It’s Yesterday Once More: Celebrating the 25th...wait, no...the 30th Anniversary of “Groundhog Day!”

  It’s Yesterday Once More: Celebrating the 25th 30^th Anniversary of “Groundhog Day!”

 By Michael Lyons

“What if there is no tomorrow?!?  There wasn’t one today!”

 

This line of dialogue from 1993’s “Groundhog Day” is not only witty, it’s the theme of film’s most original comedies.

 

Hard to believe that it’s been 25…wait, make that 30 years, since “Groundhog Day” debuted in theaters.  This anniversary, coupled with the fact that Punxsutawney Phil is about to emerge this week in Pennsylvania to hold our extended winter or early Spring in his little paws, it seems the perfect time to celebrate director Harold Ramis’ comedy masterpiece.

 

Anyone remotely familiar with movies, comedy, or groundhogs knows the story by now.  Bill Murray plays dour, cynical weatherman Phil Connors, who is sent to  Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual ritual reveal of groundhog Phil and the prediction for our upcoming weather.

 

A snowstorm traps Phil Connors in the small town, and, for absolutely no reason whatsoever, he finds himself re-living the same day, Groundhog Day, over and over and over and over again...until he realizes just how to make the day, and himself, better.

 

More than just a gimmick, “Groundhog Day” is one of the most reflective and philosophical comedies ever made.  If life is an endless boring replay of the same places and faces, how do we find our own inner peace and joy in that?

 

Bill Murray is at his most, well, Bill Murray as Phil.  No other comedic actor could have pulled off the smart-aleck attitude, slow burns, and eventual explosions as he does.  His performance here is a brilliant blend of the comic and the tragic. 

 

Director Ramis was given a most difficult task within “Groundhog Day.”  The film is a marvel of continuity, as the same scenes from each day are played out again and again with different reactions and scenarios.

 

All of it to hilarious comedic effect, as audiences are in on the joke, knowing how the scene should play out and waiting to see how it changes during one of the repeated days (It’s still easy to chuckle as the alarm clock changes to 6:00 am and “I’ve Got You Babe” begins to play).

 

Within these days, we get to meet the solid, supporting cast, including Andie MacDowell, bringing heart to what could have been a thankless role filled with nothing but straight lines.  There’s also the always hysterical character actor Stephen Tobolowksy, as a long lost friend of Phil’s, that he meets over and over again to hysterical effect.

 

The real wonder of “Groundhog Day” is the script, written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, who came up with the story.  Deep at the core of the film is the unspoken theme to make the most of each day, no matter how mundane or repetitive it may seem.  Like Phil Connors in the film, who pulls himself out of a very dark place to make the most of the small marvels in the small town around him, each of us can find the beauty in each new day.

 

Released on February 12, 1993, “Groundhog Day” is that rare film that’s become part of our pop culture and our lexicon.  If someone says, “I felt like I was stuck in Groundhog Day,” we know exactly what they mean.

 

Few movies have done that.  Two and half  make that, Three decades later, it’s safe to say that if there really is no tomorrow, “Groundhog Day” would be the perfect movie to watch...over and over and over and over again!

 

Sources: Wikipedia

 

If you feel like every day is the same, maybe you need to read a new book? Check out my book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance, available at Amazon , with personalized and signed copies available at Words From Lyons ...

...or check out more of articles and podcasts at my website: Words From Lyons !

 

 

 

To "B" or Not to "B": The 30th Anniversary of "Matinee"

by Michael Lyons

Ah, the B movie.  Somewhat dismissed in its day, and truly beloved now.  It's the rose-colored glow of nostalgia, and that's what the movie Matinee is all about.

A film that came and went on its initial release, this film lovingly remembers an innocent time in filmmaking, set against a not-so-innocent time in history, and celebrates its 30th anniversary this month.

Matinee is set in 1962 in Key West, Florida, where fears of the Cuban Missle Crisis have the residents on edge, a William Castle-like film producer and husker, Lawrence Woolsey (John Goodman), decides to choose the theater there for the premiere of his latest, exploitation, shlock horror film, Mant, about a man who is transformed into an ant after a nuclear explosion. 

Gene (Simon Fenton), an adolescent who lives in the town, is a huge movie fan and is incredibly excited about this. He even talks his way into helping Woolsey set up the theater, with buzzers in the seats and a costumed Mant that will run through the aisles.

Playing alongside this are all the real-world concerns of the time - Gene is worried about his father, who is in the Navy, and there are news reports about the threat of nuclear war. There's also a coming-of-age love story subplot involving Gene's friend, Stan (Omri Katz), and Sherry (Kellie Martin), the prettiest girl in school.

At the helm for Matinee is director Joe Dante, the perfect choice to bring this story to the screen, as his love for B movies and movies, in general, can be seen in all of his films, from his cult favorites like The Howling to his beloved blockbuster, Gremlins.

Released on January 29, 1993, Matinee, sadly, in the past three decades, has faded in many moviegoers' memories, and its anniversary should spark a revisit.

It's all about a love of movies, from both the audience's and the filmmaker's perspective; how movies can so fondly bring us back to a time and place; and, as they still do today, show us how movies are our escapist refuge in a sometimes crazy world.

It may be about "B" movies, but Matinee ranks an "A."

 

Visit my web site Words From Lyons for more of my articles and podcasts!

My book Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance is available at Amazon, and personalized and signed copies are available at Words From Lyons !

 

Get a Fresh (and Funny) Start: New Year's Resolution Support From Classic TV Sitcoms

  

Jennifer Aniston in the Friends episode, "The One

With All the Resolutions."

 

 

by Michael Lyons

 

No!  Wait!  Don't give up yet!  It's only mid-January.  It's still too early to toss aside those New Year's Resolutions.

It's never easy, but every journey starts with a first step, or maybe, in this case, a funny step.  To help with inspiration, here are some episodes of classic TV sitcoms that pair well with some of the most popular New Year's resolutions.

 Resolution: Lose Weight. I Love Lucy, "The Diet." Original airdate: October 29, 1951.

Lucy (Lucille Ball), always wanting to desperately be in Ricky's (Desi Arnaz) show at the club, attempts to lose weight.  The only problem?  She has five days to lose twelve pounds.

What follows are moments like Lucy running laps around the apartment, demonstrating why Lucille Ball is one of the most brilliant comedians to grace any screen.  Out of desperation, Lucy rents a sweatbox, which allows her to lose weight and perform in the show. But she stays in the sweatbox too long and emerges weak, having to be taken away from the show on a stretcher.

After this comes a last sight gag that's so unexpected, it shows why we will always love Lucy.

 

Resolution: Save More Money. The Honeymooners, "The  $99,000 Answer." Original airdate: January 28, 1956.

Ralph (Jackie Gleason) gets the chance to be on a game show, The  $99,000 Answer, where he has to answer a series of questions to earn money to get to the titular grand prize continuously.

Alice (Audrey Meadows) begs Ralph to get the first few questions correct and walk away.  But, always with his big dreams, Ralph balks at this; as he practices with Norton (Art Carney), he is determined to go to the $99,000 answer.

His final appearance on the game show and the first question he is asked are still one of this sitcom's most famous moments (and you will never listen to "Suwanee River" the same way again).

Resolution: Exercise. The Odd Couple, "The Odd Decathlon." Original airdate: September 28, 1973.

After a heated discussion about health insurance, Felix (Tony Randall) and Oscar (Jack Klugman) compete to see who is in better shape.  It all culminates with Felix getting Oscar to compete in a decathlon, where they go head-to-head in multiple athletic events, one after the other.

Does Oscar try to cheat?  He does, indeed, with hysterical moments of physical comedy from both stars during the show's finale.

 Resolution: Spend More Time With Friends. Friends, "The One with all the Resolutions." Original airdate: January 7, 1999.

In this episode, centering on the New Year, each one of the friends makes resolutions with one another.  Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) vows not to gossip, Chandler (Mathew Perry) says he won't make jokes, Monica (Courteney Cox) promises to take more pictures, Joey (Matt LeBlanc) wants to learn how to play the guitar, with help from Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) and Ross (David Schwimmer) resolves to do one new thing a day.

One of these "new things" involves him purchasing a pair of leather pants, which give him trouble while out on a date. Schwimmer's Ross struggling with his new, high-fitting pants provide one of this sitcom's funniest moments (of many) that still provide laughs no matter how many times it's rerun.

 

So, take heart and time to laugh with these episodes about your resolutions.  Just don't laugh them off; there are still eleven more months to go.  You can do it!

 

 

Is your New Year's resolution to read more?  Then, check out my book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance available at Amazon, with signed and personalized copies at Words From Lyons !

For more of my articles and podcasts head over to my website: Words From Lyons !

Reel Reflection: Looking Back at 2022's Movie Anniversaries

 

by Michael Lyons

Well, we seem to say it a lot lately in late December, but, again - What. A. Year.

As all of the events of 2022 whirled past us, movie fans could always find something to celebrate, as some notable films marked anniversaries this year.  Here is a look back at just some of them before we close the calendar:

 

The Avengers (2012) - Ten Years

Big Marvel Cinematic Universe movies seem so commonplace today that it's hard to believe that a decade has gone by since this first merging of several-super hero films.  Even though the franchise has grown, changed, expanded, and brought many different thoughts from fans, there's no denying this movie still packs a big ol' entertaining wallop.

 

Treasure Planet (2002) - Twenty Years

Released over Thanksgiving weekend of 2002, when it faired poorly at the box office, many were quick to dismiss this as "Disney's Holiday Turkey."  So unfair.  This science-fiction take on Treasure Island features brilliant character animation and pure heart and emotion that sneaks up on you.  An underrated gem, a "treasure," indeed.

 

Unforgiven (1992) - Thirty Years

Who better to helm a revisionist Western movie than Clint Eastwood?  The director and star's brutal take on the genre deservedly won the Best Picture Oscar that year, and is still impactful three decades later.

 

Tootsie (1982) - Forty Years

So funny.  That is the only way to describe this brilliant comedy.  Dustin Hoffman is perfect as a struggling actor so desperate for work that he disguises himself as a woman to get a role on a soap opera and becomes a star.

Not only filled with great humor but also messages about how different genders are perceived and perceive life.  Plus, the scene where Bill Murray calls Dustin Hoffman "a slut" is still classic!

 

The Godfather (1972) - Fifty Years

Still one of the greatest films of all time.  Francis Ford Coppola's Corleone crime family saga is perfect storytelling and much more than a "mob movie." It's a tale of the seductive nature of power, how that power can be corrupted, and how the power of family creates an indestructible bond.  There is a reason this movie is still discussed half a century later. 

 

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) - Sixty Years

If not the best, then one of the best film adaptations of a book ever made.  Gregory Peck embodied the role of lawyer Atticus Finch in this translation of Harper Lee's novel about a lawyer who defends a black man in small-town Alabama when the man is wrongfully accused of rape.  Set against the backdrop of not just the small-town South but coming-of-age understanding, To Kill a Mockingbird, the book, and this film, seem to become more powerful and relevant as the years pass. 

 

Casablanca (1942) - Eighty Years

They don't get more iconic than this.  In one of the defining roles of his career, Humphrey Bogart is Rick, the cynical ex-patriate who owns a nightclub in Morocco that gets caught in the crosshairs of World War II as he unexpectedly encounters his one-time love, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman).

So many unforgettable scenes and lines of dialogue ("Of all the jin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine," "We'll always have Paris," "Here's looking at you, kid," "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.").

Casablanca is a story of the power of alliances and how we can never escape our past.  It's the gold standard of the age of the silver screen.

 

As we head into the long holiday weekend, look ahead, reflect and take some time to remember these and other wonderful films that reached milestones in 2022.

Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!

 

 

Is one of your New Year resolutions to read more?  Then check out my book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance, available at Amazon with signed and personalized copies for sale at Words From Lyons !

Cold weather have you stuck inside?  Head over to my website  Words From Lyons for more articles to read and podcast episodes to listen to.

There's Magic in Store: The 75th Anniversary of the Original "Miracle on 34th Street"

 by Michael Lyons

 

Pure Movie Magic.  How many times have you heard that phrase?  Or have you seen it splashed across a movie poster?  It's beyond overused and applies only to certain movies.

One of them is the original Miracle on 34th Street.  The movie that's become a classic Christmas tradition and part of many film fans' seasonal rotations has magic to spare. What's most remarkable, as it celebrates its 75th anniversary, is that Miracle on 34th Street does this without the benefit of visual effects and, instead, tells a down-to-earth story overflowing with the ethereal wonder of the season.

The film tells the now-familiar tale of how Macy's department store in New York City hires a kindly gentleman as their seasonal Santa Claus, only to learn that he claims to be the real Saint Nick himself. What follows is a tremendous amount of speculation, resulting in a hearing to determine if Santa is really who he says he is.

Director George Seaton and his wife were vacationing with writer Valentine Davies and his wife when Davies told Seaton about his idea for the story.  Seaton then crafted the screenplay (which won him an Academy Award) and stepped behind the camera as director to helm Miracle on 34th Street.

When it was ready to be released, Darryl F. Zanuck, the head of 20th Century-Fox, decided to release the film not during Christmastime but on June 11, 1947, as Zanuck believed that more people went to the movies during the summer.

All marketing and promotion at the time, including the original trailer and poster, had no images of Christmas and kept the story shrouded in mystery to entice audiences to theaters.

Once critics saw Miracle on 34th Street, however, the secret was happily out of the bag.  In The New York Times, Bosley Crowther wrote: "For all those blasé skeptics who do not believe in Santa Claus - and likewise for all those natives who have grown cynical about New York-but most especially for all those patrons who have grown weary of the monotonies of the screen, let us heartily recommend the Roxy's new picture, Miracle on 34th Street. As a matter of fact, let's go further: let's catch its spirit and heartily proclaim that it is the freshest little picture in a long time and maybe even the best comedy of the year."

In addition to its story, Miracle on 34th Street is buoyed by the performances. Young Natalie Wood is amazingly natural as the "older-than-her years" little girl Susan Walker; Maureen O'Hara as Susan's mother, Doris, the Macy's manager who hires Kris Kringle, reveals great strength and vulnerability as she is torn between fantasy and reality; John Payne brings warmth to his role as Fred Gailey, the attorney who defends Santa in court and learns to believe; Gene Lockhart is hysterical as the skittish judge, and holding the film together, in the kindest, gentlest performance film has ever seen is Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle.

The performance won Gwenn a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, and he delivered one of the greatest acceptance speeches when he said, "Now I know there is a Santa Claus."

In the seven and a half decades since its release, Miracle on 34th Street has become more beloved each Christmas season. Although there have been remakes, such as a made-for-TV version in 1973 and the big-budget theatrical remake in 1994, none compare to the original. 

Author Sarah Parker Danielson wrote a book chronicling the making of the film, aptly titled Miracle on 34th Street, in which she states:

"Though its setting is the Christmas season, the film's message is a simple one applicable year-round: Life’s intangibles are what make living worthwhile. As Fred Gailey points out, what really matters are the things that Kris Kringle stands for - hope, joy, kindness, and love. That the characters in the film come to understand the meaning of these intangibles is the miracle on 34th St."

In other words: pure movie magic.

Happy 75th anniversary to Miracle on 34th Street, and Merry Christmas to one and all!

Sources:

Sarah Parker Danielson, Miracle on 34th Street, JG Press, 2006

Wikipedia

 

 Looking for a book to read over Christmas break?  Check out my book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance.  It's available at Amazon, and signed and personalized copies are available at my website:Words From Lyons

For more of my articles, podcasts, and info about me, visit: Words From Lyons  

 

Just Like The Ones We Used To Know: Looking Back on Bing Crosby's Last TV Christmas Special, 45 Years Later

 by Michael Lyons

Bing Crosby and David Bowie during their iconic

performance on Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas

Of all the memories of watching Christmas specials on TV through the years, there's one that is indelible.

It happened on November 30, 1977.  I was eleven years old and watched the annual Bing Crosby Christmas special with my mother and father, as we did each year.  It was called Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas, and, as he did each year, he ended the special by singing his iconic trademark song, "White Christmas."

My mom started crying as Bing sang it on our furniture-sized television.  When "White Christmas" finished, my mom said, "That's the last time."

Many watching Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas felt the same way that evening.  Sadly, Bing Crosby had just passed away in October of 1977, not long after taping the special (it had been a tough year as Elvis Presley had passed in August).

As it did then, Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas still feels like an end of an era.  Oh sure, there were, and have been similar, variety show-like Christmas specials since, but Bing Crosby represented a time when those comforting Christmas carols weren't re-recorded by every artist with a microphone and weren't played 24 hours a day on the radio.

When you heard Bing Crosby, it was Christmas.  Sure, he was known for more, but thanks to "White Christmas" and the movie of the same name, as well as Holiday Inn, seeing him and hearing him felt like a sign of the season.

That's what makes watching Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas bittersweet.

The special's "story" centers on Bing receiving an invite from a distant relative ("Sir Percy"), inviting him and his family to England to spend Christmas there. Bing, his wife Kathryn, and children Harry, Mary, and Nathaniel, spend the holidays at Sir Percy's estate.

While there, they meet the butler, the cook, and the maid (all played by Scottish comedian Stanley Baxter) and spend some time with Sir Percy's neighbor, David Bowie (during which he and Bing perform the medley of "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy," which would not only bridge musical generation gaps but also become a hit single in the 1980s).

Also, model and singer Twiggy joins the Crosbys for a discussion about some of Charles Dickens' most famous characters (many of them played in this ethereal sequence by actor Ron Moody, who had played Fagan in 1968's musical Oliver!).

Toward the conclusion, the Trinity Boys Choir joins all for a rousing medley of such Christmas songs as "Jingle Bells," "Winter Wonderland," "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," and "Carol of the Bells."

And it all concludes with Bing, standing at the piano, for that touching, last rendition of "White Christmas."

Recorded in England, Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas aired on November 30, 1977, on CBS, a little over a month after Bing's passing on October 14th.  Bing's wife Kathryn recorded a special introduction that aired before the special.

Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas ad

featured in TV Guide.

Watching Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas today, 45 years after its debut, it's not only a reminder of how closely Bing was connected to the holidays but also a memory of "another time" when Christmas specials such as this were like televised Christmas cards, from entertainers.  And an era when families scheduled time to gather together to watch them.

It was a wonderful time, and Bing Crosby was a wonderful part of it and an amazing talent, who has left quite the legacy, that we get to enjoy every Christmas season.

And Bing's closing words in the special, just before he sings "White Christmas," still resonates today:

“Really, I guess Christmas has a way of calling up the best in people. It's time to review your blessings, to renew your faith, to share the warmth of the season with new and old friends, with family. It's a time of joy, of closeness, a time to look back with gratitude of being able to come this far, and the time to look ahead with hope and optimism to a future day when there'll be peace on earth and goodwill towards all men. We wish you all the blessings of the season and a dream to place under your pillow to see you through the cold nights.”  

For more Christmas-themed articles and podcasts, head over to my website:Words From Lyons !

My book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance makes the perfect Christmas gift!  find it at Amazon and, also purchase signed and personalized copies at Words From Lyons !

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.

 

 Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotion at Words From Lyons !  When you order a signed and personalized copy of my book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance from Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24, 2022 (starting at Midnight EST) through Cyber Monday, November 28, 2022 (ending at Midnight EST) enter code: DRAWN15 and receive 15% off your total purchase!  Available only on these dates at: Words From Lyons !