If you loved
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
John Hughes · Film · 1987
You loved Planes, Trains and Automobiles because you enjoy watching mismatched personalities collide while enduring the absurd, unavoidable inconveniences of travel.
Books on the same thread
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams · Book · 1979
Explores: Existentialism, Bureaucracy, The Absurd.
Like Planes, Trains and Automobiles, this story captures the frustration of being swept into a chaotic, involuntary journey alongside an eccentric companion who complicates every step of your survival.
A Simple Plan
Scott Smith · Book · 2007
Explores: Moral Decay, Greed, Consequences.
If the high-stakes tension of Planes, Trains and Automobiles kept you gripped, you will appreciate how this narrative forces ordinary people into an increasingly desperate, morally complex series of events.
A Prayer for Owen Meany
John Irving · Book · 1989
Explores: Faith and Doubt, Fate vs. Free Will, Friendship.
Much like the unexpected bond formed in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, this novel explores the depth of a complicated, lifelong friendship that persists through adversity and life's inevitable, painful changes.
A Confederacy of Dunces
John Kennedy Toole · Book · 1980
Explores: eccentric protagonist, social misfit, anachronistic worldview.
If you enjoyed the grating, overbearing nature of Del Griffith in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, you will find a similar, albeit more cynical, social misfit in the eccentric Ignatius J. Reilly.
Series on the same thread
Mr. Bean
Richard Curtis · Series · 1990
Explores: Social Awkwardness, Misunderstanding, Incompetence.
Fans of the slapstick desperation found in Planes, Trains and Automobiles will recognize the same brand of chaotic, physical comedy as everyday tasks spiral into absolute, hilarious disaster for Mr. Bean.
The Big Bang Theory
Chuck Lorre · Series · 2007
Explores: Friendship, Nerds, Fish-out-of-water.
The forced proximity and social friction that defined the dynamic in Planes, Trains and Automobiles reappear here as these disparate personalities navigate their shared living situation and evolving, awkward social circle.
The Grand Tour
Jeremy Clarkson · Series · 2016
Explores: Male Bonding, Travel, Car Culture.
This show perfectly mirrors the adversarial friendship from Planes, Trains and Automobiles, proving that the people you travel with are often the ones you find the most infuriatingly, hilariously annoying.
Only Murders in the Building
Steve Martin · Series · 2021
Explores: True Crime Obsession, New York City, Intergenerational Friendship.
Just as the odd couple in Planes, Trains and Automobiles were thrown together by circumstance, these strangers find their lives intertwined by a shared obsession that forces an unlikely, evolving partnership.
Podcasts on the same thread
Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
Team Coco & Earwolf · Podcast · 2026
Explores: parasocial relationships, professional intimacy, self-deprecating humor.
If the search for genuine connection amidst professional frustration in Planes, Trains and Automobiles resonated with you, you will appreciate this candid, self-deprecating exploration of the boundaries of modern friendship.
The Joe Rogan Experience
Joe Rogan · Podcast · 2026
Explores: intellectual curiosity, unfiltered dialogue, lifestyle exploration.
Much like the unfiltered, conversational energy between the leads in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, this podcast offers an unscripted look at human interaction through the lens of a veteran comedian.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Planes, Trains and Automobiles a holiday-themed movie?
Yes, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a holiday-themed film centered on the marketing executive Neal Page as he attempts to travel from New York to Chicago specifically to reach his family in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.
What is the primary conflict in Planes, Trains and Automobiles?
The primary conflict in Planes, Trains and Automobiles involves the irritable marketing executive Neal Page being forced to endure a series of travel delays while accompanied by an overbearing and talkative shower curtain ring salesman named Del Griffith during his journey home.
Who directed Planes, Trains and Automobiles?
Planes, Trains and Automobiles was directed by John Hughes. The film, released in 1987, follows the unlikely pairing of Neal Page and Del Griffith as they struggle to overcome various transportation obstacles while trying to reach Chicago for Thanksgiving.
How long is the runtime of Planes, Trains and Automobiles?
The provided metadata for Planes, Trains and Automobiles does not specify the exact runtime of the 1987 film. It focuses on the narrative premise of Neal Page and Del Griffith traveling to Chicago for Thanksgiving and the resulting friction between the two characters.