I struggle mightily to rate this movie as highly as others have. Luckily for it, I respect the admirable skills of both John Candy & John Hughes, and Steve Martin is no slouch as well. They all do their parts reasonably well, but I would struggle to rank this film in Hughes' top 5 screenplays in his impressive career. Mostly because I've decided this movie isn't really a comedy. So what is it then?
I believe that P.T.&A. is the beginning of Hughes' transition into family-friendly filmmaking, centered around the Thanksgiving & Christmas holidays. If not for an extremely unnecessary 90 second scene where Martin channels his inner Cartman, this movie ought to be rated PG. I can't remember any other instances of drugs, sex, or violence that would inhibit this from being viewed by the whole family. Yes there is some smoking, but that was common back in the 80s and I doubt many parents would be that offended compared to the famous f-bomb scene. And that's what makes this scene such a head scratcher in terms of Hughes' intended audience; who is he making this film for? And when was watching a guy explode in anger ever considered funny? Martin either wasn't directed properly or they didn't really develop his character in my eyes to be empathized from an audience perspective. Neither Martin's character, nor many of the comedic elements of this film actually amuse me. I didn't think it was funny, hardly at all. There may be one or two lines/scenes that I might consider smiling at. The rest of the film just makes me feel like it hasn't aged well. I want to believe this was actually considered comedy back in the 80s, but I don't think many would characterize it as funny. Both actors have made funnier films, I assure you. The movie hasn't aged well IMO.
So that leaves me to focus on the film's other redeeming qualities. Besides wrestling with the misnomer that this film isn't really a comedy, I do think it functions well as a character-development film in terms of the story that it depicts. I don't care how implausible many of the scenes or sequences are. But if Hughes intends to make people think more about how they treat one another (especially the stranger), then I feel this film does an extremely good job of making me evaluate myself more than the movie itself. Since I'm not busy laughing at the nonsense onscreen, I spent a lot of time discerning how I would behave in the situation. Would I be receptive to a complete stranger? Would I be kind, patient, and hospitable? Or would I turn tail and run as soon as the first unfortunate event happened? It was amusing to watch folly after folly befall Steve Martin's character, but Candy actually endears himself to his new friend to such an extent that getting to the destination didn't finish the movie. I won't spoil the ending, but I think Hughes did an acceptable job of tying the loose ends together in a somewhat patronizing ending. If I put down my cynicism, it really is a heartwarming ending which emphasizes Hughes' strength of family-centric, morality booster bliss.
But there is also a mystery about this film that begs for a director's cut which will now never happen (RIP John Hughes). If you do some research, supposedly the original cut of this film was in excess of 3 hours. Steve Martin couldn't believe how long the original script was. Many of the trailers you can find online contain scenes that actually AREN'T in the film! I can only imagine that there are some comedic gems which ended up on the cutting room floor that may have bolstered this otherwise pedestrian "comedy". This film is a prime example of what can happen when you overdo the edits. Watch the extras if you have access to them on Blu-ray or DVD.
6 stars for the film. Half a star each for Candy & Hughes. Reluctant 7/10, but I can think of many other films I would rather share with my family during Thanksgiving. Perhaps a missed opportunity on Hughes' part given the dynamite duo who obviously have decent chemistry and supreme acting ability. One could argue that Martin/Candy saved this film. Strong, steady performances from both of them.
I believe that P.T.&A. is the beginning of Hughes' transition into family-friendly filmmaking, centered around the Thanksgiving & Christmas holidays. If not for an extremely unnecessary 90 second scene where Martin channels his inner Cartman, this movie ought to be rated PG. I can't remember any other instances of drugs, sex, or violence that would inhibit this from being viewed by the whole family. Yes there is some smoking, but that was common back in the 80s and I doubt many parents would be that offended compared to the famous f-bomb scene. And that's what makes this scene such a head scratcher in terms of Hughes' intended audience; who is he making this film for? And when was watching a guy explode in anger ever considered funny? Martin either wasn't directed properly or they didn't really develop his character in my eyes to be empathized from an audience perspective. Neither Martin's character, nor many of the comedic elements of this film actually amuse me. I didn't think it was funny, hardly at all. There may be one or two lines/scenes that I might consider smiling at. The rest of the film just makes me feel like it hasn't aged well. I want to believe this was actually considered comedy back in the 80s, but I don't think many would characterize it as funny. Both actors have made funnier films, I assure you. The movie hasn't aged well IMO.
So that leaves me to focus on the film's other redeeming qualities. Besides wrestling with the misnomer that this film isn't really a comedy, I do think it functions well as a character-development film in terms of the story that it depicts. I don't care how implausible many of the scenes or sequences are. But if Hughes intends to make people think more about how they treat one another (especially the stranger), then I feel this film does an extremely good job of making me evaluate myself more than the movie itself. Since I'm not busy laughing at the nonsense onscreen, I spent a lot of time discerning how I would behave in the situation. Would I be receptive to a complete stranger? Would I be kind, patient, and hospitable? Or would I turn tail and run as soon as the first unfortunate event happened? It was amusing to watch folly after folly befall Steve Martin's character, but Candy actually endears himself to his new friend to such an extent that getting to the destination didn't finish the movie. I won't spoil the ending, but I think Hughes did an acceptable job of tying the loose ends together in a somewhat patronizing ending. If I put down my cynicism, it really is a heartwarming ending which emphasizes Hughes' strength of family-centric, morality booster bliss.
But there is also a mystery about this film that begs for a director's cut which will now never happen (RIP John Hughes). If you do some research, supposedly the original cut of this film was in excess of 3 hours. Steve Martin couldn't believe how long the original script was. Many of the trailers you can find online contain scenes that actually AREN'T in the film! I can only imagine that there are some comedic gems which ended up on the cutting room floor that may have bolstered this otherwise pedestrian "comedy". This film is a prime example of what can happen when you overdo the edits. Watch the extras if you have access to them on Blu-ray or DVD.
6 stars for the film. Half a star each for Candy & Hughes. Reluctant 7/10, but I can think of many other films I would rather share with my family during Thanksgiving. Perhaps a missed opportunity on Hughes' part given the dynamite duo who obviously have decent chemistry and supreme acting ability. One could argue that Martin/Candy saved this film. Strong, steady performances from both of them.