Back in the 1980s, John Hughes was known simply for his teen comedies (directing hits such as The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) and his writing for the National Lampoon Magazine. Following the success of Ferris Bueller, he decided to break away from the teen comedy genre with his 1987 feature Planes, Trains and Automobiles, starring Steve Martin and John Candy. 

The plot is simple: Advertising executive Neal Page (Martin) is on a business trip in Chicago two days before Thanksgiving. He struggles to beat the harsh traffic in the hopes to get back to his family, but is stuck with an eccentric shower curtain ring salesman Del Griffith (Candy). The both of them are forced through a series of misadventures by all means of transportation. 

Immediately, the film received critical acclaim, most notably from critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, who both gave the film a full four stars. It was Hughes’ first major hit and thrust him into a more adult audience. 

What makes Planes, Trains, and Automobiles so brilliant is the perfect chemistry shared by Martin and Candy. They play complete strangers to each other, both very different, but their friendship evolves throughout the film through their shared trials and tribulations. 

That aspect adds to the deeply emotional story that the film takes the audience on. Underneath the comedy and gags is a wonderful tale of friendship and camaraderie, building to a fantastic, heartfelt conclusion. The film effortlessly blends dramatic moments into its web of jokes and slapstick. 

An early scene shows the two main characters arguing back and forth in a motel room. Hilarity ensues, yet once the scene quiets down, the look on Neal’s face when he sees Del’s reaction to his insults demonstrates a perfectly acted moment that tells the audience that while the character may have gone too far, the filmmakers know exactly when enough is enough. 

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is a rare comedy that makes the audience laugh while later hitting them right in the heart. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, yet it left its mark as the quintessential Thanksgiving film for years to come. It manages to be funny without being silly.