Recommend a movie similar to this one?
October 27, 2014 3:36 PM Subscribe
I'm searching for a movie similar to John Hughes' 1987 classic, Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Something with a warm message and the same kind of comedy. Preferably something with Steve Martin or John Candy, but not necessarily. Recommendations?
Response by poster: I love that movie. You're definitely on the right track!
posted by omar.a at 3:40 PM on October 27, 2014
posted by omar.a at 3:40 PM on October 27, 2014
After the Fox with Peter Sellers.
posted by vrakatar at 3:42 PM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by vrakatar at 3:42 PM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
You might enjoy What About Bob?. There's an irritable therapist, Richard Dreyfuss, being plagued by his well meaning but awkard and boundary-overstepping patient, Bill Murray. The end is heartwarming, and the message of acceptance isn't far off of that of Planes,Trains.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 3:43 PM on October 27, 2014 [8 favorites]
posted by Jon Mitchell at 3:43 PM on October 27, 2014 [8 favorites]
Have you also seen Uncle Buck? It's great!
posted by shortyJBot at 3:44 PM on October 27, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by shortyJBot at 3:44 PM on October 27, 2014 [6 favorites]
LA Story is a pretty great movie. Not quite as slapstick as Planes, but definitely the same comedic vibe.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 3:45 PM on October 27, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 3:45 PM on October 27, 2014 [6 favorites]
Hmmmm. . . . that's a tall order. Planes, Trains and Automobiles is in a class of its own.
Warm message, comedy?
Ok, how about these:
Steve Martin - HouseSitter (1992): Con artist Gwen moves into Newton's empty house without his knowledge, and begins setting up house posing as his new wife.
John Candy - Only the Lonely (1991): A Chicago cop must balance loyalty to his overbearing mother and a relationship with a shy funeral home worker.
posted by General Tonic at 3:45 PM on October 27, 2014 [2 favorites]
Warm message, comedy?
Ok, how about these:
Steve Martin - HouseSitter (1992): Con artist Gwen moves into Newton's empty house without his knowledge, and begins setting up house posing as his new wife.
John Candy - Only the Lonely (1991): A Chicago cop must balance loyalty to his overbearing mother and a relationship with a shy funeral home worker.
posted by General Tonic at 3:45 PM on October 27, 2014 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I know, Planes, Trains & Automobiles is a timeless classic. I've seen Uncle Buck and LA Story. Will have to check out the rest. Keep em coming!
posted by omar.a at 3:52 PM on October 27, 2014
posted by omar.a at 3:52 PM on October 27, 2014
Not nearly as touching but the most similar movie I can think of is Tommy Boy. I'll also suggest My Blue Heaven and I don't care if it makes me a sap, I love the movie Parenthood.
posted by kat518 at 3:54 PM on October 27, 2014 [7 favorites]
posted by kat518 at 3:54 PM on October 27, 2014 [7 favorites]
I came in to suggest What About Bob as well. It was the first one that came to mind!
posted by Happydaz at 3:56 PM on October 27, 2014
posted by Happydaz at 3:56 PM on October 27, 2014
City Slickers. Funny and meaningful. And great Jack Palance.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:03 PM on October 27, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:03 PM on October 27, 2014 [5 favorites]
Micheal Keaton in Mr. Mom and Multiplicity might be on track.
Ed O'Neill's Dutch.
Adventures in Babysitting (with a young blond Vincent D'Onifrio.)
Albert Brook's The Muse and Mother.
Moonrise Kingdom? The new Walter Mitty?
Not sure if it's the travel or unlikely bedfellows but these might work for both. (I'm hedging on the journey aspect, sometimes.)
posted by Lesser Shrew at 4:05 PM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
Ed O'Neill's Dutch.
Adventures in Babysitting (with a young blond Vincent D'Onifrio.)
Albert Brook's The Muse and Mother.
Moonrise Kingdom? The new Walter Mitty?
Not sure if it's the travel or unlikely bedfellows but these might work for both. (I'm hedging on the journey aspect, sometimes.)
posted by Lesser Shrew at 4:05 PM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
The Great Outdoors is a silly romp that ends sweetly.
posted by janell at 4:05 PM on October 27, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by janell at 4:05 PM on October 27, 2014 [2 favorites]
I really liked Defending Your Life when I first saw it.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:08 PM on October 27, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:08 PM on October 27, 2014 [2 favorites]
Groundhog Day
posted by mosk at 4:10 PM on October 27, 2014 [8 favorites]
posted by mosk at 4:10 PM on October 27, 2014 [8 favorites]
I loved Steve Martin in Roxanne (and you might also enjoy Depardieu in Cyrano de Bergerac).
posted by humph at 4:13 PM on October 27, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by humph at 4:13 PM on October 27, 2014 [4 favorites]
Paper Moon (1973) - During the Great Depression, a con man finds himself saddled with a young girl and the two forge an unlikely partnership.
Road trip? Check.
Warmth? Check.
Comedy? Check.
Ten-year-old Tatum O'Neal and her real father onscreen together? Check.
posted by General Tonic at 4:20 PM on October 27, 2014 [4 favorites]
Road trip? Check.
Warmth? Check.
Comedy? Check.
Ten-year-old Tatum O'Neal and her real father onscreen together? Check.
posted by General Tonic at 4:20 PM on October 27, 2014 [4 favorites]
> Paper Moon
Funny, we just showed this to our 10 y/o and 13 y/o a couple of weeks ago, and we loved it, but they needed more explanation about what was going on that I thought they would. It holds up very well as a movie, but the comedy lies a little deeper than you might remember, or at least it did for us.
Sorry, updated to say: the above was our experience showing it to kids. If it's for adults, never mind -- it's great!
posted by mosk at 4:28 PM on October 27, 2014
Funny, we just showed this to our 10 y/o and 13 y/o a couple of weeks ago, and we loved it, but they needed more explanation about what was going on that I thought they would. It holds up very well as a movie, but the comedy lies a little deeper than you might remember, or at least it did for us.
Sorry, updated to say: the above was our experience showing it to kids. If it's for adults, never mind -- it's great!
posted by mosk at 4:28 PM on October 27, 2014
Groundhog Day was my first thought.
posted by janey47 at 4:33 PM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by janey47 at 4:33 PM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's bittersweet and it's British, but Local Hero
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 4:44 PM on October 27, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 4:44 PM on October 27, 2014 [5 favorites]
Yep, +1 on Local Hero. Great movie. The humor's much more ... restrained than Planes 'n Trains, so you'll need to pay attention.
posted by Bron at 5:13 PM on October 27, 2014
posted by Bron at 5:13 PM on October 27, 2014
Sullivan's Travels
ANY Preston Sturges movie! I love The Palm Beach Story.
Shag is in the road trip, feel good, wheelhouse.
If I think of any more, I'll pop back in.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:16 PM on October 27, 2014
ANY Preston Sturges movie! I love The Palm Beach Story.
Shag is in the road trip, feel good, wheelhouse.
If I think of any more, I'll pop back in.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:16 PM on October 27, 2014
I sort of like that my partner hasn't seen The Three Amigos as it, along with Pee-Wee Herman's Big Adventure, are the wellspring of about twenty percent of my jokes.
posted by history is a weapon at 6:32 PM on October 27, 2014
posted by history is a weapon at 6:32 PM on October 27, 2014
I came in to suggest Midnight Run, but I will third it instead.
posted by onlyconnect at 8:38 PM on October 27, 2014
posted by onlyconnect at 8:38 PM on October 27, 2014
The Great Outdoors!
Steve Martin was in Father of the Bride 1 and 2 and Martin Short plays a wedding planner with an interesting accent. They have a bit of the "rich white people who are unhappy" problem, but also some warm fuzzies about parenthood.
Oh, Parenthood is a good one.
Lost in Paradise with Nicholas Cage, Jon Lovitz and Dana Carvey. I am not a Cage fan at all, but it is a great movie.
posted by soelo at 7:45 AM on October 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
Steve Martin was in Father of the Bride 1 and 2 and Martin Short plays a wedding planner with an interesting accent. They have a bit of the "rich white people who are unhappy" problem, but also some warm fuzzies about parenthood.
Oh, Parenthood is a good one.
Lost in Paradise with Nicholas Cage, Jon Lovitz and Dana Carvey. I am not a Cage fan at all, but it is a great movie.
posted by soelo at 7:45 AM on October 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
Not one that I'm personally familiar with but Netflix recommends based on PTA and has John Candy, Going Berserk.
Delirious is goofy good with Candy, and Volunteers if you like Tom Hanks.
Midnight Run is an "action comedy" with Charles Grodin and Robert Di Nero (4th-ing) (In the same vein there's The In-Laws with Arkin/Falk)
posted by achrise at 10:43 AM on October 28, 2014
Delirious is goofy good with Candy, and Volunteers if you like Tom Hanks.
Midnight Run is an "action comedy" with Charles Grodin and Robert Di Nero (4th-ing) (In the same vein there's The In-Laws with Arkin/Falk)
posted by achrise at 10:43 AM on October 28, 2014
I'm getting into Paul Mazursky lately, and I think Harry and Tonto would fit your bill. Art Carney (in an Oscar-winning performance) is a father/grandfather whose apartment building is torn down, and decides to visit his children on a road trip across the US -- all accompanied by his tabby cat Tonto. It is a little less comedic, but definitely warm, humanist, and if you will "feel good" without being overly sentimental -- Harry is too acerbic a character for that.
Midnight Run, I'll chime in on, too -- it's one of my favorite movies.
Sullivan's Travels is another favorite. In fact, considering I felt myself a bit of a film student, I really didn't know much about it and was prompted to see it by Steve Martin's character's soliloquy from Grand Canyon [not working for me ATM]. It's a fantastic film that remains very relevant both in social and film industry (of which it is a satire) terms.
Not road movies as such, but I really enjoy a number of Mike Leigh's films, in particular Happy-Go-Lucky, Another Year, and Secrets and Lies.
posted by dhartung at 2:09 PM on October 29, 2014
Midnight Run, I'll chime in on, too -- it's one of my favorite movies.
Sullivan's Travels is another favorite. In fact, considering I felt myself a bit of a film student, I really didn't know much about it and was prompted to see it by Steve Martin's character's soliloquy from Grand Canyon [not working for me ATM]. It's a fantastic film that remains very relevant both in social and film industry (of which it is a satire) terms.
Not road movies as such, but I really enjoy a number of Mike Leigh's films, in particular Happy-Go-Lucky, Another Year, and Secrets and Lies.
posted by dhartung at 2:09 PM on October 29, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by biffa at 3:40 PM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]