History Film / PlanesTrainsAndAutomobiles

* GenreSavvy: When Neal calls his family at the airport, his daughter accurately predicts, "Flight delay."

* AllThereInTheManual: The shooting script included a penultimate scene in a coffee shop where Del gives a lengthy monologue about how he came to be [[spoiler:a homeless drifter: he has virtually no family, save an estranged bother and couple of equally estranged cousins. Marie's parents had died within a year of one another after their marriage. Marie and him and wanted three kids, but "she couldn't have any," and after her death, the crippling loneliness got to him, convincing him to live out of his trunk and "about 300 motels." Del also acknowledges that he knows he's clingy, especially around the holidays, for these very reasons.]]

* ThanksgivingDayStory: The main premise of the story is Neal trying to get home for the Thanksgiving holiday,[[spoiler:and that, no matter how dire things might seem, we all have something to be thankful for. It's delivered in such a way that even non-Americans can appreciate it.]]

* SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: Averted if paying attention. When driving from St. Louis to Chicago, it would normally take about 6 hours, but they drive from what looks like early evening deep into the night and then drive for a while in the morning before being told that they are still 3 hours away from Chicago. However, [[FreezeFrameBonus if you look at the officer's State Trooper badges]] and the name of the truck's company, you'll see where they are. They went into the middle of Wisconsin.

* TheEpiphany: While not so [[PlayedForDrama dramatic]], Neal gets one in the end when he pieces together [[spoiler: that Del's story about not being home for years doesn't connect with his declaration that he loves Marie very much. It's his first clue that Marie was DeadAllAlong.]]

* WardrobeFlawOfCharacterization: It's subtle, but the viewer can tell that John Candy's traveling salesman character's suit is off-the-rack and made of a synthetic material, especially by contrast with Steve Martin's successful, wealthy character, who wears one made of fine wool that looks custom-tailored. He also almost never laces up his boots, making him look much more sloppy.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: After Neal's wife falls asleep while watching TV, we hear a news report that the air traffic at the airport Neal was flying out of has cleared up, meaning he could have gotten home a few hours late instead of two days had he just been patient.

** The very first scene has Neal glancing at his airplane tickets while in a high-class business meeting at a fancy office complex in Manhattan. Right away, this tells us all three things we need to know about him: one, he's rich; two, he's impatient; and three, he values his time with his family.

** Neal realizes he forgot his gloves at the office while in a hurry to catch his flight, but figures he won't need them as he'll be home soon. [[spoiler:He eventually winds up on a forty mile ride in the back of a pickup truck in freezing weather without them. He actually sees some gloves back there with him he could use… if not for the AngryGuardDog]].

** Then there are three actors who appeared in ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff''. Lyman Ward (Ferris's father) is Neal's coworker who doesn't think he'll make the 6 o'clock flight. Ben Stein ("Bueller? Bueller?") announces that all flights have been cancelled… and smiles. Finally, Edie [=McClurg=] (Principal Rooney's secretary) has to endure the F-bomb rant.

* FlashbackMontageRealization: As Neal is finally heading home, he starts thinking about Thanksgiving dinner with his family, which segues into thinking about his time with Del Griffith over the previous two days, specifically remembering a cryptic comment Del made: "I haven't been home in years…". Neal suddenly realizes the truth about Del, and he returns to the train station to confront Del, who confesses [[spoiler:he's been a homeless drifter since his wife Marie died 8 years earlier.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Quite a bit of it involving Del…

-->'''Del:''' I don't think I've ever seen a guy picked up by his testicles before…

-->'''Del:''' You wanna hurt me? Go right ahead if it makes you feel any better. I'm an easy target. Yeah, you're right, I talk too much. I also listen too much. I could be a cold-hearted cynic like you… but I don't like to hurt people's feelings. Well, you think what you want about me; I'm not changing. I like… I like me. [[{{Foreshadowing}} My wife likes me]]. My customers like me. 'Cause I'm the real article. What you see is what you get.

** Neal realizes he forgot his gloves at the office while in a hurry to catch his flight, but figures he won't need them as he'll be home soon. [[spoiler:He eventually winds up on a forty mile ride in the back of a pickup truck in freezing weather without them. He actually sees some gloves back there with him he could use...if not for the AngryGuardDog]].

* FlashbackMontageRealization: As Neal is finally heading home, he starts thinking about Thanksgiving dinner with his family, which segues into thinking about his time with Del Griffith over the previous two days, specifically remembering a cryptic comment Del made: "I haven't been home in years...". Neal suddenly realizes the truth about Del, and he returns to the train station to confront Del, who confesses [[spoiler:he's been a homeless drifter since his wife Marie died 8 years earlier.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Quite a bit of it involving Del...

-->'''Del:''' I don't think I've ever seen a guy picked up by his testicles before...

-->'''Del:''' You wanna hurt me? Go right ahead if it makes you feel any better. I'm an easy target. Yeah, you're right, I talk too much. I also listen too much. I could be a cold-hearted cynic like you... but I don't like to hurt people's feelings. Well, you think what you want about me; I'm not changing. I like... I like me. [[{{Foreshadowing}} My wife likes me]]. My customers like me. 'Cause I'm the real article. What you see is what you get.

* FlashbackMontageRealization: As Neal is finally heading home, he starts thinks about Thanksgiving dinner with his family, which segues into thinking about his time with Del Griffith over the previous two days, specifically remembering a cryptic comment Del made: "I haven't been home in years...". Neal suddenly realizes the truth about Del, and he returns to the train station to confront Del, who confesses he's been a homeless drifter since his wife Marie died 8 years earlier.

* {{Leitmotif}}: A particular motif (that mostly uses a harmonica) plays on almost every scene where another problem occurs that impedes Neal from getting home (the train stopping, the rented car not existing, ''having to go to court''...)

* CelebrityParadox: Averted, sort of: At the beginning of the film, Creator/KevinBacon has a cameo as another commuter who races Neal for a NYC taxicab. Later, there's a scene where Neal's wife is watching television; while you can't see the screen, the audio is of Kevin Bacon in a scene from another John Hughes film, ''She's Having a Baby''.

* VitriolicBestBuds: Neal and Del gradually evolve from TeethClenchedTeamwork (Del likes Neal, Neal detests Del) to acrual friendship as Neal warms to Del and undergoes CharacterDevelopment.

* VitriolicBestBuds: Neal and Del gradually evolve from Type 1 (Del likes Neal, Neal detests Del) to Type 2 as Neal warms to Del and undergoes CharacterDevelopment.

* {{Squick}}: Plenty of moments, all having to do with Del's slovenly hygiene:
** The bathroom at the Braidwood Inn looks downright toxic, with Del's smelly socks stewing in the sink.
** Del clearing his sinuses. Ew.
** Neal, accidentally using Del's recently-removed underwear as a face towel is easily he grossest moment of all.

* AmoralAttorney: The lawyer at the start who gets paid for Neil to take a cab ride he doesn't end up getting due to Del.

* BigWhat: Del tells Neal to check his wallet after Neil finds his own wallet empty thanks to the room thief, saying that if there was a dollar over $263 in it, only then could Neal call him a thief. Del responds with this when Neal finds Del's wallet empty as well.

** While on the plane, Neil tries to brush off Del by saying that he's not one for conversation with strangers. Later, when he's on the train, he tries to strike up a friendly conversation with the woman in the seat next to him.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: After Neil's wife falls asleep while watching TV, we hear a news report that the air traffic at the airport Neil was flying out of has cleared up, meaning he could have gotten home a few hours late instead of two days had he just been patient.

* TheEpiphany: While not so [[PlayedForDrama dramatic]], Neil gets one in the end when he pieces together [[spoiler: that Del's story about not being home for years doesn't connect with his declaration that he loves Marie very much. It's his first clue that Marie was DeadAllAlong.]]

** The very first scene has Neil glancing at his airplane tickets while in a high-class business meeting at a fancy office complex in Manhattan. Right away, this tells us all three things we need to know about him: one, he's rich; two, he's impatient; and three, he values his time with his family.
** Before we even see Del, Neil trips over his trunk while trying to get a cab. When we finally do see him, we see he's and otherwise friendly guy, offering to make it up to Neil by buying him a hot dog and a beer, which Neil politely declines. This tells us that Del, despite his best efforts, has a tendency to be burdensome.

* HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday: Neil and Del have a couple of moments of gay panic their first night together. When they first arrive at the hotel, Del asks Neil if he wants to shower, to which Neil impulsively replies "No!" before Del reassures him that he meant does Neil want to showed ''before him,'' adding, with a laugh, "What do you take me for?" After they wake up in each other's arms following their night of bonding, they make sure to assert their non-attraction to one another by puffing themselves up and discussing football with each other in noticeably deep voices.

** Likewise, although they didn't share any scenes together here or previously, Lyman Ward, who played one of Neil's co-workers, Ben Stein, who played the Wichita airport representative, and Edie [=McClurg=], who played the car rental agent, all previously worked together in ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff'', Ward as Ferris' father, Tom Bueller, Stein as Ferris and Cameron's economics teacher, and [=McClurg=] as Ed Rooney's secretary, Grace.

* ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne: A nonverbal example during Neil and Del's argument on their first night together. When Neal tells Del that his stories are boring, Del stops arguing back for a good minute and starts breathing more heavily, as if he's about to cry as Neil tears into him. The implication is that Neal went too far by making the argument personal. Even after Neil stops yelling, it takes Del a few seconds to collect his thoughts and give [[IAmWhatIAm his famous response]].

* {{Bowdlerise}}: Averted. The filmmakers had the foresight to shoot an alternate version of the scene where Neal chews out the lady at the airport which had no swearing for television broadcasts.

* AvoidTheDreadedGRating: The sole reason for [[ClusterFBomb Neal's rant.]] Hughes deliberately wanted the movie to be rated "R", because he felt that if it was rated lower, moviegoers would think he was just cranking out another teen angst film. [[TropesAreNotBad And it's one of the greatest scenes in the movie.]]

** Then there are three actors who appeared in ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff''. Lyman Ward (Ferris's father) is Neal's coworker who doesn't think he'll make the 6 o'clock flight. Ben Stein ("Bueller? Bueller?") announces that all flights have been cancelled… and smiles. Finally, [[Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff Edie McClurg]] has to endure the F-bomb rant.

** By three actors who appeared in other John Hughes movies. First, Creator/KevinBacon competes with Neal for a taxicab. Then [[Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff Ben Stein]] announces that all flights have been cancelled… and smiles. Finally, [[Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff Edie McClurg]] has to endure the F-bomb rant.
** Also, [[Series/LaverneAndShirley Michael McKean]] as the state trooper.
** [[Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff Ferris Bueller]]'s father thinks Neal won't make the 6:00 flight.

* CharacterDevelopment: During his TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Del, Neal acts out a sarcastic introduction between his wife and Del. In the end, after all the trouble they've faced together [[spoiler:and learning that Del's a homeless drifter]], Neal actually introduces them and it's sincere all around.

* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler:Thanks to Del's WhamLine at the end, his wife, Marie, is revealed to be this.]]

** The very first scene has Neil glancing at his airplane tickets while in a high-class business meeting at a fancy office complex in Manhattan. Right away, this tells us all three things we need to know about him: one, he's a successful business man; two, he's impatient; and three, he values his time with his family.

* HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday: Both Neal and Del presumably ''are'', but in a moment of gay panic after they wake up in each other's arms following their night of bonding, they make sure to assert this fact by puffing themselves up and discussing football with each other in noticeably deep voices.