E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Paramount
In "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," getting home for Thanksgiving is the real challenge. John Candy, you are missed.
There are plenty of Christmas movies, lots of scary Halloween movies. Aside from the Charlie Brown crew eating toast and popcorn (and that's a TV special anyway) and Greg Brady's home-movie venture about the Pilgrims (with awesome soap flakes for snow), there's not a huge glut of Thanksgiving films out there.
And that's just fine, because in my opinion, no Thanksgiving movie can best the hilarious "Planes, Trains and Automobiles." Few movies get at the horror that is holiday travel in this country like John Hughes' 1987 classic. John Candy and Steve Martin have never been better.
A few classic scenes are below. I left out Steve Martin's classic F-word tirade because, well, family website and all, but it's available on YouTube.
'Those aren't pillows!"
"Flintstones! Meet the Flintstones!"
Joys of airline food (reportedly this scene was cut from the original DVD)
John Candy's dogs are barkin'
"Her first baby come out sideways."
Are you a fan of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"? Tell us your favorite line or scene in the comments.
Related content:
Leave a Comment:
"and here's an idea...next time when you say something HAVE A POINT! It's so much more enjoyable for the listener!"
"Casio"
Truly the best!
classic.
National Lampoon's Christmas is better........ barely.....
The author did say the best THANKSGIVING movie ever.
There are too many to name just one. I never tire of watching this movie.
This film may have the record for the most classic (and funny) scenes in a row.
My brother and I watch this every year at Thanksgiving... It's our T-Day tradition. I'm in advertising.. and have sat through client meetings like the one at the beginning of the trip MANY times. But my favorite scene is the one at the rental car desk... from beginning to end. Not only is that whole segment filmed at my former hometown Airport, Lambert Field in St. Louis... but I just love the ULTRA cheerful rental car clerk. From... " May I help you?" through many F-bombs later... a priceless scene.
Oh Yeah, this one is a Thanksgiving tradition in our house, right after dinner while enjoying a cocktail or two!
Fun film for Thanksgiving. I watch this one and Home For The Holidays for a funny adult look at that dysfunction we call the birth family.
I was IN this movie before they cut me out! My credit still remains "Earring Customer No. 1 - Diane Nieman" What most people do not know is that John Candy was such a proficient and hilarious improviser, John Hughes just turned the camera on and let him go - . There's quite a lot of hilarity in this movie that was unscripted. What a terrific pairing Martin and Candy. What a terrible shame he left us so young...
No wonder I have such a hard time following the credits! Some of them are for roles that don't appear!
Anyway, how cool! Do you still act?
Yes! It was on this film that I received my SAG card. The best day of my life...spending a day improvising with John Candy...sigh....
Allot of the filmed scenes with actors other than Steve and John didnt make the final cut. Luckily, mine did! (my baby came out sideways....) That was a dream job, working with the best in the biz. We filmed that in Kankakee, Il. Its so great to see how much love there is for this movie, and to have pride in my little part of the greatness! Lulie
Dream job is right, Lulie...congrats on making the cut!
Everybody in that movie was FANTASTIC! We watch it every Thanksgiving and STILL crack up! One of my top 5 favorites.
"Git your lazy behind out here and put that trunk up in the back". lol!
Lulie, you had a very small part, but it's one of the best!
This film as many unforgettable scenes like those referenced above. One of my favorites is when the two were "going the wrong way' on the highway. As their car passed between the two semi trucks and sparks were flying, Candy's face morphed into the devil and Martin's face morphed to a skeleton. I have felt that way in the passenger seat while teaching my teenage son to drive.
One of my favorite scenes also....especially when Martin is removing his fingers from the dash board. Another, is in the back of the truck with the frozen faces and the dog showing it's teeth in a frozen snarl...beautiful comedy with a touching end.
This is ultimately a very sweet movie. Yes, it is full of laughs, but the actors as they show their changing feelings are the ultimate joy of 'Trains, etc'. As we in the audience slowly realize that Candy has no place to go...and as Martin slowly begins to not only like Candy, but he finally realizes what the audience has discovered...well, the acting is just great. You definitely are left feeling that maybe Candy becomes "Uncle" to Martin's kids, as well as a fixture at all their other Thanksgiving dinners.
And, yes, I miss John Candy also. I truly believe he would've developed beyond comedy into one of our fine actors.
Great point, it was pure comic genius till the end, I always get a tear in my eye, even after watching it a few dozen times.
P.S. Yes, we watch it every Thanksgiving...and I view it sometimes throughout the year. It is good anytime.
Here Here! One of the funniest movies ever made. I miss John Candy.
Absolutely brilliant movie.
"Do you feel that this car is safe for highway travel?"
"Absolutely."
"You have no working gauges."
"No, but the radio comes in clear as a bell!"
Quite apropriate to put "Sweet" and "Candy" in the same post. It was probably an unintended pun, but it works. The movie is very funny and touching. The parts where nothing goes right Brings to mind The Out of Towners with Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis.
Nope--lousy flick--best Thanksgiving movie or any weekend/holiday flick is NO SPORTS! Its a family time idiots!
hmmmm spending time watching a great movie and sharing laughs isn't family time? Would hate to be at your house on Thanksgiving. BORING!!
Saw this movie when it came out, but that's been a LOOOONG time. Never really thought of it as a holiday movie, I guess. Might have to check it out this year.
(Reading this and some of the comments did remind me to look up a movie that I saw once which had a very funny scene about ordering a grilled cheese sandwich or something along that line. They weren't on the menu so the character had to order something else and ask for a number of variations on the order resulting in what he wanted to order in the first place. Anybody remember that one?)
They're EVERYWHERE!
What a great movie - just watched it the other day. John Candy and Steve Martin at their best. The rental car lady scene, John Candy grooving to the Runaround, and best of all..."Your going the wrong way!!" - "What did they say?" -"they said we're going the wrong way" - "How do they know which way we're going?" LMAO!!! If you diss this movie your sense of humor is severely broken.
oops - think it was the Mess-a-round not Runaround lol
In "5 Easy Pieces", Jack Nicholson's character wants plain toast. The toast isn't on the menu, and the waitress can't "break the rules". So he orders a chicken salad sandwich on toast, then tells her to hold everything on the sandwich, including the chicken. "you want me to hold the chicken?" "I want you to hold it between your knees"!!
That's the one! Thanks.
When the car comes to a stop after passing between two oncoming tractor trailers on the highway (when Candy & Martin's faces changed to devil and skeleton), Candy & Martin inspect the considerable damage to the rental car. Candy proclaims:
"That will buff right out"
P.S. Don't forget "Alice's Restaurant" for another Thanksgiving themed movie.
"hey Neil, take my socks out of the sink if you want to brush your teeth." Then Neil proceeds to dry his face off with the biggest pair of tighty whiteys I have ever seen.
"Give em the goddamm glove"
I love the scene in the back of the pick up with the dogs face frozen in a growl and one asks How cold do you think it is and the other replies I dont know 1. cracks me up every time!
Best movie ever period! Love it from start to finish. Funny, abrasive and heartwarming at once.
I think it is a toss up between Planes, Tranes or Dutch for best Thanksgiving movie....Dutch is truly an underrated movie that I find to be one of the best "road trip" movies of all time