History Film / PlanesTrainsAndAutomobiles

** 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. Creator/BenStein ("Bueller? Bueller?") announces that all flights have been cancelled... and smiles. Finally, Creator/EdieMcClurg (Principal Rooney's secretary) has to endure Neal's F-bomb rant.

** 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. Creator/BenStein ("Bueller? Bueller?") announces that all flights have been cancelled... and smiles. Finally, Edie [=McClurg=] (Principal Rooney's secretary) has to endure Neal's F-bomb rant.

* TheStinger: After the credits Neal's boss is still at his desk analyzing the ads, his Thanksgiving dinner sitting uneaten on his desk.

The film is probably best known for the sole scene responsible for its R rating; in which Neal, after being abandoned in a rental car parking lot where the car he rented isn't there, is forced to walk three miles back to the airport, whereupon he goes on a [[ClusterFBomb tirade]] against the rental agent. But it isn't so much said tirade, as [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments the rental agent's response]]. Creator/RogerEbert[[note]],who considered this one of his all time favorite films and watched it every Thanksgiving,[[/note]] probably puts it best:

* TheStinger: After the credits Neal's boss is still at his desk analyzing the ads, his Thanksgiving dinner sitting on his desk.

This 1987 film featured Creator/SteveMartin and Creator/JohnCandy in two of the best comedy performances of TheEighties. It was written and directed by Creator/JohnHughes, best known for teen angst films until that time, and is regarded by many as his magnum opus. Both Martin and Candy called it their favorite of their own performances.

Uptight advertising executive Neal Page (Martin) just wants to get home to UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} for UsefulNotes/ThanksgivingDay. Unfortunately, every mode of transportation somehow fails him and he is stuck with Del Griffith (Candy), a garrulous traveling shower curtain ring salesman who doesn't know when to shut up. Over the course of three days, through delayed planes, broken-down trains, and burned-out automobiles, Neal and Del progress from being at each other's throats to developing an [[OddFriendship unlikely friendship]].

* NoSympathy: Outside of Del, no one really shows Neal much sympathy at all. The worst offenders are the people at Marathon, especially the cab dispatcher.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Neal gives a very harsh one to Del during their first night together.

--> '''State Trooper:''' Do you have any idea how fast you were going?
--> '''Del:''' Well, funnily enough, I was just talking to my friend about that. Our speedometer has melted and as a result it's very hard to say with any degree of accuracy exactly how fast we were going.

-->'''Del:''' I had no idea those beer cans were gonna blow like that.
-->'''Neal:''' You left 'em on a vibrating bed, what did you think was going to happen?
-->'''Del:''' It just didn't occur to me.
-->'''Neal:''' [[ButtMonkey It didn't occur to you, so I have to sleep in a puddle of beer]].

-->'''Cab Dispatcher:''' Where are you going?
-->'''Neal:''' Chicago.
-->'''Cab Dispatcher:''' Chicago?
-->'''Neal:''' Yeah, Chicago.
-->'''Cab Dispatcher:''' You know you're in St. Louis?
-->'''Neal:''' Yes I do.
-->'''Cab Dispatcher:''' Why don't you try the airlines? It's faster and you get a free meal.
-->'''Neal:''' If I wanted a joke, I'd follow you into the john and watch you take a leak. Now are you gonna help me or are you gonna stand there like a slab of meat with mittens?
-->[Cab dispatcher punches him in the face]

-->'''Del:''' But I guess that's not going to happen. [[spoiler: [[DeadAllAlong Not now, anyway.]] ]]

-->'''Neal:''' He says we're going the wrong way.
-->'''Del:''' Oh, he's drunk. How would ''he'' know where we're going?

-->'''Neal''': "Oh boy" ''what''?
-->'''Car Rental Lady''': You're ''fucked''.

--> '''Susan:''' You shared a motel room with a complete stranger? Are you crazy?
--> '''Neal:''' Not yet. But I'm getting there.
* ShoutOut: The movie Mrs. Page watches on TV early on in the film is actually Creator/JohnHughes' next film ''She's Having a Baby''.
-->'''Kristi:''' She's sleeping in our HOUSE!!! I'll have to burn the sheets!
-->'''Jake:''' What if the shoe was on the other foot?
-->'''Kristi:''' I'D GO BAREFOOT!!

* ArtisticLicenseGeography: Averted if you're 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.

* SpottingTheThread: On the train ride back home, Neal reminisces on the ordeal he's finally putting behind him and thinking over some of the things Del fondly said about his wife and his home. [[spoiler:It only clicks that something is off when he recalls Del ''also'' casually saying "I haven't been home in years."]]

* RealityEnsues:
** After being pulled over for speeding (due to not knowing the actual speed because of the melted speedometer), Del says that if the car is impounded due to being unfit for the road from the fire damage, he won't be able to get Neal home in time for Thanksgiving. The car is impounded anyway.
** As Neal points out to Del, you can't rent a car with shower curtain rings.
** [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Del’s reaction whenever he takes his shoes off]] loses its hilarity [[spoiler:once you realize he’s been homeless for nearly eight years.]]

* BittersweetEnding: Neal finally makes it home and invites Del to spend Thanksgiving with him and his family. While Del is obviously moved by Neal's kindness and is happy to be with his friend, seeing Neal being surrounded by a loving family and affluence undoubtedly drives home for Del the point of what an unfortunate and lonely life he has by comparison.

** 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.
** Michael [=McKean=] of ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap'' fame is the state trooper.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/planes_trains_and_automobiles.jpg]]

The film is probably best known for the sole scene responsible for its R rating; in which Neal, after being abandoned in a rental car parking lot where the car he rented isn't there, is forced to walk three miles back to the airport, whereupon he goes on a [[ClusterFBomb tirade]] against the rental agent. But it isn't so much said tirade, as [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments the rental agent's response]]. Creator/RogerEbert probably puts it best:

* CosmicPlaything: Dear God, poor Neal! From [[HumiliationCongaLine cancelled plane flights, to broken down trains, to burned down and wrecked cars, to stolen money, to various near-death experiences and to awkward hotel nights]], he certainly earns a medal for being a modern day equivalent to [[TheBible Job]]! Speaking of which, given his current demeanor and world-views, [[DivineIntervention perhaps all of this was intended to help him open up more]].

* SpottingTheThread: On the train ride back to Chicago, Neal warmly reminisces on the ordeal he's finally putting behind him and thinking over some of the things Del fondly said about his wife and his home. [[spoiler:It only clicks that something is off when he recalls Del ''also'' casually saying "I haven't been home in years."]]

* PrecisionFStrike: Made even more effective by the fact it's delivered by ''Edie [=McClurg=]'' of all people.
--> '''Car Rental Lady''': Well. You're ''fucked''.

* BittersweetEnding: Neal finally makes it home and invites Del to spend Thanksgiving with him and his family. While Del is obviously moved by Neal's kindness amd is happy to be with his friend, seeing Neal being surrounded by a loving family and affluence undoubtedly drives home for Del the point of what an unfortunate and lonely life he has by comparison.

* BittersweetEnding: Neal finally makes it home and invites Del to spend Thanksgiving with him and his family. While Del is obviously moved by Neal's kindness, being in Neal's home for the holiday also reminds Del of his own unfortunate, lonely life.

* 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 brother 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.]]