‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ Turns 30: ‘Those Aren’t Pillows’ and 7 More Zingers (Photos)
Steve Martin’s Neal Page begins “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” an already perpetually irritated curmudgeon. And then he meets Del Griffith. As John Hughes’s movie turns 25 this year, we look back on what makes Del one of the most annoying characters in movie history.
“Del Griffith. American Light and Fixture, shower curtain ring division.”
As played by John Candy, a Canadian who had a gift for portraying wholesome and friendly Midwesterners with a surprising dark side, Del Griffith is the peak of frustratingly amicable movie figures. He’s friendly, inviting and somehow gets by easy, despite having a job you thought could never exist. But “PT&A” is a film about how even the nicest of folks can test your patience.
“About a million bucks shy of being a millionaire!”
Del is so annoying because he has an arsenal of inane, folksy axioms like being “a twig on the shoulders of a mighty stream” or a hypothetical about wolverines as good house pets. It culminates in Neal tearing into him for his anecdotes that go nowhere. “They’re not even amusing ACCIDENTALLY!”
“Want to take a shower?”
The problem with nice people who lend a hand is that when they use up all the clean towels, leave their underwear around and explode beer all over a vibrating bed, you can’t criticize them for being a slob or you’ll look like the asshole.
“Those aren’t pillows!”
Steve Martin is at his best when he’s not taking himself too seriously, and it’s actually the opposite of the tight wad cynic he has to play. But he gets his best laughs when he relaxes, whether its throwing back shots with Del or in the hilarious moment when they cuddle up together after an awkward night of Del clearing out his sinuses.
“I really don’t care for the way you’re speaking to me.”
The film’s famous scene with the bubbly car rental agent isn’t funny because Steve Martin says the f-word a dozen times. It’s because this as-of-yet PG movie suddenly unloads all its frustration in the most profane fashion. But it’s also because while these travel misfortunes affect both Neal and Del, Del manages to do everything with ease and even proves he’s a savvy salesman capable of pawning off shower curtain hooks as vintage European earrings.
“Oh, he’s drunk. How would he know where we’re going?”
Not all the frustrations of travel as depicted in “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” have held up 25 years later, but a bad carpool buddy is timeless. Del fiddles constantly with the reclining seat, he veers across the road while performing a priceless air piano solo listening to “Mess Around,” and he insists on trying to get his jacket off despite how it puts their lives in danger.
“That’s how Houdini died you know?”
Neal is forced to deal with plenty of assholes and idiots on his journey home, but Del is the most annoying because he’s always trying to do the right thing, and Neal ends up feeling like the jerk for calling him out. Only Del could find a justification for incinerating their rental car and Neal’s wallet in the process.
“Cause I’m the real article. What you see is what you get.”
Few modern movie characters have the unwavering optimism and pluck that Del does. Even in the worst of situations, he has the charm, spirit and humanity that often gets overlooked in the flyover states. As Neal calls him, he’s a unique individual. “Unique…what’s that, Latin for asshole?”
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