# Planes, Trains and Automobiles appreciation thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 10, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981 "2009-08-10T21:28:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/21 "2009-08-11T12:51:35Z")
I still use “clear as a bell, Officer!” all the time- from when they get pulled over after the car has been practically torn to pieces. I’ve always wondered if it was an effect of some sort, or an odd talent of Steve Martin’s, but in the scene where he gets punched in the face, he sort of tilts his head back a bit and his eyelids flutter open and closed rapidly. (\<— a bad description of a funny shot.) At any rate, it’s pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/22 "2009-08-11T12:58:29Z")
You guys are making me want to watch the movie again, “Name’s Owen.” snerrrkkKkereeghgkKKKKKKKKKKKKK EEW. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/23 "2009-08-11T13:15:39Z")
> [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](#): > > Yeah, but you’re from Chicago…aren’t those movies in the school curriculum or something? Heh, I moved here when I was 23. I grew up [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneseo,_Il). That’s more Iowa than Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/24 "2009-08-11T13:39:37Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > Also when they’re going down the interstate the wrong direction and the people on the other side are screaming “YOU’RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!!” > > “Aw they’re crazy…how do they know where we’re going? Probably drunks…THANK YOU!!!” ::Makes _glug glug_ pantomime.:: ROFL! Yeah, that was a priceless scene. “What do they want?” “They say we’re going the wrong way.” “Oh, they’re drunk. How do they know where we’re going?” "“Yeah, how do they know where we’re going?” ---
**Author:** ![PaperBlob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@PaperBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaperBlob)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/25 "2009-08-11T13:44:59Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > “She’s short and skinny, but she’s strong. Her first baby, it come out sideways. She didn’t scream or nuthin" > 😃 Second this! My favorite line in the whole movie. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/26 "2009-08-11T17:08:45Z")
Look pal, if I wanted a joke, I would follow you in the john and watch you take a leak! ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/27 "2009-08-11T17:21:55Z")
This film shows me for being a pessimist. I told a friend that the end of the film could be seen in a very negative light. And it could have been taken very much the wrong way by John Candy’s character… Neil’s thought process: “I’ve recently found out that he’s a widower, he’s got a shitty job, no house, no kids. I know, I’ll show him my huge house, great kids, and attractive wife. So I’ll parade all the things I have and he doesn’t have” ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/28 "2009-08-11T20:40:25Z")
I saw this film in Northern Wisconsin with my Dad in 1987. I was 12. It was when we first lived in America. Dad had to travel all over to these small towns for work and I got a glimpse just how tough it was on him. I loved the movie and tied it in to my experiences driving around with my Father. It was a very funny movie with all too common human elemnts mixed in. The moment Martin realizes that Del is alone is a classic moment for me. My family are back in Ireland now but I just had a nice chat with Dad about the movie and about what it meant to both of us. Thanks John Hughes. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/29 "2009-08-11T20:41:30Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > This film shows me for being a pessimist. > > I told a friend that the end of the film could be seen in a very negative light. And it could have been taken very much the wrong way by John Candy’s character… > > Neil’s thought process: “I’ve recently found out that he’s a widower, he’s got a shitty job, no house, no kids. I know, I’ll show him my huge house, great kids, and attractive wife. So I’ll parade all the things I have and he doesn’t have” My Dad raised that point as well but he felt that the welcome that they gave Del showed that it wasn’t gloating by Neill but a genuine effort to connect to Del (also, Neill finally realized just how lucky he was). ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/30 "2009-08-11T21:05:19Z")
I love shouting “you’re going the wrong way!” in all sorts of applicable situations. > [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I don’t know if it is just lame nostalgia but it always seems to me that there was a golden age of comedy in the mid to late '80s of which PT&A would be a shining example. Modern comedies generally leave me cold by comparison. I’m fairly sure that this will place me firmly in the “get off my lawn!” old man camp (at the ripe age of 29), but I agree. This and _Only The Lonely_ (John Candy’s best film) are two examples of comedy with normal, redeemable protagonists. A big part of why many modern comedies fail for me is that I don’t really ever feel like I know any of the protagonists in real life; they’re artificial constructs created to generate laughs. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/31 "2009-08-11T22:13:44Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > I saw this film in Northern Wisconsin with my Dad in 1987. I was 12. It was when we first lived in America. Dad had to travel all over to these small towns for work and I got a glimpse just how tough it was on him. I loved the movie and tied it in to my experiences driving around with my Father. > > It was a very funny movie with all too common human elemnts mixed in. The moment Martin realizes that Del is alone is a classic moment for me. > > My family are back in Ireland now but I just had a nice chat with Dad about the movie and about what it meant to both of us. > > Thanks John Hughes. That moment is a classic for me too. The music is perfect (the music throughout the film is perfect). other memorable moments.. The slow head turn when the car is on fire. “Those aren’t pillows!” The conversation with the car-rental clerk. The look on Kevin Bacon’s face when both of them realize they’ve just seen each other’s intentions about the taxi. The film. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/32 "2009-08-11T22:33:18Z")
There have been no actors like Steve Martin and John Candy with the talent and the chemistry to pull anything like this off ever since. That is what made this movie great. And Candy’s whole speech about how his wife loves him and his customers love him; damn, that broke my heart and I really felt for the guy. I’ve never seen a movie moment that made me empathize with a person like that. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/33 "2009-08-11T22:40:57Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > There have been no actors like Steve Martin and John Candy with the talent and the chemistry to pull anything like this off ever since. That is what made this movie great. > > And Candy’s whole speech about how his wife loves him and his customers love him; damn, that broke my heart and I really felt for the guy. I’ve never seen a movie moment that made me empathize with a person like that. Also Neil had been quite nasty to/about him for quite a long speech. I’ve not see someone be so cruel as that using words in a film. You’re not a very tolerant person. You’ve bugged me since New York, starting with stealing my cab. God, you’re a tight-ass. How would you like a mouthful of teeth? Oh, and hostile, too. Nice personality combination– hostile and intolerant. That’s borderline criminal. Screw you. You spilled beer all over the bed, you mess up the bathroom… Who let you stay? I even let you pay, so you wouldn’t feel like an intruder. An intruder? Right. You ruined a nice trip. Who talked my ear off on the plane? Who was that? I’m curious. Who told you to book a room? I did. You’re an ungrateful jackass. Sleep in the lobby. I hope you wake up so stiff you can’t even move. You got a free cab, a free room, and someone who will listen to your boring stories. Didn’t you notice on the plane when you started talking, I started reading the vomit bag? Didn’t that give you some clue that this guy’s not enjoying it? Everything’s not an anecdote. You have to discriminate. You choose things that are funny or mildly amusing or interesting. You’re a miracle. Your stories have none of that. They’re not even amusing accidentally. Honey, meet Del Griffith. He’s got some amusing anecdotes. Here’s a gun so you can blow your brains out. You’ll thank me for it. I could tolerate any insurance seminar. For days, I could listen to them go on and on. They’d say, “How can you stand it?” And I’d say, “'Cause I’ve been with Del Griffith. I can take anything.” You know what they’d say? “I know what you mean. The shower curtain ring guy.” It’s like going on a date with a Chatty Cathy doll. There should be a string on your chest that I pull out. Except I wouldn’t pull it out, you would. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! By the way, when you’re telling these little stories, here’s a good idea. Have a point. It makes it more interesting for the listener. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/34 "2009-08-11T22:46:08Z")
And it’s got Kevin Bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/35 "2009-08-11T22:47:16Z")
> **[Planes Trains And Automobiles Script - transcript from the screenplay...](http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/p/planes-trains-and-automobiles-script.html)** > > Planes Trains And Automobiles > > > > Script taken from a transcript of the screenplay and/or the Steve Martin and John Candy movie ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/36 "2009-08-12T04:09:56Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > And Candy’s whole speech about how his wife loves him and his customers love him; damn, that broke my heart and I really felt for the guy. I’ve never seen a movie moment that made me empathize with a person like that. The shot of the two of them walking down the street with John Candy’s luggage breaks my heart every time. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/37 "2009-08-12T05:13:39Z")
Del is a great salesman. He sell those shower curtain rings in the bus depot to raise some cash. Ear rings, They’re filled helium so they are very light. Del could sell ice cubes to Eskimos. He is not a complete loser. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/38 "2009-08-12T05:42:28Z")
Excellent movie, and exactly my type of movie: funny and introspective. Then again Fargo is also one of my favourites…Hmmmmmmmm??? ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/39 "2009-08-12T13:07:22Z")
I take a driving trip every year with a friend of mine, and we’re _constantly_ quoting PT&A. “Top o’ the morning, Officer!” “We, uh, almost hit a deer.” “Four fucking wheels and a seat!” “You know what would make me happy?” “Another couple of balls, and an extra set of fingers?” … and so on and so forth… ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981/40 "2009-08-12T14:28:45Z")
jtgain: > [@](#): > > There have been no actors like Steve Martin and John Candy with the talent and the chemistry to pull anything like this off ever since. That is what made this movie great. A few years later, they probably would have made this with David Spade and Chris Farley. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planes-trains-and-automobiles-appreciation-thread/505981.md?page=3)