User Reviews

Planes, Trains & Automobiles fully showcases Steve Martin and John Candy's comedic talents and their remarkable chemistry, transforming a disastrous journey home into an absurd yet heartwarming emotional journey that resonates deeply with audiences.

"Planes, Trains & Automobiles" is a hilarious holiday comedy from the 80s that still holds up. Bringing two comedic geniuses, Martin and Candy, together on the big screen was a brilliant idea from John Hughes with obviously positive results.

very good heartwarming holiday comedy that deserves more praise than it gets and with great chemistry of john candy and steve martin

Honestly, how many highly famous Thanksgiving films are there out there? No enough, that's for sure. Planes, Trains & Automobiles is a holiday classic that stands the test of time. John Candy and Steve Martin are both so hilarious in this. The story beats are so exaggerated and insane that it just rolls with the comedy chaos, but also has a soft and heart felt side that many movies wouldn't be able to pull off.This is a classis case of a Buddy Comedy, well, at least these guys become buddies in this quirky and fun comedy about two men falling into a **** whole movie is a Farce with house ridiculous the situations both men keep finding themselves in.Again, how many Thanksgiving Holiday Comedy movies are there out there?It may be the perfect Road Trip film in that is takes place in trains, planes & **** Comedy in this movie is nearly **** Drama is absolutely palpable between the in his own world serious businessman, Steve Martin, and the down on his luck lovable oaf in John **** yourself a favor and watch Planes, Trains & Automobiles this Holiday.

I'm sure everyone knows this but this is the best John Hughes movie! The cinematography and chemistry between the two leads is a match made from heaven. Basically these two guys are stuck together during Thanksgiving season and they have to learn to help each other to get back home. I won't spoil the ending but let's just say it makes this whole movie even more tragic and worth watching again. This is an easy rewatch and definitely one of the best comedies ever made!

Johny Candy and Steve Martin portray an Odd Couple road trip of sorts in this big-hearted family comedy from the pen of John Hughes. Once their paths have fatefully crossed, the short-tempered clean freak (Martin) just can't escape the orbit of the jovial, oafish shower curtain salesman (Candy) as they pound parallel paths to reach Chicago in time for a nice Thanksgiving meal with family. Along the way, the pair will argue, explode, split up, reconvene, make nice, hit a billion roadblocks and, as the title implies, constantly trade modes of transportation. It's a great script, with more substance than most comedies (Hughes has always been so good at weaving real emotion in amongst the silly gags and punchlines), and the twin stars on the masthead are a wonderful pairing, perfectly capable of nailing the humor while unearthing those deeper riches. They're supported by an outstanding cast of quick-hit cameo players as the winding road bounces them all around the midwest - a cavalcade of "oh, (s)he's in this too?" - not to mention a mountain of classic quotes and situations. The two pillows, the airport tirade, the accidental convertible, the moment Martin finally figures out Candy's story; once you've seen them, they'll stick with you. A genuine, long-term holiday favorite. Updated thoughts after a 2024 re-watch: After completing the last in a string of well-received teen angst comedies, writer/director John Hughes shifted his gaze to slightly more adult pastures in this energetic dose of stressful middle-aged holiday mayhem. With John Candy and Steve Martin along for the ride, Hughes’s punchlines don’t lack for timing or potency. Though each may be just a hair past their cinematic prime, the big-named actors clearly relish this opportunity to work with a regarded director, not to mention each other, and manage a certain type of magic with the script’s wacky punchlines and heady emotional beats. As a pair of antagonistic screw-ups, caught in an increasingly desperate series of travel mishaps, the dual headliners needle and pester each other halfway across the country. Candy’s a nosy oaf and Martin’s an icy ****, essential opposites in the world-weary forty-something set, but as bad weather bumps them from New York to Wichita and they commence a roundabout race to reach Chicago in time for a warm Thanksgiving dinner, they find camaraderie in the absurdity of their mutual inconvenience. Try as they might to go their separate ways (and Martin fights *desperately* to rid himself of this grating, disgusting, unwelcome companion), fate has other plans. Like a pair of inversely-charged particles, nature simply can’t quit pulling them back together again. Over time, they both settle down and begin to accept the truth: no two people ever fit neatly together like a jigsaw puzzle, we’re all in this together, and sometimes the fruit of a real, lasting friendship can sprout from the unlikeliest source. They get cranky and irritable, shout each other down, storm off in a huff, but always return with hat in hand, gradually learning to laugh together and relate as human beings; a beautiful development that’s shared, almost miraculously, by the audience. Amidst all the story’s predictable setups and silly karmic paybacks - typical of a blunt, wide-audience Hughes humor gig - one might be surprised to also find a big heart and a hefty helping of pathos. It’s a real holiday classic, and one that’s on the verge of becoming an annual tradition for my little family.

A lot of the dialogue was just unnecessary. The movie's not terrible though, as it only runs for 90 minutes and the humor's okay.

John Candy is a legend, can't believe I had never watched this.............

Heartwarming dramedy tests the ability of a modern city worker to connect with a stranger in the midst of a significant delay in his commute. The casting is exceptional, but the heavy edits and leaning from the director towards improv scenes and 'big comedy set pieces' really only drags things along from telling the far more interesting human story that was here all along. The heart of the film is intact and well worth a watch.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles for me is nothing short of a classic. It is sentimental yes, but it is also very funny, heartwarming and touching. John Hughes does a great job with the direction, and the film looks beautiful with the cinematography truly lovely especially. The music is a nice touch, while the story is a beautiful and I think heartwarming one and the script is full of funny and poignant parts. Then there is the chemistry between Steve Martin and John Candy. These two are outstanding together, and individually both are wonderful, particularly Candy- to be honest I can imagine very few who can play the role as well as Candy did, he was well and truly one of a kind. Overall, wonderful and a classic. 10/10 Bethany Cox

John Hughes road trip comedy is a movie full of heart and laughs. Martin and Candy are two of the finest comedic actors of their generation and together form one of the more memorable comedy duo's seen on the big screen.

entertaining movie with simple humour, so a movie for the masses. In addition some of the story elements are unrealistic. John Candy is sympathetic, but I dont like Steve Martin.

Not true- a scenario. What is: See whether two people (Steve Martin, John Candy) are humorous for one and a half hours. Description: Tale of travel delays- return from New York to Wichita, Kansas for Thanksgiving, via St Louis as Chicago is closed (1,826m, 27h car journey). Reaction: Amusing for one and half hours bit is a tall order. I did laugh. It's quite a comforting image, actually, seeing people asleep at an airport. Overall no. I liked the first twenty minutes, but it’s an incoherent energy, sorry. Thank you.

Few movies can be so funny and moving. Frankly, I don't think I can think of one that did it better.

Planes, Trains And Automobiles is not looking for a home run, it doesn't need it to win its viewers, this family holiday card has got the traditional sweet recipe. Planes, Trains And Automobiles Hughes's humorous adventure is a one big gag that thrives upon nothing but the good old brotherhood of the lead cast. A sketch after sketch, this is basically a culmination of a Saturday Night Live episode where the characters are the only constant aspect of it. Unfortunately, not every gag works as the makers anticipated. Few are either outdated or over chewed to keep the crisp alive. But what steals the show are the tiny notions of Candy's eerie methods and habits that are undeniably irritating which with the help of the performance does communicate to the viewers, at a certain point you too are annoyed. The nights spend by these two stereotypical characters are the best among all the bits of the feature. The first night is flat out hilarious and immensely entertaining where it sets the bar pretty high that it never is able to touch after that. And the other night is a bit mellow and low on humor, but it is a bit dramatic and depicts the bonding of these completely opposite characters, in fact it has an uncanny resemblance with one of the clips of Tom And Jerry. And similar to them, they fight and bicker with each other on both rational and irrational topics that genuinely is effective and funny. Aforementioned, the goofy performance is what the feature walks on. Martin's job is to walk parallel-y along the line of "normal" civilized businessman who waits for none, not the lifts, not the business meetings, not a long line of queue. Whilst Candy taps on his own beats and is thoroughly satisfied in his light merry bubble that is intolerable as much as fun he is. Planes, Trains And Automobiles is not looking for a home run, it doesn't need it to win its viewers, this family holiday card has got the traditional sweet recipe.

Let's be clear here -- "Planes, Trains, And Automobiles" isn't just the best Thanksgiving movie of all time. It's John Hughes's best film and one of the greatest buddy movies ever made. Let's parse through some of that a bit. First, there is not one other Thanksgiving movie (if you could even call that a sub-genre) that's as honest, meaningful, and as heartfelt as it is in its dealings of thematics, specifically those of what family truly means. Hell, there's barely a better movie in general that deals with family, regardless of the Thanksgiving identifier. It's an inarguably masterful study on what it means to belong, the primacy of interpersonal connection, and -- the crowd-pleasingest of all thematic underpinnings -- the triumph of the human spirit. Second, it's Hughes's best film simply because it's the funniest and most meaningful without me having to apologize for any element/scene/joke that wouldn't fly too well today because "I guess it was just a different time for humor, man." This is timeless. Full stop. No question. And it's one of the best buddy movies of all time because of the fact that the movie starts and even plays out -- until the end, that is -- with the two protagonistic characters being at each other's throats for most of the duration of the narrative. But it doesn't matter. Because it's the resolution that resonates most in the audience's hearts. It's not about where the characters are going or where they started. It's about the journey towards the eventual friendship therein. As far as holiday movies go, this is pure, unmitigated cream and an absolute masterpiece.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

One of John Hughes greatest comedies, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is as heartwarming and awe-inspiring as it is hilarious. This is the best Thanksgiving movie ever made, and the dramatic sequences nicely balance the humorous scenes. You'll fall in love with Dell Griffith and Neil Page, and their romp trying to get home for the holidays will stick with you long after the credits roll. This is not one to miss.

Astonishing film. Incredible moving story, with amazing characters written. You truly care about them and the positions they put themselves in throughout the film is very humorous. Comedy mixed with tense drama scenes. John candy best film in my opinion, acting was amazing. The music score for this movie was amazing. John Hughes has created many timeless classics, and this was one of them.