a couple dorks on the road
tryin' to stay warm and sane
Outfit of the Week | Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987, dir. by John Hughes)
the week of thanksgivin’ is upon us (well, i guess it happened yesterday when you’re reading this) and with it comes a plethora of things to do! i just made a butterscotch banana cream pie with my mom while my dad mixed up his famous jell-o recipe that everyone always acts very excited about at meal’s end. now i am settling down for a little writing sesh next to my family’s precious dog named Marge.
alright, so, i’m officially declaring that i’d be a silly little girl if i didn’t talk about THE most well-known thanksgiving movie in this week’s newsletter.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a road trip buddy comedy written and directed by my fave, John Hughes. similar to Hughes’ other holiday flicks, Planes excels in having the following themes: travel fiascoes, unlikely friendships, bulky winter clothing, and John Candy…to name a few.
it all begins at Laguardia Airport in Queens, New York. Neal Page (Steve Martin) is heading back to Chicago for thanksgiving with his family after a business trip. the airport is packed. it’s the busiest travel day of the year. tensions are high.
while waiting to board his flight, Neal meets Del Griffith (John Candy), a shower curtain ring salesman with a penchant for oversharing.
it’d be an understatement to say that Neal isn’t a big fan of Del - poor guy really picked the wrong person to sit next to at the gate. but, hey, at least it’ll end when the flight boards, right? and both men go their separate ways, right??
unfortunately, wrong.
turns out Del is seated right next to Neal, which sets the stage for how the remainder of the movie plays out. when their plane gets rerouted to Kansas because of a blizzard, Del and Neal unknowingly begin their eventful journey to Chicago together, by means of really every kind of transportation device.
will the two make it to Chicago in time for turkey? will Neal end Del’s life along the way purely out of frustration and annoyance? i guess you better watch and see!
i love the simple costuming in this movie and its ability to really distinguish these two main characters from one another. they couldn’t be more different in almost every way and their chosen looks really hit that home.
we have a nice suit and tie with long overcoat for the uptight businessman with a short temper…aaaand for the oafish salesman with lots of things to say, we’ve got a pretty standard midwest winter get-up. i would definitely take the cobalt puffy coat over the seemingly thin wool trench. but, hey, the two gents make it through the harsh winter travel in one piece, so i guess they both dressed appropriately.
Honorable Mention of the Week | Neal using Del’s undies as a hand towel :)
😄😄😄