entertainment

John Hughes Film ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ Getting 4K Ultra HD Release

If you grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, odds are that you’re a fan of John Hughes comedy classics like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Home Alone. But if you’re a regular visitor to the Cinefamily theatre in Los Angeles, chances are good that Planes, Trains and Automobiles is your favourite of them all.

The 1987 comedy, which sees Steve Martin and John Candy in a road trip misadventure, is one of the best-loved comedies of all time, even if not many people have seen it. It was originally released to video and has been mostly unavailable since then. But now, on the film’s thirtieth anniversary this month (November 22), Planes, Trains and Automobiles is getting a remastered 4K Ultra HD release with tons of special features.

The new release will mark the first time that Planes, Trains and Automobiles has been available to home video in the U.S. in more than twenty years.

Cast and Character?

Steve Martin as Neal Page
John Candy as Del Griffith
Laila Robins as Susan Page
Michael McKean as State Trooper
Kevin Bacon as man running for taxi
Dylan Baker as Owen
Lulie Newcomb as Owen’s wife
Olivia Burnette as Marti Page
Larry Hankin as Dobby
Richard Herd as Walt
Matthew Lawrence as Neal Page
Edie McClurg as Car Rental Agent
Bill Erwin as Man on Plane
Ben Stein as Wichita airport representative
Diana Dill as Peg
Charles Tyner as Gus Mooney
Lyman Ward as John

What is the plot?

Based on a story by John Hughes, the film stars John Candy as Neal Page, an unlucky-in-love travelling salesman with a penchant for shower curtain rings, who rents a car in Chicago to drive home. En route, his car is stolen from the airport. Newly desperate, Neal encounters even more bad luck with rental cars until he finds himself stuck for better and worse with Del Griffith (Martin). Del is an endearing ne’er do well who loves to eat and drink, which Neal quickly learns when Del implores him to share his Thanksgiving dinner. A friendship blossoms, but the goal of getting Neal home for Thanksgiving dinner is constantly set back by the duo’s misadventures. The film is a hilarious look at how a misadventure could ruin your life. Or it could make you a new friend.

About the new release of the film?

The new release also includes deleted scenes as well as outtakes and other bonus footage. A great deal of the extras are accessible via interactive features on the home media release that lets you browse through a gallery to select different scenes. There’s also a trivia track, most of which is devoted to information about the film’s production, making it an easy activity for anyone familiar with the movie.

Why do people love it?

Rarely has a John Hughes film had such an immediate impact as a classic, especially so many years after its release. Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a brilliant comedy that’s been endlessly quoted and revered by fans for decades. It’s hard to imagine a holiday at home without watching it with family and friends.