John Candy was the man, we all miss him.

Another top John Hughes film that found the right mix of comedy and human interest. The two leads were terrific.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles is more John Hughes than I remembered. Its protagonists are decidedly older than his usual high school kids, but between reused actors from earlier films in support roles, the terribly 80s music, and the way comic beats are edited, it's undeniably of a piece with the rest of Hughes' canon. And though later in life, it still has the bent of a coming of age story, with Steve Martin learning a life lesson during the trip from hell. While he's good at being the jerk who instantly regrets losing his temper, it's of course John Candy who is the heart and soul of the film, managing to be both an obnoxious slob AND incredibly touching. I was surprised at how the third act suddenly went into cartoon territory with its action, but nevertheless pushed the drama to more heartfelt places than expected. Though my memories were dim going in, I'm sure Planes Trains helped mold my refusal to travel during the holiday season. How could it not?