Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
Director: John Hughes
Screenwriter: John Hughes
Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy

You’d be hard-pressed to name a more beloved Thanksgiving movie than the late John Hughes’ Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987). For many, the film has a virtual monopoly on the holiday’s cinematic canon (sorry, Charlie Brown) and endures as quintessential post-feast viewing. And, while Hughes’ other holiday flicks such as National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) and Home Alone (1990) would go on to become living room mainstays in their own right, the king of crowd-pleasers’ first foray into holiday fare remains his most timeless. 

The film stars Steve Martin and the late John Candy as an oddball pair of unlucky travelers determined to make it home for Thanksgiving—in spite of the gamut of transportation delays thrown their way. The two are total opposites: Martin plays Neal Page, a prickly, Scroogean advertising executive who wants nothing more than to be left alone, while Candy plays Del Griffith, a chatterbox shower-ring salesman who Neal can’t seem to shake. Needless to say, Neal and Del’s perceived incompatibility makes for some delightful screwball comedy as they continually find themselves stranded. 

Anyone even marginally familiar with Steve Martin or John Candy’s work can see how inspired their casting was for a film with such a premise. These guys are their characters, and their characters are them. Their chemistry is palpable even as Neal’s standoffishness increasingly and hilariously chafes up against Del’s inability to take a hint. Hence the litany of endlessly-quoted one liners—some scripted, some improvised—which have cemented themselves in the American pop-culture lexicon (“Those aren’t pillows!”). 

And yet such iconic moments were ultimately conjured by Hughes’ brisk and gratifying script, as well as his willingness to let the performers make it their own. As Kevin Bacon—who has a brief cameo at the beginning of the film as the guy Neal races to hail a cab during rush hour—once recalled, “He wasn’t precious about his own dialogue. He was precious about his characters.”

One might recall the motel scene—in which Neal ruthlessly explodes on Del, only for Del to soberly reaffirm his security with himself, with all his idiosyncrasies and eccentric tendencies—as one of many in the film that cracks you up while tugging at your heartstrings. This is where the film hits a sweet spot: one where farcical comedy is balanced seamlessly with sincere emotional drama. Martin and Candy elevate the latent sentimentality in Hughes’ script to surprisingly moving ends, and Hughes relishes in it. Perhaps more so than National Lampoon’s and Home Alone—both of which Hughes wrote, but did not direct—Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ direction seems to be in perfect harmony with its performers, mining Martin and Candy’s brilliance for all it’s worth.

Above it all, Neal and Del’s ultimate connection—one between two lonely men who, under different circumstances, would likely remain total strangers—is what maintains the film’s continued resonance. We care about these characters because, in a way, they are us. Perhaps even more so today than in 1987, the tedium of our routines so often alienates us from our neighbors. It would not be difficult to imagine a contemporaneous version of this film sending up the impersonality of ridesharing and the gig economy. (When was the last time you made meaningful conversation with your Uber driver? What if you were now stuck with them?) 

Underneath all the film’s warm-and-fuzziness is a sort of universal truth, an exercise in empathy that has maintained its potency. As Hughes once said about the film: “I like taking dissimilar people, putting them together, and finding what’s common to us all.” These themes are not new, but they are universal—and when delivered skillfully and sincerely, comedy can become quite affecting. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is one of those films that feels like a rarity in big studios’ output today and yet timeless nonetheless, which is perhaps why it is remembered so fondly. This is a comedy that set a standard for the genre—even if, at the end of the day, it was all in the holiday spirit.

Score: 19/24

Written by Connell Oberman

You can support Connell Oberman in the following places:

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In this Movie List from The Film Magazine, we are counting down the 5 Best Christmas Films with Happy Endings; films that define our human and Christmas spirit.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

1. It’s a Wonderful Life

It’s a Wonderful Life Review

Frank Capra’s 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life tells the story of George Bailey; an everyman from Bedford Falls who is contemplating suicide on Christmas Eve to overcome financial difficulties for his small buildings and loans company. The film is predominantly told in flashback as we see the totality of George’s life, from his being a youngster on the ice in winter-time through to him stood on a bridge staring into the abyss at Christmas. A guardian angel by the name of Clarence comes down to show George what a gift he has been to the people in the town, and shows him a dark alternative world that would have resulted had he never been born.

George learns that family and friends are perhaps the most important aspect of not just his but anybody’s life – as the card from Clarence notes ‘No man is a failure if he has friends’. The film’s climax at the Bailey household finds George redeemed and reborn, full of mirth and joy, as he is surrounded by his wife Mary (Donna Reed) and a town full of benevolent friends. The cathartic release of the film’s finale helps George to prioritise family above money, love above ambition; these lessons are universal and explain the annual appeal of the film. As they sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ in unison at film’s end, the message is clear that It’s a Wonderful Life is about friendship.

Much like George, the film gained a second chance in the 1970s when it was shown repeatedly on television in the United States; the message of unity through family and only knowing what you have once it’s gone speaks to us all, this masterpiece remaining iconic and beloved to filmgoers old and new year upon year.

Recommended for you: It’s a Wonderful Life – The Truest of Christmas Films

2. White Christmas

Directed by Michael Curtiz (Casablanca), White Christmas (based upon Irving Berlin’s hit single) stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as Bob Wallace and Phil Davis – army buddies who post-WW2 go into showbusiness together. Over the Christmas holidays, they happen upon a holiday resort that is run by their former Major in command (Dean Jagger) and has fallen on hard times. With the help of sisters Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen they enlist their show to help the inn return to its former glory.

While Crosby does charm his way through the film, the star of the show is Kaye. As the buffoonish Davis, Kaye does wonders with a sidekick role and has the best dance number in “The Best Things Happen When You’re Dancing”. It’s feel-good filmmaking for the soul.

The ending is wonderful in that the whole platoon from the start of the film returns to pay homage and honour the service record of their former leader. All the soldiers appearing in uniform to respect their commander means more to him than anything else – a show of solidarity and brotherhood you could only find in the military. Then the film concludes with a rendition of the famous titular song by all the cast as snow descends upon the Vermont location. The magic of Hollywood.

Home Alone has been considered a Christmas tradition since the moment Macaulay Culkin slapped his cheeks and yelled at the top of his lungs all the way back in 1990, but seeing the John Hughes-written and Chris Columbus-directed picture develop into a franchise of straight-to-video/dvd glorified holiday specials has given the franchise the proverbial “mixed bag” of good and bad filmmaking. In this edition of Ranked, we’re looking at all 6 Home Alone movies (yes there have been 6) and judging them in terms of quality, enjoyability, critical reception and public perception to rank each from worst to best.

Have a favourite Home Alone movie? Let us know in the comments, and follow The Film Magazine on Twitter.

6. Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House (2002)

The fourth entry to the franchise is nothing short of a disaster.

A clear cash grab intended to capitalise on the burgeoning DVD market, this Rod Daniel (K-9) straight-to-TV feature recasts the iconic roles of Kevin McCallister (once played by Macaulay Culkin) and Marv (originally Daniel Stern) and, as if that wasn’t sacrilegious enough, takes the concept to an entirely different level of absurd. Seriously, if you thought a child defending his house from fully grown men via a series of booby traps was absurd, wait ’til you get a load of this…

In Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House, Kevin McCallister must ignore the instructions of his parents and rescue a crown prince from his old foe Marv and Marv’s wife Vera.

It truly is as bad as it seems…

5. Home Alone: The Holiday Heist (2012)

Home Alone 5 (The Holiday Heist) thankfully didn’t regurgitate the great characters from the first Home Alone in some lame attempt to gather an audience, but much like our previous entry did seem like a film written before the Home Alone branding was ever slapped on it.

In many ways another sorry attempt to grab cash from willing and hopeful consumers, rather than a fitting tribute or loving extension to the Home Alone franchise, The Holiday Heist did actually offer brief glimmers of being something more than that of the franchise’s previous incarnation, notably upping the casting quality to include the legendary Ed Asner (albeit in a cameo) and A Clockwork Orange actor Malcolm McDowell.

The movie was directed by Peter Hewitt, the man who helmed Bill & Ted’s Bogus Adventure just a year after the original Home Alone was released and later directed the absurd British children’s comedy Thunderpants (2002), his work on The Holiday Heist at least attempting to replicate some of the feeling of the first few movies, albeit quite poorly.

Recommended for you: I’m a 90s Kid and I Watched Home Alone for the First Time This Year

Make sure to read 10 Best Home Alone Moments before you read this article.

Alone in the most heavily populated city in the United States, Kevin encounters troublesome hotel clerks and the return of some old foes in this much beloved follow-up to one of the greatest Christmas films of all time.

In this Movie List, we at The Film Magazine are examining Chris Columbus’ iconic Christmas sequel for this, the 10 Best Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Moments.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter for updates on more articles like this one.

10. Kevin Calls Uncle Frank a Cheapskate

The film opens with a scene from a Christmas concert at Kevin’s school, the parents of the children all gathered in the audience to watch the show. Kevin’s solo is coming up.

Buzz (Devin Ratray), Kevin’s horrible older brother, plays a prank on him whilst he is singing, causing the whole auditorium to laugh at Kevin’s expense. 

Back at the house, after the event has unfolded, Buzz is apologising to the family for the prank he pulled and the embarrassment he caused his younger brother. Kevin clocks on to the insincerity of Buzz’s apology and stands up to his family, saying he doesn’t want to spend Christmas in Florida anyway. Uncle Frank (Gerry Bamman) tells him not to ruin the trip that Kevin’s father has paid a lot of money for. 

With outstanding delivery from Culkin, Kevin roasts Uncle Frank with one simple line: “I wouldn’t want to spoil your fun Mr. Cheapskate.”

Hilarious.

9. Marv Smiles for the Camera

Marv (Daniel Stern) and Harry (Joe Pesci) have escaped prison and made their way to New York in an attempt to make the Big Apple their new stomping grounds. They find out about a donation drive happening at a big toy store, and when Kevin clocks on to what they’re doing, he follows them there and catches them in the act.

When he sees them robbing the store, Kevin uses his new polaroid camera to snap a shot of them for proof. He shouts, “Hey Guys! Smile!”.

With brilliant comedic timing, and his trademarked goofiness, Marv looks up at the camera and gives it a big grin. 

Written and produced by the king of 80s movies, John Hughes, Home Alone holds a special place in a lot of our hearts and is a must watch around the festive season each and every year.

Thirty years after Macaulay Culkin shot to superstardom as lonely eight year old child Kevin McCallister, we at The Film Magazine are looking back at the original movie’s very best moments for this Top List of the 10 Best Home Alone Moments.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter for updates on more articles like this one.

10. Headcount Mishap

Chaos has hit the McCallister household when, due to a power outage in the middle of the night, none of the alarm clocks in the house go off – cue the line “We overslept!” From Mr and Mrs McCallister. 

As the fourteen family children pile into the airport transport mini vans, a nosey neighbour comes over to see what all the fuss is about. As he is in the back of the mini van, he clambers over all the seats and starts rummaging through the family’s bags. Megan, the oldest McCallister child, is asked to do a “head count” and miscounts the nosey neighbour as Kevin, who is actually curled up in bed unaware of the madness going on around him.

Thinking that everyone is present and accounted for, the family leave for their vacation, resulting in Kevin being (you guessed it) left home alone.

9. Gus Gives Parental Advice

After an attempt to get on a last minute flight home from Paris, Kate McCallister (Catherine O’Hara) finds herself in Scranton, Pennsylvania and her only ride home is to join a Polka tour who have kindly offered to drop her off in Chicago. 

Gus “The Polka King of the Midwest” Polinski, played by the wonderful John Candy, keeps Kate company as they make their long journey back to the Windy City. In the back of their tour van, Gus gives Kate some much needed comfort in justifying her mistake of leaving Kevin behind and confirms to her that she is a good mother. 

Between two parents, Catherine O’Hara and John Candy share a beautiful moment of comfort and kindness. 

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Director: Jeremiah Chechik
Screenwriter: John Hughes
Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverley D’Angelo, Randy Quaid, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nicholas Guest

Throughout the past few decades, Christmas has become its own genre of cinema. This wonderful time of year has spawned many great films, often full of warmth and romance, and giving audiences that special feel-good feeling. From the incredible It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) with its tender story and heartfelt message that’s able to move anybody to tears, to the ever popular Love Actually (2003) that still has an affect on viewers at this time of year with a lust for romance and passion, Christmas films are perfect for evoking a sense of togetherness at “the most wonderful time of the year”. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, however, doesn’t tick any of these boxes. Romantic, passionate and tender are not words that can be associated with this outrageously funny comedy, yet somehow it’s that very reason that makes Christmas Vacation stand out as one of the classic, if underappreciated, films of the festive season.

The film stars Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, a hardworking family man who rather haphazardly begins to organize his family’s Christmas. From ridiculously oversized trees, to covering the exterior of his house with over 25,000 fairy lights, there’s no denying Clark’s passion and excitement for the festive season, which makes a change from the pessimistic protagonist usually found in films set during this time of the year. The chaos ensuing at the Griswold residents is enough to alarm nosy neighbours Margo (a young Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Todd (Nicholas Guest), who grow more irritated with Clark’s antics. As Christmas day approaches, more and more Griswold relatives begin to arrive for the celebrations, including Clark’s wife Ellen’s redneck cousin Catherine (Miriam Flynn) and her husband Eddie (a hilarious Randy Quaid), who in particular add fuel to the proverbial fire at the Griswold residence. On top of that, Clark becomes distracted when he realizes he still hasn’t received his Christmas bonus despite being a loyal company man, which acts as the catalyst that finally pushes him over the edge.

Christmas Vacation is an endlessly watchable, farcical comedy much in the same vein as the previous Vacation instalments, elevated by its brilliant leading man Chevy Chase – every second he is on screen, it feels as if a laugh out loud moment is inevitable.

Clark grows more and more frustrated with the series of events occurring, and Chase demonstrates this hilariously through his over-exaggerated facial expressions. In particular, there is a moment where he explodes with aggravation, with Chase executing a hysterical rant that demonstrates just how great an actor he is when on top form – it’s perhaps such a good line reading it’s iconic in its own right.

Whilst James Stewart’s George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life is a fragile, vulnerable family man who feels worthless because of how he has been treated by his employer, Clark is simply annoyed at his employer because he hasn’t been given his bonus so that he can build a swimming pool for his loved ones. It’s this kind of simplistic reasoning for Clark’s madness that is so brilliant, because although it seems greedy and selfish, it’s extremely relatable for millions of people, and fits with the ridiculous tone of the film. Ellen (Beverley D’Angelo) has some shining moments as she attempts to be the voice of reason, but there’s no doubt the supporting MVP is cousin Eddie, who was so popular during the film’s release that Randy Quaid led the spin-off Christmas Vacation 2. He is dynamite in every scene, unpredictable in his actions with seemingly no idea too outlandish for what he might do next.

The script from beloved filmmaker John Hughes is great at encapsulating the chaotic nature of the story. It’s by no means a script that has any real depth but it does provide enough situational comedy that you can forgive the clunky, disorganised moments of the film. The only intent Christmas Vacation has is to make audiences laugh.

Jon Favreau’s Elf (2003) often gets the plaudits as the definitive festive comedy, but Christmas Vacation blows it out of the water for sheer hilarity and exuberance, with the script never letting up the chaos for a single second, even when the laughs don’t hit. Chechik’s direction features nothing technically brilliant or even flashy, but is effective at ensuring audiences know exactly what they need to be laughing at. During parts of the film, it’s not the actual event that has occurred that is funny, but the reaction from one of the great ensemble of characters, and Chechik establishes this very well.

Overall, if you’re looking for an energetic, outrageous comedy to sink your teeth into this festive season, look no further than Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase is in top form as the chaotic Clark Griswold, with a host of brilliant supporting characters that provide laugh after laugh throughout the film’s relatively short runtime. The script is sharp at times (with some hilarious lines) and the direction allows the disaster to unfold seamlessly. Don’t expect the romance or passion of Love Actually, or the heart and warmth of It’s A Wonderful Life, but do be prepared to laugh non-stop at this highly entertaining farce.

18/24

Written by Bradley Weir

You can support Bradley Weir in the following places:

Twitter: @bradderzz98
Blog: Brad Watching Film

*Slap face in shock*

I know, I know. In my defence, for the first three years of my life I exclusively watched Beauty and The Beast (1991) and then I started reading.

So, to get myself into the Christmas spirit, I thought I’d sit down with the film that gets the biggest ‘oh my god, what? Are you joking? Seriously?’ response when I say ‘I haven’t seen [insert name of iconic film here]’.

For the two of you who don’t know, Home Alone is the story of Kevin McCallister – played by a youthful, pre-drugs Macaulay Culkin – who is left ‘home alone’ when his family go on a Christmas vacation to Paris. ‘When I grow up and get married, I’m living alone’ – yes Kevin I’m with you on that one. When he wakes up to find his family gone, he thinks a Christmas miracle has happened – cue montage of what we all should do when we are home alone: eat ice cream and watch movies (although as an adult I would not jump on the bed because I paid for that mattress). Now, because it’s the holidays, burglars are taking the opportunity to rob all the houses of the rich people that abandon their homes for warmer climates. Top Tip: don’t tell a stranger you are going away for the holidays because they will rob you. Kevin therefore has to defend his house from an evil duo who have tagged themselves as “The Wet Bandits”, which leads to a slapstick series of booby-traps that did make me laugh out loud.

My first and most important question that isn’t answered while watching this film is… (fear not, this is not going to one of those pieces that says, ‘How could parents forget a child?’, because I am able to suspend my disbelief about that)… ‘Why is everyone so horrible to Kevin?’

There is no back story to suggest that he’s a bad kid, he just wants someone to help him pack and to eat the pizza that has been ordered for him. Seriously, I’m not surprised Kevin was happy his family disappeared. If Buzz was my brother I’d be like, “great he’s gone, thank you baby Jesus”.

Another major thing that I want to pick out that annoyed me was “the Kevin scream”. My whole life I had assumed that Kevin’s scream was because of the people robbing his house or at the realisation that he had been left by his family. But alas, the scream is because he has put aftershave on his cheeks. Kevin has not shaved therefore he hasn’t opened his pores therefore it would not hurt that much! I feel cheated by the poster of the movie.

Despite my nit-picking, Home Alone is a great film and a really enjoyable movie experience. It has truly given me more cultural capital than my undergraduate degree. No longer will I have to false laugh at ‘Merry Christmas you filthy animal’ and I now understand my pub quiz team name “The Wet Bandits”. Now that I finally understand these things, the influence and reach of this movie is clear, and I understand why people are so shocked that I am alive and had never seen it.

Recommended for you: Home Alone Movies Ranked

I usually find that movies from the early 90’s feel really dated. However, this isn’t the case with Home Alone. It is funny and relatable. It’s like Kevin invented the Vlogger morning routine video, and him asking if the toothbrush is approved by the American dental association is exactly the kind of question people ask me in my retail job. Most importantly, Kevin’s fake party is better than most real parties I have ever been to. As I noted, the defending the house sequences are genuinely funny and silly in the best way.

The ending of this film is also so heart-warming – how have I never seen this? Kevin is so happy to have his family back, another Christmas miracle. The moral I took from this movie is: love your family. Even if they are not nice people and literally forget about you. Also, isn’t there another Home Alone where they forget Kevin again? I guess I’ll have to wait to see whether I should give up on this family. But Kevin… I love you. You are my spirit animal- ‘a lovely cheese pizza just for me’.

Now to finally watch Die Hard for the first time…

John Bender (Judd Nelson)

Judd Nelson’s alternative and rebellious teenager John Bender has become an icon of the screen due to his quick one-liners, distinctive look and that unforgettable grey streak of hair that seemed to disappear and reappear from scene to scene. He was perhaps one of the more notable members of the 80s’ so-called Brat Pack and his appearance in this movie coincided with a less notable but still important appearance in St. Elmo’s Fire in the same year. Later in the decade he’d provide the voice of Rodimus Prime in Transformers: The Movie and narrate the 100% fresh (Rotten Tomatoes) documentary Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam, as well as win a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Mini-Series for his performance in Billionaire Boys Club. He’d close the decade having worked with the likes of Bruce Willis, John Hurt, Nicolas Cage, Charlie Sheen, Robert DeNiro and Burt Reynolds, and he’d move into the 90s as a co-star to Max von Sydow in Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes (1990). The 90s would see him transition into the popular ‘urban’ genre of the time opposite the likes of Wesley Snipes, Chris Rock, Forest Whitaker and Rosario Dawson, but it would be his television work on HBO’s Suddenly Susan – a show that ran for 4 seasons with Nelson as one of the starring roles – that would see out the decade. In the 2000s a series of bad film and TV choices diminished his success significantly and the actor could be found in lesser roles on CSI by mid-way through the decade. The 2010s saw him step away from the industry and release four novels for Kindle and reprise his role as Rodimus Prime in Transformers: Animated. He is currently filming a film version of Billionaire Boys Club and working smaller independent movies

Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez)

Emilio Estevez’s typical high-school jock Andrew Clark was given a depth and character by writer John Hughes that was often overlooked in characters of his type in other movies, and Estevez’s portrayal was praised for its honesty and vulnerability following the picture’s release. This made him one of the bigger stars to come from the film, following in the footsteps of his father and brother, Martin Sheen and Charlie Sheen respectively, to become one of the more highly sought actors of the day. Like Judd Nelson, Estevez was a cast member for St. Elmo’s Fire, and was set to lead Oliver Stone’s Platoon before scheduling delays meant passing the role to his younger brother Charlie Sheen. The rest of the decade would be a mixed bag from an acting point of view having picked up a Golden Raspberry for his performance in Maximum Overdrive and starred in the successful action-westerns Young Guns 1&2, but Estevez would make inroads into other roles within the industry having contributed to the screenplay of three films and directed two feature length pictures by 1990. In the 90s, Estevez would look to make more films and negotiated a deal with Disney that allowed him to get funding for some of his passion projects in return for starring in the successful sports movies The Mighty Ducks, and this more artistic route would take him through the 2000s where Estevez would direct a number of episodes of The Guardian, Cold Case, CSI: NY and Numb3rs but would fade into relative obscurity as a star name after only appearing in 10 films/tv shows this century, including a handful of cameos alongside family members in The West Wing and 2 and a Half Men. Now seemingly unofficially retired from the industry, Estevez is attached to no future projects but has been heard speaking of the possibility of another Mighty Ducks movie in the near future.