Getting There Is All The Fun: Memories of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," in celebration of the film's 35th anniversary.

 By Michael Lyons

Five years ago, when I started this blog and noted on the calendar that it would debut in November, I knew that the first article I had to write would need to be about Planes, Trains and Automobiles.  The film was about to celebrate its 30th anniversary, and I couldn't wait to commemorate this (to read the article, click here: Holiday Road: The 30th Anniversary of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" ).

 

Since its debut on November 25, 1987, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, has become more and more of a favorite for me in the past 35 years.  It's now not only one of my top holiday movies (and a must-watch each season) but also one of my favorite comedies of all time.

 

My first introduction was a trailer that surfaced during the summer of '87 that concluded with the now famous "Those aren't pillows" scene, resulting in an eruption of laughter from the audience that was usually reserved for the main feature, not the coming attraction.

 

As it came closer to the opening day of Planes, Trains and Automobiles on the day before Thanksgiving, I became fascinated with the film.

 

The story revolves around uptight marketing executive Neal Page (Steve Martin), who is on a business trip to New York and is desperately trying to get home to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his family.  Weather and travel-related hurdles prevent this, and he gets unwittingly paired up with Del Griffith (John Candy), an innocently annoying shower curtain ring salesman. The latter tries to help Neal but ultimately becomes part of the problem.

 

It's a somewhat basic conceit, but what drew me to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and it continues to, is that it was a Thanksgiving movie.  There weren't, and still aren't, a lot of films that celebrate this particular holiday.  In fact, at the time, there weren't a lot of Christmas movies.

 

The last big theatrical holiday film before Planes, Trains, and Automobiles was A Christmas Story in 1983. Hard as it is to believe, there weren't a lot of choices when it came to holiday-themed films 35 years ago.  As a holiday movie fan, there was much to look forward to with Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

 

Additionally, Martin and Candy were at the height of their movie popularity. In the 80s, comedies were king, with films like Ghostbusters and Beverly Hills Cop as two of the biggest of the decade.

 

To add to it all, the film was written and directed by John Hughes, who had brought "The Brat Pack" to prominence by creating films for a generation with Sixteen Candles and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  Two years after Planes, Trains and Automibles, Hughes became the king of holiday comedies with the one-two punch of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation in 1989 and Home Alone in 1990.

 

This would be Hughes’ first “adult” film.  Knowing that he was an expert at crafting stories and injecting unique humor only increased my interest in the movie.

1987 newspaper ad for 

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

After seeing the film on Black Friday, I was ecstatic.  It was all of the humor, timing, and physical comedy Steve Martin was so brilliant at, coupled with a genuine performance from John Candy, where the comedian crafted a character.

 

Running throughout Planes, Trains and Automobiles was a surprising amount of heart that never felt like it was “tacked on” but grew out of the story and the two main characters.  I watched Siskel & Ebert & The Movies that weekend (and, after all, who didn’t?  Their reviews could make or break a movie), and they raved about the film.

 

As Thanksgiving weekend came to a close, I knew, I just knew, that Planes, Trains, and Automobiles was a holiday and comic classic in the making.

 

Then, the box office results came out, and, as far as I was concerned, something had gone terribly wrong.  I opened the newspaper (remember those?) on Monday and the small box on the “Entertainment” page with the box-office results had Planes, Trains and Automobiles at number three.

 

Wait!  What?!?  It was behind another comedy, Three Men and a Baby, at number one, and a re-issue of Disney’s 1950 animated feature, Cinderella.

 

How could this be?  I was so disappointed.  However, as the holiday season of 1987 faded, pop culture had other plans for Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

 

The 80s would see the boon of home video and cable, which, like many films, brought a new appreciation for this one.  The VHS and DVD copies of the film I would purchase through the years would become part of the Thanksgiving season.

 

I am such a nerd for Planes, Trains and Automobiles that I watch it yearly two days before Thanksgiving, as that is when the film opens. I have heard multiple stories from fans who also make sure that they watch the movie sometime during Thanksgiving week, whether the day before or Thanksgiving night, as a comforting way to ease out of the “Turkey coma.”

 

Also, when the internet became “a thing,” word spread that Hughes had made a much longer (some say about three hour long) version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which had been trimmed down to a lean 90 minutes.

 

The footage was said to be lost with only one scene, with Steve Martin attempting to eat airline food, surfacing, as it was used on TV in place of the, now classic “F-word car rental sequence.”  And, fans of the film, like me, wondered and fantasized what those scenes (some of which were also in the original trailer) and that wondrous “Hughes cut” of Planes, Trains and Automobiles must be like.  

 

Luckily, we can wonder no more, as this year, finally, for the film’s 35^th anniversary, over an hour of footage has been unearthed and released on 4K.

A deleted scene from 

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

 

It's amazing to think that there are even more classically timed comedic scenes than the now iconic ones mentioned, like the "pillows," the rental car scene, and, especially, the close call between two semi-trucks.

 

While those scenes and lines of dialogue (Neal: "What do you think the temperature is?"  Del: "One.") have become part of the lexicon for fans of the film, there's so much more to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

 

Here is a film about how in a fast-paced world, we can miss out on life itself, like connections with a complete, kind-hearted stranger, that can teach us more about them and ourselves.  

 

No wonder, like so many others, for thirty-five years, I have enjoyed traveling with Neal and Del every Thanksgiving.

 

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Stuffed With Laughs: Classic Sitcoms Where Thanksgiving Goes Terribly Wrong

 

Cheers' "Thanksgiving Orphans" episode

by Michael Lyons

Thanksgiving is a fantastic holiday.  Food at the table, and family gathered around it.  It truly is a day to be thankful for all that we have...and still, like all holidays and so much else planned in our lives, things can go wrong, and sometimes do.

We all have memories of those Thanksgivings when the turkey was undercooked; the potatoes were runny, the stuffing wasn't from Stovetop, and, even worse, we had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving.

This idea of plans being ruined for Thanksgiving and those who wouldn't be gathered together typically wind up getting together for the holiday has been fodder for several Thanksgiving-themed sitcom episodes.

And so, as we look ahead to the holiday and hope that our plans go as planned; here are three episodes from three classic sitcoms where Thanksgiving went terribly wrong:

 "Over the River and Through the Woods," The Bob Newhart Show, originally aired on November 22, 1975

In this very funny episode of this understated and hysterical show, Psychologist Dr. Bob Hartley (Bob Newhart) decides to stay home in Chicago for Thanksgiving when his wife, Emily (Suzanne Pleshette), travels home to visit her family for the holiday.

Bob says he can't leave his patients, but truth be known, he doesn't want to travel to see his in-laws, so he stays home.  And karma has its own plans.

Emily leaves, and Bob has no one else to spend Thanksgiving with except Jerry (Peter Bonerz), the sarcastic dentist he shares an office wife, Howard (Bill Daily), the clueless airline pilot who lives next door, and Elliot (Jack Riley) his offbeat patient.

The four spend the holiday in Bob's oh-so-70s Chicago apartment, and as they continually get depressed over how bad their Thanksgiving turned out, they begin drinking and drinking and drinking.  

The result is a disastrous holiday for all of them and laughs for all of us, as "Over the River and Through the Woods" features these pros, with perfect comic timing, in their "drunken" state.  Especially funny is when they attempt to cook the tiny turkey Bob had in his freezer.

Emily comes home to find that they are not just a mess, but they've ordered a lot of Chinese food.  It's the perfect end to a humorous Thanksgiving episode and a perfect example of why Bob Newhart and The Bob Newhart Show are both brilliant.

 "Thanksgiving Orphans," Cheers, Originally aired on November 27, 1986

 

The gang at Boston's funniest bar, Cheers, all have their Thanksgiving plans, and they all fall apart, leaving the gang to gather at Carla's (Rhea Perlman) house for football and turkey.  And things go from bad to horrible.

Norm (George Wendt) brings the turkey but can't get it to cook; Diane (Shelley Long) shows up from another dinner dressed as a pilgrim, and frustrations grow.

It all comes to a hilarious climax, as their anger with each other results in a food fight...and one of the most all-out, no-holds-barred food fights you've ever seen!

This episode takes the theme of "Thanksgiving gone wrong" to the next level, and like The Bob Newhart Show, there is an great ending gag involving Norm's wife, Vera, that won't be revealed here.

 "The One Where Underdog Gets Away," Friends, Originally aired on November 17, 1994

This one is from the first season of Friends, where the sitcom's Thanksgiving episodes become favorite traditions among fans.

As expected, everyone's big plans for the holiday fall apart, and Monica (Courteney Cox) agrees to cook Thanksgiving dinner for the gang. They learn that the Underdog balloon has broken loose from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and they all run to the roof, locking themselves out of the apartment.  

Dinner, of course, is ruined, and they settle for Chandler’s “anti-Thanksgiving dinner” of grilled cheese but find themselves happy that they’re still all together.

The sharp writing and comic timing that was a hallmark of Friends are on full display here:

Chandler (Matthew Perry): "Oh my god!  Underdog has broken loose and is flying over the city!

Joey (Matt LeBlanc): "The balloon?"

Chandler: "No, no...The actual cartoon character."

Watching this well-crafted episode through the years, it's easy to see why Thanksgiving, or "Friendsgiving," became such a tradition.

So, if your Thanksgiving takes a turn for the worse, consider viewing one or all of these with your undercooked turkey, and know that you are in good (and funny) company.

 

 

Looking for more Thanksgiving themed articles and podcasts? Head over to: Words From Lyons !

And, want to be thankful for finding a Christmas gift for the movie, or Disney fan, on your list? My book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance, is now available on Amazon, or you can purchase signed and personalized copies at: Words From Lyons !

 

 

 

 

 

Blind Ambition: The 30th Anniversary of "Scent of a Woman"

 by Michael Lyons 

     "PACINO."  That was sprawled across the top of the movie poster for Scent of a Woman when it was released in 1992. It makes it seem like the movie is about the legendary actor. While Al Pacino is brilliant in the film, deservedly winning his long-awaited Best Actor Oscar, he is the centerpiece of so much more at work in the movie.

    The character he plays - loud, brash, demanding attention - is in the spotlight. However, supporting performances, direction, writing and messages also make Scent of a Woman still something so special three decades after its initial release.

    Starting at a stuffy, traditional prep school, young Charlie Simms (Chris O' Donnell), looking to make some extra money over Thanksgiving break, agrees to take care of a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel named Frank Slide (Pacino).

    Lt. Col. Slade is brash, bitter, rude, and speaks his mind.  He is also blind after a military accident took away his sight.  He lives with his niece (Margaret Eginton) and her family, who are his caretakers, and they desperately want to get away for the holiday weekend.

    Despite how Frank insults him, Charlie takes the job, thinking it will be easy money.  Just before leaving for Thanksgiving, a prank is pulled on the dean of his school, and innocent Charlie finds himself unwittingly involved.  A hearing will be held on the Monday after the holiday weekend, weighing on Charlie over the four days.

    As he arrives at Frank's house, Charlie finds that the Lt. Col. has other plans.  Without his niece knowing it, Frank has booked a trip to New York City, and he will be dragging Charlie along.   During it, they wind up doing everything from paying an unexpected visit to Frank's brother, tangoing with a beautiful stranger, and even test drive a Ferrari. As an added twist, the Lt. Col. has also planned a tragic end to the Thanksgiving weekend.

    During all this, Frank and Charlie form an unlikely bond, during which they help each other and help one another get their lives on a better path.  This relationship at the center of Scent of a Woman allows the film to emerge as a powerful character study.

    Pacino is mesmerizing in this role.  With a career filled with already iconic performances at this point, Frank Slade emerged as one of his best, as he commands every scene, inviting the audience to guess what he will do our say next.

    Chris O'Donnell delivers an equally compelling performance on a different level.  It isn't easy to deliver in an understated way, and O'Donnell does her perfectly.  His emotional confrontation with Pacino toward the film's end is as real and raw as movie moments.

    Additionally, there is a "who's who" of solid character actors who make the most of small scenes and moments throughout Scent of a Woman: James Rebhorn is perfectly smug and viscous as the headmaster of the prep school; Bradley Whitford, so on-point as Frank's obnoxious nephew, who satisfyingly gets his comeuppance; Gabrielle Anwar, sweet and luminous as the stranger who dances with Frank; Ron Eldard as an earnest New York City cop and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, in one of his first major roles, as a schmoozy, obnoxious, and clueless schoolmate of Charlie's.

Director Martin Brest (Beverly Hills Cop) brings a comforting, understated style, allowing these performances to take center stage.  He also provides a satisfying conclusion when Frank joins (and defends) Charlie at the prep school hearing. 

Opening on December 23, 1992, Scent of a Woman connected with critics, audiences, and the Academy. Not only did Pacino win, but the film was nominated for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture.

For its thirtieth anniversary, the film is most definitely worth a re-watch (or an actual watch, if you've never seen it), as it’s the kind of film that seems from an era, but wasn't that long ago (today, this movie would most likely be a streaming series).

A remake of the Italian film, Profumo di donna, Scent of a Woman is not just character studies; it's about our internal and external struggles and seeking help from those around us. 

It's fitting that Scent of a Woman takes place at Thanksgiving, and it's one of the perfect movies for this time of year, as it's also about how things can change for us from an unexpected connection in our lives, and how we should seek out those connections, without pre-judging others. All in the spirit of the season.

Want to read more of my articles?  Or listen to one of my podcasts?  You're in luck!  Head over to my website: Words From Lyons !

Also, doing some early Christmas shopping? Or even late Halloween shopping? Consider my book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance, now available on Amazon ...and signed and personalized copies are available at Words From Lyons !