Plane, Trains and Automobiles was the beginning to a beautiful relationship between director John Hughes and comedian John Candy. At this point – in 1987 – Hughes had already completed what is arguably the most important canon of teenage movies in cinematic history. Starting with the coming-of-age fantasy 16 Candles in 1984, Hughes wrote and directed six silly, but profoundly impactful films in just three years—including championing misfits in Breakfast Club and gleefully encouraging anti-authority in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off—and Hughes had been working with fresh-face teenage talents like Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall.
But, with Plane, Trains and Automobiles, Hughes took a step into the adult world – albeit, the silly adult world of John Candy.
It was a genius pairing: The both love slapstick and borderline offensive, but at the core each displays a remarkably kind and loving instincts. Ultimately, all of Hughes films championed the underdog or the under appreciated. And, ultimately, John Candy was embodied – all 300 pounds of him – this character.
Hughes and Candy produced another two films together – and were reportedly BFF.
On Wednesday, November 20, the Source shows Planes, Trains and Automobiles as our favorite Thanksgiving movie. Join us. (It’s FREE!!) Old Stone Church.
This article appears in Nov 14-20, 2013.
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
