Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

What do you get when you pair up one nervy and uptight advertising executive with one blabber mouthed but well meaning and accident prone curtain ring salesman? You get one of the best comedy movies of all time, especially fun to watch on or around the Thanksgiving holiday, together with family and friends. Neal-the executive, played by Steve Martin (famous for "Pink Panther" & "Father of the Bride") is in New York, on business trip and is trying to return to his family in Chicago for Thanksgiving. But in his way, unintentionally of course, stands Del Griffith, played by John Candy (a renowned Canadian actor with impeccable comic timing). It all starts when due to bad weather, the flight which Neal is about to board gets cancelled and he looks for other means of transportation. On his way to grabbing hold of a cab while racing another character, Neal trips over a trunk by the side of the road, left there, mistakably, by Del.

From this moment onwards, a journey together seems inevitable, and soon, the duo pair up and begin their adventure to help Neal get back home for the Thanksgiving. As the situation worsens; the less than 2 hour flight from New York to Chicago turns into a topsy-turvy three day road trip, with Neal stuck together with Del. After a series of mishaps: the robbery of $1,000 in a poorly locked motel and Del setting the rental car on fire by carelessly discarding a cigarette; Neal ends up blaming Del for much of their misfortunes and Del on the other side, ends up regarding Neal as being posey and too concerned with every little thing. After a much heated dialogue between the two, some sense prevails and a bond between them begins to form. The journey to home commences yet again, and under the assumption that Del has a family of his own, soon after, both men part ways.

Shortly after, Neal, replaying the conversations with Del, realizes that Del might be alone. Neal then heads back to the train station where he had left Del and finds him sitting there alone. Del revels that his wife, Marie, had actually died 8 years ago. Having mellowed down noticeably during the course of their journey together, Neal invites Del to have Thanksgiving dinner with him and his family in Chicago. "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles", directed by John Hughes, with movies like "Home Alone" series, "101 Dalmatians", and National Lampoon's "Christmas Vacations" to his name, was released in the year 1997 around the Thanksgiving. Made at a moderate budget of $15 million, it ended up earning $150 million. Loved for its subtle blend of verbal, physical, and situational comedy and a heartwarming emotional undertone; "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" remains one of the best comedy movies to see on any given day, but more so on Thanksgiving.