On P List of Movie Reviews
(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
Rate:
10
Viewed:
4/04, 2/06, 9/21
2/06:
If there's any performance that the Academy Award voters had completely missed during the 80's, it's John Candy
for Planes, Trains & Automobiles.
What happened to recognition for comedy films? It seems like they only hand them out for dramas and musicals. That's boring.
There's no question Del Griffith is an all-time classic. If I think about the film, he's the first thing that
comes to my mind. Sometimes, when I go traveling, be it on the plane, train, or automobile, I do feel like Steve Martin's
character.
Planes, Trains & Automobiles is a consistently funny picture with many good, unforgettable moments that hit
the heart of comedy. Hence, it's John Candy's finest hour. What a chemistry he has with Steve Martin.
All in all, John Candy should've won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Planes, Trains & Automobiles.
9/21:
Planes, Trains & Automobiles is an all-time classic that's highly relatable for everybody, no matter what decade it's
viewed in.
This one should've seen John Candy winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. It's the best performance of his career;
of course, there's no surprise that he and Steve Martin called Planes, Trains & Automobiles their favorite movie
they had done. Honestly, there's not a single flaw.
Easily the most important scene is when Steve Martin went on rant in the hotel room while John Candy was looking
vulnerable. That's Oscar stuff right there. What John Hughes failed to accomplish at the end of
She's Having a Baby is the retrospective technique which was perfectly
implemented when Steve Martin thought to himself several episodes that occurred the last few days. It
worked because they were so funny and memorable.
Planes, Trains & Automobiles scores high in comedy. It's almost a laugh-a-minute all the way
through. There are many funny scenes and one-liners involving John Candy. Steve Martin plays the straight man quite well
although his character can be occasionally mean. No matter what, their chemistry is instant.
By the way, if you're curious as to why John Candy sported a black eye toward the end, it's because a lot of scenes
were deleted from the original cut. One of them is Steve Martin decking John Candy after learning that he failed to purchase
insurance for the rental car before it was burned to a crisp.
All in all, Del Griffith is a legendary character, and John Candy should've won the Oscar.