Nov 28, 2019
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a 1987 American buddy film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. The film stars Steve Martin as Neal Page, a high-strung marketing executive, and John Candy as Del Griffith, a goodhearted but annoying shower curtain ring salesman. They share a three-day odyssey of misadventures trying to get Neal home to Chicago in time for Thanksgiving with his family.
FCAC tackles the ur-Thanksgiving movie and celebrates the brilliant genius of John Candy, gone too soon. And Steve Martin's career is a thing to celebrate, too.
Podcast Notes:
Other Thanksgiving movies (03:00), We play an intriguing voicemail left for the podcast by DeForest DeForest about Burt Rangles et al (03:30), Chris' closing lines listener shout-outs (06:30), Discussion about John Hughes (07:30), End credits sequence in 'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (10:30), Meet cute scene between John Candy and Steve Martin seated next to each other on a plane (11:30), The career of Steve Martin (14:00), Awkward clip from the presser for 'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles' (18:30), Brad Pitt and Adam Sandler not liking to promote movies (19:00), The career of John Hughes (21:00), Dylan Baker's brilliant scene in 'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles' (22:00), Steve Martin sing-a-long scene from 'Planes, Trains, and Automobile' (26:00), Steve Martin's near-casting in Stanley Kubrick's 'Eyes Wide Shut' (26:30), John Candy and Steve Martin diner break-up scene from 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles', including John Candy's brilliantly improvised button (30:00), John Candy's great dramatic scene from John Hughes' 'Uncle Buck' (33:30), Steve Martin and John Candy's parting scene (36:00), Del and Neil scene where Del tells Neil the truth (39:00), Car rental counter scene with Neil and Edie McClurg (42:30), Doobie the cabdriver scene (with Larry Hankan, That Guy, who was almost Kramer in 'Seinfeld') (46:00), Why Paul Young's version of 'Every Time You Go Away' isn't used in 'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles' (48:00), Final Lines pitch (52:00), Rants n Raves (52:00) Headlines (59:00) Latch Key TV: Les Nessman Turkey Drop scene from WKRP in Cincinnati (1:04:30), 'It's Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown' (1:07:30), Bomb Squad: Fantasy Island (1:09:30)