Movie #123 - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

"Steve Martin had no reason to panic...until John Candy came along."

One of the funniest movies of the 1980's, the continuous exchange between Steve Martin and John Candy is superb. I picked up this movie on DVD a couple of years ago when I first decided to start flying for work - having to travel to San Diego by plane for the first time in my life. Knowing the type of trip Martin and Candy had to go through in order to get to their final destination, made me feel a little bit better.

Written and directed by John Hughes, the 80's was his decade. I think I rhymed off a number of his key films in another recent post, but Hughes was definitely one of the best directors of that decade... and then, once the 90's hit, Hughes was obsessed with Home Alone and Beethoven. Being a pseudo-professional writer myself, maybe Hughes was just suffering with a decade long version of writer's block, but he churned out way too many of the cute, family films and forgot what his success was built upon. Teen angst and witty comedy.

As for Martin and Candy - they are a great tandem as both can deliver a punchline and are both physical comedic actors. With Martin, you are given the persona of the serious, businessman, almost somewhat snobbish in nature. With Candy, you are given the Uncle Buck persona, the gregarious every man who is very annoying.

Whoever decided to put these two together on the same screen was a genius. Martin and Candy drive this film and the trials and tribulations of their journey, causing them to rely on each other more makes this film even funnier than originally intended.

My favourite scene is depicted in the photo above, showcasing the moment in which Martin and Candy are forced to share a hotel room bed due to lack of funds. Its a classic scene and one that breaks up all of the laughs - especially the reactions the guys have when they discover that they are in a romantic embrace.

In the end, you'll enjoy 93 minutes of hilarity with these two guys taking you through their adventure. Have fun - it definitely makes traveling more bearable.