While a classic holiday film, this release doesn't offer much that's new to those who already own it, except for a very attractive collectible Steelbook. Hopefully we'll get a new remaster in time for the 35th anniversary.
“One of the most outrageous and beloved holiday comedies of all time, Steven Martin and John Candy star in director John Hughes’ hysterical (and heartwarming) tale of travel gone awry. Neal Page (Martin) is an uptight advertising executive trying to get home to Chicago for Thanksgiving. When rerouted to Wichita, Neal reluctantly partners with Del Griffith (Candy), an obnoxious yet loveable salesman. Together, they embark on a cross-country adventure that includes multiple modes of transportation, unbelievable mishaps, intimate motel accommodations, and unforgettable rental car shenanigans.”
Writer/Director John Hughes is best known for his coming-of-age brat-pack films of the 1980s. As his career matured, so did his writing, tackling some more adult themes, although with a very light touch, creating a hilarious Thanksgiving film starring Steve Martin and John Candy.
Most of us have probably had that horrible traveling experience where everything seems to go wrong. Planes, Trains and Automobiles demonstrates that we’ve all had it pretty easy compared to Neal Page (Martin), whose adventure begins immediately in New York City as he attempts to hail a cab during rush hour in order to make his flight in time to get home to his family in Chicago for Thanksgiving dinner. Upon the unfortunately encounter with Del Griffith (Candy), who inadvertently steals his cab he just bribed someone for, his journey spirals out of control as literally anything that can go wrong, does.
What made the film so great, and continues to do so, is the comedy duo of Steve Martin and John Candy. Their back and forth between each other in so many scenes is priceless, with a perfect chemistry that embodies each of their respective characters. The majority of the film is the two of them playing off of one another, so that chemistry is that much more vital to keep the attention and pacing of the film. What I continue to find enjoyable about the film each time I watch it is how exponentially insane the antics gets. Beginning with a simple obnoxious passenger sitting next to you on a plane, all the way to car engulfed in flames, the journey these two take with one another is indeed out of this world. While most of us experience issues while traveling, this is taken to the absolute extreme, and is hilarious to watch unfold.
While I adore the film, it has its flaws, which mostly I attribute to the play-it-safe style of John Hughes’ directing. There are some brilliant moments of comedy. While specific reactions or responses may have been improvised by the actors, the situations they’re in are all Hughes’ writing. Some are rather tame in comparison, like two grown men reluctant to share a single bed with one another, but then there are scenes like the driving on the wrong side of the road, and the car rental outburst, which are hard to top. One thing I always felt was missing in the film was the urgency for Neal to get home. The audience barely has any connection or information about his family aside from a quick phone call and a couple cutesy lines written for the kids. Every time I watch the film I just don’t feel that urgency, and why he is going through absolute Hell to get home just for a nice dinner in time. At one time there existed a 3 hour and 45 minute version of this film, eventually cut down to the current length, with many deleted scenes that can be seen in the trailer of the film and some found online. I’m not sure what was cut in those two hours, but there had to be plenty of family stuff that would have fixed this one issue. More of Steven Martin and John Candy is never a bad thing, either.
Video
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1. This new Steelbook is unfortunately the exactly the same as previous Blu-ray releases, with no new transfer. While the film looks decent enough, there are noise reduction issues that plague the film. There’s no doubt that it could have used some cleaning up or a new scan to achieve some clearer detail.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio. The majority of the sound on this film will be in the form of dialogue from the center channel, and that’s balanced quite well with the rest of the audio. I still believe the score is one of the worst scores of all time, compared especially with other Hughes’ classics. A weird synthesizer song that remixes part of the dialogue Steve Martin just uttered? Pass.
Special Features
The only real feature of this set is the collectible nature of the Steelbook. While I myself would normally not find that an acceptable reason to purchase a film I already own, there are those that will, and for this Steelbook I find it hard to blame them. It’s a very sleek design and looks very nice.
This set contains legacy bonus features which include:
- Getting There is Half the Fun: The Story of Planes, Trains and Automobiles
- John Hughes: Life Moves Pretty Fast featuring John Hughes: The Voice of a Generation and Heartbreak and Triumph: The Legacy of John Hughes
- John Hughes for Adults
- A Tribute to John Candy
- Deleted Scene: “Airplane Food”
What this release should have contained at the very least was a new scan. If Paramount is ever able to find an extended cut of this film there are those out there who wouldn’t hesitate to purchase this again. Until then, unless you’re a die-hard Steelbook collector or don’t already own this Holiday classic, there isn’t much new here.
