Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a 1987 American comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes and starring Steve Martin and John Candy, with supporting roles by Laila Robins and Michael McKean.

It tells the story of Neal (Martin), a high-strung marketing executive, and Del (Candy), a good-hearted but irritating salesman, who become travel companions when their flight is diverted, and embark on a three-day odyssey of misadventures and disasters trying to reach Chicago in time for Neal’s Thanksgiving Day dinner with his family.

The film was released on November 1987 (12th February 1998 in the UK) to critical acclaim, with many praising it for Hughes branching out from teen comedies, and for Candy’s and Martin’s performances. It was also a box office success, earning $49.5 million on a $15 million budget. Watching the film has since become a Thanksgiving Day tradition for many in the USA.