The late director John Hughes is typically known for his films depicting high school students, like "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Sixteen Candles" and "The Breakfast Club." Yet he took a departure from that subject matter with "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and in the process delivered a poignant film about personal change.
Steve Martin plays Neal Page, a businessman who is caught in a snowstorm just before Thanksgiving. Trying to make it home in time to see his family, he partners with the bumbling salesman Del Griffith (the late John Candy) as they attempt to navigate the country's highways and byways and find a way back to Chicago in time.
The straight-laced and no-nonsense Page is contrasted with Griffith, who talks to just about everyone and always seems to have a smile on his face. Despite Griffith's affable nature, the viewer gets the feeling that he's actually quite lonely and simply looking for a friend – something that Page gradually warms up to as the film goes on. Slowly, Page's icy exterior melts and the two bond over their travel experience.
Beyond the positive lessons in the film, it's simply hilarious. Candy and Martin make a truly legendary comedic duo, and the trials and tribulations that they undergo while trying to get back home resonate with anybody who has spent time on the road.
