Planes, Trains and Automobiles
"Those aren't pillows!"
Another good, fun, funny Thanksgiving movie. When you watch the movie, the goodness is pretty evident by the end. The movie is lots of laughs with a heartwarming payoff in the end.
Neal Page is an uptight advertising executive trying desperately to get home to Chicago for Thanksgiving dinner with his family. When weather delays derail his plans, he reluctantly partners with Del Griffith, an obnoxious shower curtain ring salesman who seems to bring chaos wherever he goes.
What follows is a series of increasingly absurd travel disasters—planes grounded, trains delayed, cars destroyed, and accommodations that range from uncomfortable to downright disastrous. Through it all, Neal's frustration grows while Del remains cheerfully oblivious to the havoc he's causing.
The comedy is relentless and genuinely funny. Steve Martin and John Candy have perfect chemistry, playing off each other with impeccable timing. The situations they find themselves in escalate beautifully, each setback more ridiculous than the last.
But underneath all the laughs is something deeper. As the journey continues and Neal's walls begin to crack, we start to see Del differently. What seemed like annoyance reveals itself as loneliness. What looked like obliviousness is actually kindness. Del isn't trying to ruin Neal's trip—he's just a fundamentally decent person who happens to be alone on Thanksgiving.
The film's final revelation hits with unexpected emotional weight, reframing everything we've watched. Suddenly, Del's persistence in staying with Neal, his cheerfulness in the face of rejection, his generous spirit despite having so little—it all makes sense. And Neal's decision in response is exactly what goodness looks like when we finally see people clearly.
This is the beauty of Planes, Trains and Automobiles: it disguises its heart with comedy. You laugh your way through the whole movie, and then it quietly reminds you that kindness matters, that loneliness is real, and that sometimes the most annoying person in your life just needs someone to care.