Back in the 1980's John Hughes was touted as "the director with the pulse of America's youth." Fortunately, in 1987 he made a very good movie for adults.
Neal Page.......Steve Martin
Del Griffith......John Candy
Susan Page.....Laila Robins
Trooper..........Michael McKean
Motel Clerk.....Martin Ferrero
Look for cameos by Kevin Bacon, Ben Stein and William Windom.
Written, produced and directed by John Hughes. Music by Ira Newborn. Running time - 93 minutes. Rated "R" for strong language, crude humor and adult situations.
Steve Martin plays Neal, who just wants to get home to Chicago in time for Thanksgiving. He runs into John Candy's Del, and from then on, it's Murphy's Law.
There's a scene where Neal and Del are forced to share a motel bed. I've stayed in many hotels and motels over the years, and I've never seen a hotel bed as small as the one Neal and Del are forced to share. (Except when I went to Paris with my girlfriend in 2006; that bed was about the size of the one in the movie. Maybe just a wee bit bigger.)
When Neal and Del are driving in the LeBaron, the roads for the most part are completely devoid of traffic. When was the last time that ever happened to you? It's never happened to me, not in 37 years of driving.
Late in the movie, when Neal gets off the train, the shot is reversed, as the part on Neal's hair is on the wrong side.
Not a nit, just some advice - Watch the scene where Neal and Del are driving on the highway the wrong way. It made me crack up hard when I saw the movie in 1987. Of course, your mileage may vary...
When Neal and Del are driving in the LeBaron, the roads for the most part are completely devoid of traffic. When was the last time that ever happened to you? It's never happened to me, not in 37 years of driving.
quote:
Well, it finally did happen to me. I was driving on the New York Thruway from New York City to Albany in late November, 2016. For a few miles after the last toll booth before Albany at about 9 p.m., I was the only car on the road. I could even see my brake lights shine on the road in the rear view mirror; the road was pitch black, with no streetlights.
The movie is a product of its time, when smoking was still permitted in most venues; it was just beginning to be looked down upon. Candy's Del smokes almost everywhere; in cars, restaurants.
The LeBaron has a radio antenna mast that's quite tall; maybe six inches longer than the 31 inches car radio antennas were at that time. (And still are, if you can find a car with a mast antenna.)
In Uncle Buck John Candy is smoking a lot, even when visiting the school, which even then would earn you reprimand.
Candy was a pack-a-day smoker since he was a teenager. Combined with his weight problems (to be very un-PC, Candy was obese) and his history of cocaine use, that contributed to his death in 1994 at just 43.
According to this, the original cut was close to four hours long. Too bad we may never see it.
Sad that John Candy is cut down at just 43, but Nazi war criminal, Erich Priebke, makes it to 100.
The driver who tells Neal and Del that their car is going the wrong way on a highway has the (column mounted) gearshift lever on his car in the "park" position.
Some people claim that
Planes,Trains and Automobiles
and
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock are both great Thanksgiving Movies
Good for them.
Jeff, why don't you stop telling us what other people think and give us your own opinions.
Or is that too much like work?