This is the best Thanksgiving movie and it doesn’t even come close

Planes, trains and automobiles is The Thanksgiving Movie; A timeless comedy classic for all ages with a timeless message: Be kind, learn to laugh at life’s bumps, and always plan ahead.

Sorry, sunbathers, but this is the most wonderful time of the year: ice-covered grass, afternoons that turn into deep night in the blink of an eye, freezing frost and almost arctic winds, the fluffy comfort of Christmas creeping in as a balm against any winter blues.

However, Thanksgiving’s proximity to Christmas festivities (not to mention Halloween a few weeks before) had an unfortunate consequence: it’s a time of year often neglected by cinema (Nora Ephron is innocent, of course). That’s not to say there aren’t good films (Eli Roth’s “Thanksgiving” is deliciously vicious and “The Ice Storm” is essential), but it’s not known for having an annual must-tick list of repeat films .

Then again, how could anything else really compete with one of the greatest films of all time? Let’s just say: Love isn’t a big enough word to describe my attitude toward planes, trains, and automobiles.

Planes, trains and cars are everyone’s nightmare

Paramount Pictures

The film follows Neal Page (Steve Martin), a Chicago advertising boss as he tries to get home from New York for Thanksgiving.

As soon as he leaves his office, everything goes wrong; He trips over a suitcase, someone steals his taxi, his first class flight is overbooked, and he happens to be sitting next to the perpetrator of his madness: Del Griffith (John Candy), a cheerful (shower curtain) salesman. (especially the rings), who is strangely unaware of himself.

It’s an incredibly familiar constellation. We all feel like the universe is conspiring against us around the holidays, with “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” unleashing a barrage of worst-case scenarios: delays, theft, disgusting motel rooms, breakdowns, fires – you name it , but even more killing someone, Neal and Del’s (mis)adventure has it all.

Of course, in the hands of John Hughes, Candy and Martin, a never-ending nightmare is the perfect vehicle for comedy gold; if you don’t laugh at “Those aren’t pillows!” and Del literally turns into the devil (I’m not the first to make this comparison, but PTA is almost a variation on Dante’s Inferno), you are a unique individual – which is Latin for “ass.”

Planes, Trains & Automobiles is perfect for Thanksgiving

Paramount Pictures

Picture this: you’ve stuffed your face with turkey and side dishes, you’re sinking into your couch, and with your family full and content, just before you fall asleep, you press play on Planes, Trains & Automobiles. It doesn’t matter how old you are – it’s funny for everyone.

I know what you’re thinking: Martin’s extraordinary, profane outburst at the airport is not suitable for children. With that in mind, I say you’re wrong: learning bad language is inevitable, and Neal’s confrontation with the car rental clerk is perhaps the most justified use of “f**k” in film history.

The beauty of “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” is its simplicity, even as its comedic jokes become increasingly absurd: It’s about two men who want to go home, even if they’ve lost sight of what “home” even means.

Neal’s life is rosy: He has a beautiful wife, children who look like they came out of a Christmas card, a huge house that rivals the McAllisters’ house, and a well-paying job. As Del says, he hasn’t been home “in years,” and it’s only at the end of the film that we learn why: his wife Marie has been dead for eight years, so he’s stayed on the streets to distract him from his life’s heartbreak .

It’s a tear-jerking revelation, but Hughes responds with a moment of pure joy: riffing on Paul Young’s “Every Time You Go Away,” the film shows Neal and Del carrying the suitcase down the street to Neal’s house, and he joins them for dinner. Hughes may be competing with himself for the best comedy ending of all time (Ferris Bueller and The Breakfast Club are contenders), but this is rightfully iconic and it hits home every single one Time.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles reminds us that one of life’s gifts is not just the family you are born with, but also the family you find along the way. it’s worth thanking for that.

As we near the end of the year, check out our list of the best TV shows of 2024 and find more new movies to watch this month.