Write a commentMy father would get a bee in his bonnet about a lot of things. As a matter of fact, he probably wouldn't be too keen on my characterization of his attitude to include him donning a bonnet.
Those of you who knew my father are probably imagining the struggle at the mere mention of him wearing something like that. Certain people struck him the wrong way. If I was to list all the actors he took umbrage with, this review would ramble on much more than normal. As a kid growing up in the 90s, I quickly became a fan of Jim Carrey. My father, surprisingly, liked him as well. I recall walking out of seeing "Batman Forever" on opening night and him telling me that Carrey was as good a Riddler as Nicholson was a Joker. High praise considering Nicholson was one of my father's favorite actors.
When "The Truman Show" came out, we all went to see it. My enthusiasm for it was palpable as we walked out. I was dying to hear what my father thought.
"I didn't care for it," he said dismissively.
"Why not?"
"I just didn't."
My father wasn't much for explanations. If you asked him a follow-up to most of his statements, he would frustratedly stonewall you. Communication was especially difficult sometimes because I always ask questions.
For the following months after "The Truman Show" premiered, Carrey started getting Oscar buzz. Most of the shows I watched would mention it and my father would make some sort of snide comment about it. This was until the film was released on VHS.
I rented it immediately and asked if he wanted to watch it with me. He was reading the newspaper, bifocals at the edge of his nose. He rolled his eyes, grunted but ultimately agreed. I loaded the tape and pressed 'Play'.
Once it was over, my father stood, going to the kitchen for something to drink. He didn't say much and I knew his opinion about the film was a sensitive topic between us. It was the catalyst for many arguments over the previous few months. But, I had to know.
I took a deep breath. "So, what'd you think?"
There was a pause. He cleared his throat. "It was okay."
"Okay" was high praise considering his initial opinion. I didn't push. I just smiled. Over the next couple of months, my father started talking about how good Carrey was in the role and how much he liked the film. He even started to get upset when Carrey was snubbed come awards season. He was too proud to flat out say he was wrong, but his actions spoke louder than his words.
Steve Martin was another one of these actors. My father never cared for him. Because of this, I wasn't exposed to many Steve Martin films besides "Father of the Bride" and the sequel and that was because my mother loved those films. I had heard a lot about "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" from a close friend of mine. John and I had different backgrounds so we had each seen movies the other hadn't. I would bring over gory horror movies and he would show me comedies with Rodney Dangerfield and John Candy.
"Planes, Trains & Automobiles" was one of the movies that John showed me. I was opposed to watching it because of Steve Martin. My father's hate of him bled over onto me so I hated him, too. How dare someone like Steve Martin make a movie. The nerve of that guy. I was reluctant and snotty when John suggested we watch it. But, it was John's house and I had made him watch "The Evil Dead" a few visits prior. I probably owed him.
The plot is pretty basic: Martin is trying to get back to his family for Thanksgiving. On the way, he runs into Candy who he seemingly cannot shake. They get to know each other over the trip.
That's it. That's kind of all you really need.
While I only listed three actors for the cast, there are plenty of small roles of people that most would recognize. Each of the actors is given their moment to make their scene memorable. But, when you talk about this film, you're always talking about Martin and Candy.
It truly is amazing to watch these two act off each other. Their chemistry is out of this world. Martin is not a likeable character, but he's infinitely relatable. There are thousands of these kinds of guys just sort of waltzing through life. They have a house, kids, a wife, a decent job. Martin pretty much perfects the jerk with a heart of gold stereotype but it never feels forced. We see a legitimate arc with his character by the time the film is nearing the end. It's truly one of Martin's best performances.
Not to be outdone, this is probably Candy's greatest performance. Candy has always been sort of a big lug in his films. I think, similar to Carrey, no one took him that seriously as a dramatic actor. I'm imagining a world where Candy lived longer and was cast in bigger and more dramatic films. Candy deftly volleys between broad comedy and devastating drama. Every emotional beat is felt on a subterranean level. Forget a gut punch, Candy punches your soul.
While I've spent a lot of time speaking about the dramatic acting in the film, it's also possibly one of the funniest films of the 1980s. As is typical of Hughes, he's able to balance drama and comedy. There's a reason Hughes is an icon. These statements obviously exclude the PC landmines throughout "Weird Science" and "Sixteen Candles". Yes, much of his stuff is now dated, but "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" emerges somewhat unscathed.
With a film I love as much as this one, I do have to talk about some of the flaws. I'm sure there are more if I really think about it, but two that stand out are Martin's character's wife and the musical score. Martin's character's wife is kinda useless. It makes sense to have her there, but when they cut away to her, you're just waiting for the movie proper to continue. I don't really care what his wife is doing. Considering what we find out about Candy's character, it could have been more interesting to only hear about Martin's character's wife. Also, that final sequence with Martin on the train and the weird cut aways to his family and the fetishistic shots of Thanksgiving food are just weird.
And then there's the score. Ira Newborn scored a lot of films and some of those scores work with the films they're used in. The scores to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "The Naked Gun", for example, work perfectly for the films. The score to "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. Perhaps Newborn was experimenting, but once we get to the scene when Martin confronts the rental agency and "You're messin' with the wrong guy!" echoes as a record scratches, we're well beyond the pale.
I guess this is the point of the review where I do what my father never did officially: admit he was wrong. I've come around to Steve Martin and, maybe not so surprisingly, so did my father. He would watch this and other films of Martin's after a while. It took some time for my father to come around. I suppose this is all an extremely long-winded way of saying I was wrong.
"Planes, Trains & Automobiles" is essential viewing around Thanksgiving. The comedy is actually funny and (most of) the drama isn't (too) schmaltzy. It is a truly great film.
When I finally gained the gumption enough to ask why my father changed his mind about "The Truman Show", he said, "I never said I didn't like it. I said it was weird."
I said, "You said specifically you didn't like it. When we were walking out of the theater, I asked you and you said, 'Adam, didn't like it.'"
He rolled his eyes, sighing heavily. "Well, I like it now! What do you want from me?"
"So, you changed your mind."
His eyes went wide. His thin lips parted ready to respond, as though there was a delay between his words and his jaw. "You're a real pain..."
(I won't finish that sentence for the sake of decorum, but you get the idea.)
He absolutely detested being wrong and, for the multitude of similarities I have with my father, I believe wholeheartedly we differ on this point.
Just don't ask my friends.
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
Directed by John Hughes
Cast: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins
Runtime: 93 minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated R for language.
Rating (out of ****): ****
"Planes, Trains & Automobiles" is available to stream (with a subscription) on Paramount+ as well as all other major streaming platforms to rent or buy. It is also available on DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K.
