The actor John Hughes once called “the funniest man alive”
John Hughes is credited with helping to revitalise interest in coming-of-age films, and for good reason.
From The Breakfast Club to the Home Alone franchise, Hughes clearly had a tempered, empathetic way to make his younger characters relatable. However, this was by no means a limitation to his talents, as in 1987, Hughes wrote and directed an all-time great holiday flick.
Although there have been great films set during Christmas or New Year’s, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is the definitive Thanksgiving film, as it captured all the chaos and strong emotions that come with the November celebration. Even though it’s arguably the funniest script that Hughes ever wrote, Plains, Trains and Automobiles required a legitimate A-list star who could help Hughes sell his R-rated comedy.
Hughes didn’t have to look too far to find Steve Martin, the comedian he called “the funniest man alive”. Martin had been one of the most popular stand-up performers of all time and had found almost as much success on the silver screen; although sometimes comedians are essentially cast as exaggerated versions of themselves, Martin showed true depth as an actor with his work in the satires All of Me and Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid.
Despite Martin’s skills, Hughes was damn-near scared of meeting him before the production of Plains, Trains and Automobiles started. In an interview with The Boston Herald, Hughes said he was surprised at both how down-to-earth Martin was and by how quickly he adapted to working with his co-star.
“He was the first real rock-and-roll comedian who appeared in arenas, not little clubs,” Hughes said of Martin. “So I was a little in awe when he came to my home for a meeting for Planes, Trains. I found him disarming and cooperative. Then I met John Candy, he was the same sort of man. We became fast friends.”
On paper, the notion of teaming up Martin and Candy seemed somewhat preposterous; while they were both highly popular comedic actors, they seemed to exist in different registers and had little crossover audience. While Martin’s films had tended to be more high-minded satires, Candy appeared in many National Lampoon productions and was often used for his physical comedic skills.
However, the chemistry Martin and Candy developed together ended up solidifying Plains, Trains and Automobiles as an apex moment within both of their careers. By being both caustic and silly at the same time, Plains, Trains and Automobiles explored how challenging, yet rewarding, it can be to have both friendships and families. After Candy’s tragic passing in 1994, Plains, Trains and Automobiles was listed near the top of many of his obituaries.
Many iconic comedies from the ‘80s, such as Ghostbusters and Footloose, ended up getting modern remakes with younger casts. However, the dynamic between Martin and Candy has been considered to be so perfect that the mere thought of remaking Plains, Trains and Automobiles has been met with derision. By casting those two comedic icons, Hughes found a bit of undeniable movie magic that has certainly held up decades later.
