Sunday, July 02, 2006

A fun way home

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

John Candy and Steve Martin deliver a very comedic and heart-warming story of two guys who are just trying to get home to their families for Thanksgiving. This 1987 gives us adventure, comedy, and drama all in one.

After a flight gets cancelled due to bad weather, Neal (Martin) decides that he has to find alternate transportation so he can get home as soon as possible to see his family. Del (Candy) seems to be having the same problem, and since they've already met on the plane, Neal agrees to share transportation with him for a cheaper way home. The next three days turn out to be a living hell. Candy is a shower curtain ring salesman who can't seem to keep his mouth shut. Martin is more the quiet leave-me-alone type - until Del pushes him over the edge and he lets him have it. As you can imagine, this makes the situation difficult for the guys but great for the audience.


You'll be on the edge of your seat, rolling with laughter. What makes this movie so good
is the capability of making the audience laugh hysterically one minute and be feeling for the characters the next. Neal can be very mean and blunt with Del, and you can tell that this hurts his feelings. Only after it's almost too late does Neal feel bad about his actions.

Overall, I think this movie stands the test of time because everyone knows what it's like to sit next to those annoying people on planes ... or trains ... or any other form of transportation. This movie just takes that situation a few steps further - okay, a lot of steps further ... and puts Martin and Candy in a bind. This movie is a must-see!

No comments: