Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
Roger Ebert reviews Planes, Trains and Automobiles, the 1987 Thanksgiving road comedy written and directed by John Hughes and starring Steve Martin and John Candy.
The film follows Neal Page and Del Griffith as a simple trip from New York to Chicago turns into a chaotic cross-country disaster filled with canceled flights, awkward motel rooms, rental-car nightmares, and one of the most memorable odd-couple pairings in comedy history. Ebert praised the film for being more than just a travel comedy, recognizing its heart, empathy, and emotional truth beneath the laughs.
Years later, Ebert revisited the movie as part of his Great Movies collection, writing that the film had grown in his memory and calling attention to the way its road-movie and buddy-comedy structure reveals deeper warmth and humanity.
Subscribe for more classic Roger Ebert reviews, Siskel & Ebert clips, vintage movie criticism, and unforgettable moments from film history.
Film: Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Year: 1987
Writer/Director: John Hughes
Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy
Roger Ebert reviews Planes, Trains and Automobiles, the 1987 Thanksgiving road comedy written and directed by John Hughes and starring Steve Martin and John Candy.
The film follows Neal Page and Del Griffith as a simple trip from New York to Chicago turns into a chaotic cross-country disaster filled with canceled flights, awkward motel rooms, rental-car nightmares, and one of the most memorable odd-couple pairings in comedy history. Ebert praised the film for being more than just a travel comedy, recognizing its heart, empathy, and emotional truth beneath the laughs.
Years later, Ebert revisited the movie as part of his Great Movies collection, writing that the film had grown in his memory and calling attention to the way its road-movie and buddy-comedy structure reveals deeper warmth and humanity.
Subscribe for more classic Roger Ebert reviews, Siskel & Ebert clips, vintage movie criticism, and unforgettable moments from film history.
Film: Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Year: 1987
Writer/Director: John Hughes
Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy
