38 Years Ago Today, the Definitive Thanksgiving Movie Was Released (And It Can’t Be Beaten)

When we think of holiday movies, we usually think of Christmas movies. There’s a good reason for that. Turn on just about any channel during the holiday season or pull up any streamer and you’ll find a plethora of festive content centered around all things merry and bright. However, with the days having grown short and the nights grown long, Christmas isn’t the only holiday this time of year. As November comes to an end, Thanksgiving also looms large for those in the United States and there are movies for the holiday of gratitude as well — and the absolutely definitive one was released almost 40 years ago today.

Released exactly 38 years ago today on November 25, 1987 — which was actually the day before Thanksgiving that year — was Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Written and directed by the legendary John Hughes, the film stars the equally legendary Steve Martin and John Candy as an uptight marketing executive Neal Page (Martin) and a highly annoying but well-meaning salesman Del Griffith (Candy) who become unlikely travel companions after a flight diversion just before Thanksgiving. The two men end up embarking on an insane journey to get Neal home to Chicago for his family dinner and not only is the film comedy gold, but it’s also become a heartfelt holiday classic that no other movie has ever been able to match.

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Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Perfectly Encapsulates the Complexities of the Holidays

A huge component of what makes Planes, Trains, and Automobiles a perfect Thanksgiving movie (and honestly a perfect holiday movie more broadly) is that it isn’t just any one thing. Instead, it’s a film that encapsulates all of the complexities that come along with the holiday season and doesn’t gloss over the sadness and challenges that come with this time of year. The film is centered largely around the journey that Neal and Del take. Neal has travel challenges from the jump, struggling to get a taxi, then getting to the airport only to find his flight is delayed and then ends up being bumped from first class to coach and then his flight to Chicago ends up diverted due to weather — and all of these inconveniences keep him in close contact with the chatty, affable Del. After some additional complications, the two end up traveling together, but it’s stressful the entire time and the pair clash before eventually bonding and making their way to Chicago at last.

There’s plenty of story just in that — and plenty of comedy — and the movie would be good enough right there. But the film takes things one step further and digs into the real emotions of both Neal and Del. For Neal, we see him start to deal a bit more with expressing his own emotions over the course of the film as he’s very repressed when we first meet him (which in turn makes him frustrated and cranky) while in the case of Del, it’s eventually revealed that he’s dealing with grief and loss, something that often makes the holiday season a little less cheerful for many but that is frequently not explored in holiday films in any substantial way.

By offering both the humor as well as the genuine stress that comes with the holidays and the emotional toll, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles gives audiences a story that is authentic. It’s something that viewers can watch both to laugh until their sides hurt while also feeling seen in the more heartfelt moments. It’s a beautiful balance and it’s only enhanced by the film’s ending. The film ends on a hopeful note. It’s not exactly a pure happy ending as things are a bit open ended when Neal eventually gets home to his family, but there’s beauty to it in that he brings Del — who he now knows is alone in the world having lost his wife eight years prior — to his family for the holidays. It’s an interesting take on gratitude that makes the film a true holiday classic and easily one of the best movies ever made, Thanksgiving-themed or otherwise.

What do you think? Do you agree that Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is the perfect Thanksgiving moving? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!