Neal Page is a pretty average guy. He has a job a businessman, is married, and has a good family. His job requires him to travel a lot, sometimes even near holidays. "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" details Neal's quest to return home for Thanksgiving, literally using every mode of transportation mentioned in the title.
In the realm of movie clichés, anyone trying to get anywhere to meet some kind of deadline will encounter what seems to be an entire world full of people with the single purpose of delaying the hero. Neal Page (Steve Martin) needs no such world; the force of one man is all he needs to stand in his way. This man is Del Griffith (John Candy), the inescapable cause for all of Neal's troubles.
Del starts off by stealing Neal's cab, thereby threatening Neal with the possibility of missing his flight. As can be expected in a comedy of this genre, Neal uses extraordinary means to get to the airport on time, makes his flight only to encounter Del yet again, and only to be beset by further delays. Repeat this formula for 90 minutes, raise the stakes as you go along, and you've got yourself a pretty funny, if far-fetched, movie.
"Planes, Trains and Automobiles" reaches greatness not with its material, but with its fine acting from Steve Martin and John Candy. Both do an excellent job portraying men at the end of their respective ropes. Both also have a great sense of comedic timing, making jokes that otherwise would fall flat work.
This isn't any outstanding example of cinema, American or otherwise; it's just a good movie. A little better than middle-of-the-road, but comfortably and enjoyably so. Not every movie needs to try to be groundbreaking and cutting-edge, and this one wisely doesn't. Based on what the performers have done with what they've been given, and especially in light of the upbeat message about friendship and family contained in the tail end of the film, this movie deserves a better-than-average B.
In the realm of movie clichés, anyone trying to get anywhere to meet some kind of deadline will encounter what seems to be an entire world full of people with the single purpose of delaying the hero. Neal Page (Steve Martin) needs no such world; the force of one man is all he needs to stand in his way. This man is Del Griffith (John Candy), the inescapable cause for all of Neal's troubles.
Del starts off by stealing Neal's cab, thereby threatening Neal with the possibility of missing his flight. As can be expected in a comedy of this genre, Neal uses extraordinary means to get to the airport on time, makes his flight only to encounter Del yet again, and only to be beset by further delays. Repeat this formula for 90 minutes, raise the stakes as you go along, and you've got yourself a pretty funny, if far-fetched, movie.
"Planes, Trains and Automobiles" reaches greatness not with its material, but with its fine acting from Steve Martin and John Candy. Both do an excellent job portraying men at the end of their respective ropes. Both also have a great sense of comedic timing, making jokes that otherwise would fall flat work.
This isn't any outstanding example of cinema, American or otherwise; it's just a good movie. A little better than middle-of-the-road, but comfortably and enjoyably so. Not every movie needs to try to be groundbreaking and cutting-edge, and this one wisely doesn't. Based on what the performers have done with what they've been given, and especially in light of the upbeat message about friendship and family contained in the tail end of the film, this movie deserves a better-than-average B.