Thanksgiving Classics: Enjoying Travel Mishaps of 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles'

Image via YouTube. 

The 1987 classic Planes, Trains & Automobiles is quite possibly the most identifiably Thanksgiving of movies. A holiday nearly ignored on film has the perfect complement with a movie that illustrates just how exhausting and fulfilling a trip home can be.

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The movie begins in New York City, with Steve Martin’s character Neal Page trying his best to get to the airport in time for his flight to Chicago.

As most know, shenanigans of the highest order ensue.

Whether by chance, fate or horrible luck, Page continues to run into the oblivious Del Griffith, played beautifully by John Candy.

The two set out from New York City to Chicago, by way of Wichita, St. Louis and some very treacherous roadways.

IMDB offers the film’s locations were as diverse as the plot would suggest, including places like Gurnee (Ill.), St. Louis (Mo.), Lemoore (Calif.) where the night driving scene was shot and, of course, New York and Chicago.

For those who wish to take a more nuanced glance at the locations, Movie-Locations.com and ItsFilmedThere.com are fine reference guides.

Some of the highlights include:

• New York City: The opening taxi scene is shot on 54th Street And Park Avenue.
• Braidwood Inn: The “Wichita” hotel is actually in Braidwood, about 45 miles southwest of Chicago, according to Movie Locations. Incidentally, the hotel is now called the Sun Motel.
• El Rancho Hotel: If you are ever Gurnee head to 36355 North Highway 41 (N. Skokie Highway) and enjoy some drinks and laughs like Page and Griffith. Just don’t destroy any walls.
• Chicago Goodbye: Feeling sentimental, the farewell scene was shot at Chicago’s La Salle-Van Buren station.

In 2010, YouTube’s Sunday Morning Coffee With Jef visited some of the film’s more memorable locations:

As Jef notes, the courthouse scene was filmed at the Old Courthouse Arts Center, which Movie Locations states is at 101 North Johnson Street in Woodstock, Illinois. Fans of Groundhog Day will enjoy the familiar destination as well.

But the sights and locations are a small part of what makes this one of the better travel movies and such iconic Thanksgiving fare.

Unfortunately, there is a relative dearth of movies surrounding turkey day, especially when you consider the volumes dedicated to Christmas and Halloween. In this case, it speaks to the travels millions encounter every year in tying to get home to share the year’s most beloved meal.

The turkey, sensational side dishes and desserts are wonderful, but getting to them is often problematic. There are crowded airports, jammed roads and countless other headaches. Perhaps you run into a talkative traveler with an annoying foot peccadillo:

In that way, this movie sums up things rather beautifully. Traveling during Thanksgiving can be a real nuisance. Heck, you may have to share a room with a complete stranger and wake up in a rather, well, compromising circumstance.

In the end, it’s all worth it. We spend most of the year bringing you stories and articles on enjoying life away from the familiar. On this special day, it’s all about the laughs and manageable mishaps encountered when trying to get home.

And remember one of life’s more important lessons: Those aren’t pillows.

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