Planes, Trains & Automobiles: "Those Aren't Pillows!" Edition [Blu-Ray]

Even though there's a Blu-Ray supplement on "John Hughes for Adults," the same forced identification formula applies to this R-rated Odd Couple comedy regardless of the F-bombs and grey hair. Much like The Breakfast Club and to a lesser degree, Weird Science and Sixteen Candles, Planes, Trains & Automobiles takes a social reject and forces him/her into a vacuum with a picture of success and social approval, only to discover implicit human similarities, forced introspection and a whimsical, idealized sense of self-discovery. It's a formula that worked well for Hughes up until the end of his directing career, with Uncle Buck and Curly Sue, playing off the dread of difference and basic annihilation anxieties, reassuring audiences everywhere that they are not alone. Here, John Candy tackles the role of pathetic schmuck Del Griffith, a lonely shower curtain ring salesman that latches onto desiccated businessman Neal Page (Steve Martin) during a series of unlikely and unfortunate events on a routine commute home for Thanksgiving, which leads to the titular usage of planes, trains and automobiles. Since this aired on TBS every other Sunday for the last 20 years, it's likely that the majority of the Western world could quote most scenes verbatim, delighting in the prospect of John Candy sticking his hand in Steve Martin's ass crack or Martin using Candy's oversized underoos as a face cloth. While slight and somewhat glib, the comic shenanigans of this holiday movie hold up well in HD, making for pleasant, light-hearted viewing. The Blu-Ray comes with an abundance of supplements featuring the late John Hughes, where he discusses getting the film made, his success and the nature of mastering the teen lexicon. There's also a tribute to the late John Candy, along with a deleted scene.