Steve Martin, John Candy and Laila Robins in the John Hughes movie ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’

With the observance of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States a little more than two weeks away, we are nostalgic for getting back home to spend time with family. The John Hughes movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) feeds into this with a touch of drama and comedy.

(Steve Martin as Neal Page in the John Hughes movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles).

The movie opens with advertising executive Neal Page, as portrayed by Steve Martin, looking to get back to his home in Chicago, Illinois from a business trip to New York City, New York. The act of getting out of the city and on his way back home is foiled by a series of experiences beyond his control. The annoying and comedic value of the delays inform Page’s outlook, which feels a bit bemusing to the character.

(John Candy as Del Griffith in the John Hughes movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles).

The incidents that placed Page in the initial foul mood intensified when the movie told us that there was but the single goal of getting home for the holiday. With the loss of good humor on the way to the airport relented to an increasing level of misadventure, the introduction of a jolly and Del Griffith intercepting Page’s mood first on the street outside a hotel. Later at JFK airport, the delight expanded into the expansion of a tale that saw Griffith, as portrayed by John Candy, traveling with Page.

(From left, Kevin Bacon as man running for taxi and Michael McKean as State Trooper in the John Hughes movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles).

The story has Neal and Del coming and going from one another’s paths, with air travel being a difficulty in getting to Chicago. A train ride to St. Louis, Missouri reunites and separates the pair, with that mode of transportation letting the pair down in their travels. Rental cars, testy interactions with the obstacles of reliable travel, and the pair is traveling again. Getting to a lowly state as the pair drives back east from St. Louis to Chicago by automobile, Del and Neal encounter a state trooper portrayed by Michael McKean.

(From left, Laila Robins as Susan Page and Steve Martin and Neal Page in the John Hughes movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles).

As disaster had struck the pair, with news of Neal’s responsibilities for that disaster having just been revealed, a legitimate question for how much can one man endure to get home for a holiday becomes the clear dramatic and comedic question. The serious question for whether Neal gets home to his wife, Susan Page as portrayed by Laila Robins. The movie does end on a happier note, with much of the shenanigans of the previous travels laid behind the travelers.

(From left, actor Steve Martin, actor John Candy and writer / director John Hughes onsite for the John Hughes movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles).

I found the movie humorous and lighthearted, despite the subject matter clearly aiming for a test where the boundaries for social limits should be drawn. As a movie clearly aiming for comedy with some mild drama mixed in, I found entertainment and happiness. Thus, I rate Planes, Trains and Automobiles as written and directed by John Hughes 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer in the Rob Reiner movie ‘This Is Spinal Tap’

The first movie directed by Rob Reiner was the satirical comedy of a fictional band coming to the United States from the England named This Is Spinal Tap (1984). The fictional band is fronted by stars Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer, with the film’s director in the role of a reporter covering the band. Airport Friend, a supporter of Matt Lynn Digital, has declared his appreciation for the humor of this movie.

(From left, Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls, Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel and Michael McKean as David St. Hubbins in the Rob Reiner movie This Is Spinal Tap).

Rob Reiner stars as Martin ‘Marty’ Di Bergi, a documentary filmmaker who follows the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap on their American tour. Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel, Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls and Michael McKean as David St. Hubbins portray the band that portrays the odd pretensions of a band that cannot decide who they are. The comedy begins with a revelation that the band cannot settle on a name or style, though do come to America in support of their so called Smell the Glove tour.

(From left, Tony Hendra as Ian Faith and Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel in the Rob Reiner movie This Is Spinal Tap).

Ian Faith, as portrayed by Tony Hendra, begins the tour as the band’s manager. Owing to low ticket sales prompted in part from a sexist album cover for the album that the tour is intended to promote, tensions between the band and Faith increase due to both issues. After the distributor unilaterally releases the band’s album with an all-black cover, sales don’t improve. The hypocrisy of the situation hits a new low when autograph sessions for the album fail to draw fans.

(From left, Rob Reiner as Martin ‘Marty’ Di Bergi, Fran Drescher as Bobbi Flekman and June Chadwick as Jeanine Pettibone in the Rob Reiner movie This Is Spinal Tap).

The girlfriend of band singer David St. Hubbins, a devotee of yoga and astrology named Jeanine Pettibone, aims to inject herself into the band’s costumes and stage presentation at this point. This leads to Nigel Tufnel sketching plans for a Stonehenge theming for the band on a napkin, labeling the dimensions in inches rather than feet. When props meant to replicate the life size Stonehenge yet coming in at less than one-third the height of a human being, the joke is on the band. Jeanine Pettibone was portrayed by June Chadwick.

(From left, Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls and Gloria Gifford as the airport security officer with the security wand in the Rob Reiner movie This Is Spinal Tap).

A collection of errors continues to plague the band from here, with smaller and smaller tour venues, equipment errors and ultimately members and band managers leaving the band. To those that get or will get the humor of saying that the movie ends with a bang, let me say that I salute you. My rating for This Is Spinal Tap as directed by Rob Reiner is 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, March 9, 2022