Planes, Trains & Automobiles

1987
R
1h 33m

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

167K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer1:26

Buddy Comedy Farce Holiday Comedy Road Trip Comedy Drama Holiday

A Chicago advertising man must struggle to travel home from New York for Thanksgiving, with a lovable oaf of a shower-curtain-ring salesman as his only companion.A Chicago advertising man must struggle to travel home from New York for Thanksgiving, with a lovable oaf of a shower-curtain-ring salesman as his only companion.A Chicago advertising man must struggle to travel home from New York for Thanksgiving, with a lovable oaf of a shower-curtain-ring salesman as his only companion.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

167K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

294

132

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination total

Videos4

Trailer 1:26

Official Trailer

Trailer 0:31

Planes, Trains and Automobiles [Planes, Trains & Automobiles]

Trailer 0:31

Planes, Trains and Automobiles [Planes, Trains & Automobiles]

Clip 3:51

The Perfect Movies to Watch This Thanksgiving

Video 2:37

Dates in Movie & TV History: Nov. 24, 1987 - When Neal Met Del

Photos238

+ 231

Our Favorite Holiday Comedies

Get ready to laugh with our collection of new and classic holiday movies that are guaranteed to make you smile.

See the list

List

More like this

7.1

Uncle Buck

7.5

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

6.9

Scrooged

7.8

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

6.6

The Great Outdoors

7.5

Trading Places

7.3

Vacation

6.6

Home for the Holidays

6.5

7.6

6.0

6.6

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
John Hughes, in an interview on the "Those Aren't Pillows" DVD, said he was inspired to write the film's story after an actual flight he was on from New York to Chicago. The flight was diverted to Wichita, Kansas, taking him five days to get home.

Goofs
Outside the Braidwood Inn, Neal tells Del that he has a Visa Card, a gasoline card and a Neiman Marcus Card. However, earlier when they check into the motel, Neal pays with a Diner's Club International card.

Quotes
Car Rental Agent: [cheerfully] Welcome to Marathon, may I help you?
Neal: Yes.
Car Rental Agent: How may I help you?
Neal: You can start by wiping that fucking dumb-ass smile off your rosy fucking cheeks! Then you can give me a fucking automobile! A fucking Datsun, a fucking Toyota, a fucking Mustang, a fucking Buick! Four fucking wheels and a seat!
Car Rental Agent: I really don't care for the way you're speaking to me.
Neal: And I really don't care for the way your company left me in the middle of fucking nowhere with fucking keys to a fucking car that isn't fucking there. And I really didn't care to fucking walk down a fucking highway and across a fucking runway to get back here to have you smile in my fucking face. I want a fucking car... right... fucking... now.
[pause]
Car Rental Agent: May I see your rental agreement?
Neal: I threw it away.
Car Rental Agent: Oh, boy.
Neal: Oh, boy, what?
Car Rental Agent: [narrows her eyes] You're fucked.

Crazy credits
After all the end credits, there's a shot of advertising executive William Windom in the office as in the scene in the beginning of the movie, still examining the pictures Neal Page was waiting for him to finish perusing at the staff meeting.

Alternate versions
The theatrical and VHS releases have the closing Paramount logo after the post-credits scene. On further releases including the DVD, the logo is edited out, and the movie ends immediately.

Connections
Edited into The Paul Behragam Talk Show: "Where's God When I'm Scared?" R&T Part 2 (2014)

Soundtracks
Ba-Na-Na-Bam-Boo
Written by Elizabeth Westwood, Nick Burton & Robert Andrews
Performed by Westworld
Produced by Mark Ferda
Westworld performs courtesy of BMG Records (UK) Ltd.

User reviews554

Review

Featured review

8/10

Classic Film that had mixed reviews upon its theatrical release

I Have Reviewed OVER 500 "Christmas Films and Specials". Please BEWARE Of films and specials with just one review! For instance When "It's a POSITIVE" chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. "If its Negative" then they may have a grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare about these films.

Review Date 3/25/2019

In 1987 "Planes Trains & Automobiles" opened in theaters the same weekend as "Three Men and a Baby". The critics went gaga over "Three Men" but gave only "so-so" reviews to "Planes Trains and Automobiles" however over the years "Planes" reviews have come around and is now considered one of John Hughes best work and I agree. However I thought that when I first saw it in 1987.

Now 32 years later "Three Men and a Baby" comes across like a feature length sitcom but "Planes Trains & Automobiles" has improved with age and at lighting fast 92 minutes you are never bored.

The simple plat is Steve Martin is an uptight business man trying to get home for Thanksgiving. Everything goes wrong for him. His traveling companion by default is John Candy who has never been better and brings depth into a character that only John candy could.

In 1987 I think critics were reviewing the film harshly because the film went over schedule and budget. "Three Men & a Baby" however did not have bad press to overcome from its production. However when you are watching that film today you will see the "Cookie Cutter" that was always there in the film. "Planes trains & Automobiles" took for more chances and dared you too like two characters that at times weren't very nice.

If you never have seen the film please watch it. The older you are the more you will enjoy it.

This film is by far one of Steve Martins best performances as well as John Candy's. The only films John Hughes wrote that were better than this is "Vacation" and "Christmas Vacation". However all of them are classics and should be mandatory watching.