to no avail. In desperation, he attempts to hire a taxi to Chicago but insults the dispatcher who then punches Neal. By chance, Del arrives with his own rental car just in time to rescue Neal. While driving, they find themselves arguing again. The situation is made worse when Del nearly gets them killed on a freeway after driving in the wrong direction, scraping between two oncoming semi-trailer trucks.
While they take a moment to compose themselves by the side of the road, Del's carelessly discarded cigarette sets fire to the car's interior. Neal initially gloats, thinking that Del is liable for the damage. Neal's amusement turns to anger when Del reveals that he used Neal's credit card to rent the car after their cards were accidentally switched.
With his credit cards destroyed in the fire, Neal barters his expensive Piaget watch for a motel room for himself. Del is broke and attempts to sleep in the car, which has lost its roof in the fire. Neal eventually feels sympathy for Del and invites him in from the cold and snowy night. They consume Del's collection of airline liquors and laugh about the events of the past two days. The pair resume driving to Chicago the next morning but are stopped for speeding by a state trooper who declares their fire-damaged car unsafe and has it impounded. Del manages to get them a ride in the back of a refrigerator truck, and the pair finally make it to Chicago, two days late.
Neal and Del finally part ways at a Chicago "L" station. On the train home, Neal reminisces about the wild events of the past few days and begins to laugh. He remembers cryptic comments Del made during the journey and realizes that Del may be alone for the holiday. Struck by compassion, Neal quickly returns to the station, finds Del sitting alone, and asks why he has not gone home. Del reveals that he does not have a home and that his wife died eight years earlier.
Neal returns home to his family and introduces them to Del, whom he has invited to Thanksgiving dinner.
Songs[]
| Title(s) | Performed by |
|---|---|
| "Ba-Na-Na-Bam-Boo" | Westworld |
| "Back in Baby's Arms" | Emmylou Harris |
| "Blue Moon of Kentucky" | |
|
Steve Earle and The Dukes |
| "Everytime You Go Away" | Blue Room |
| "Lost Again" | Yello |
| "I'll Show You Something Special" | Baalam & the Angel |
| "Mess Around" | Ray Charles |
| "(Meet) the Flintstones" | |
| "Modigliani (Lost in Your Eyes)" | Book of Love |
| "Power to Believe" | The Dream Academy |
| "Red River Rock" | Silicon Teens |
| "Three Coins in the Fountain" | |
| "Wheels" | Stars of Heaven |
| "I Can Take Anything" (Love Theme) | E.T.A. featuring Steve Martin and John Candy |
| "Gonna Move" | Dave Edmunds |
Cast[]
| Actor/actress | Character(s) |
|---|---|
| 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 Kellerman | Waitress |
| Matthew Lawrence | "Little Neal" |
| Edie McClurg | Car Rental Agent |
| George O. Petrie | Martin |
| 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 Julie H. Morgan |
Stewardesses |
| Bill Erwin | Man on Plane |
| Ruth De Sosa | New York Ticket Agent |
| Ben Stein | Wichita Airport Representative |
| Kim Genell | Receptionist |
| Grant Forsberg | Brand Manager |
| David Raiport | Cafe Patron |
| Andrew J. Hentz | Bus Lover |
| Karen Meisinger | Bus Loverette |
| Gary Palmer | Pilot |
| John Moio | Screaming Driver |
| Victoria Vanderkloot | Screaming Driver's Wife |
| Credited/Uncredited | |
| Diane Nieman Sylvia Vitrungs Joann Taylor Julie A. Herbert Jennifer Allswang Wendy Lee Avon Amy Meyers Elva Morgan |
Earring Customers |
| Uncredited | |
| Angelis Alexandris | Pedestrian |
| Kevin Ash | Cab victim |
| Jimmie Booth George Sasaki |
Plane Passengers |
| Dominick Clark | Man on telephone in airport |
| Jules Dean Ken Tipton Flynn Welles |
Holiday Traveler |
| Troy Evans | Antisocial Trucker |
| Richard Fike | Street background |
| Charles Franke | Man in suit on train |
| Bob Harks | Restaurant Patron |
| Susan Hayden | Woman |
| G. Wayne Hill Tom Willett |
Airport Traveler |
| Angella Kaye | Child at Wichita Airport |
| Nancy Kusley | Mother in airport |
| Debra Lamb | Roxanne |
| Larry Ludwig Daniel Niswander |
Men at Wichita Airport |
| Gary McNerney | Park Avenue Pedestrian |
| Christopher Meister | Child at Rental Counter |
| Dawn Morgan-Keefe | Coffee shop customer |
| Peter Austin Noto | Baker |
| Ricardo Sandoval III | Man at Motel |
| Lyman Ward | John |
| Chino 'Fats' Williams | Marathon Shuttle Driver |
| William Windom | Bryant |
External links[]
- Thanksgiving Specials Wiki: Planes, Trains and Automobiles
- Planes, Trains & Automobiles at the Internet Movie Database
- Planes, Trains & Automobiles at Rotten Tomatoes
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