Photo: Paramount Pictures
It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years since Planes, Trains and Automobiles first came out, since Del Griffith (John Candy) and Neal Page (Steve Martin) had their buddy bromance road trip together on the way to Chicago. There’s nothing like sticking two polar opposites together and watching them butt heads. That got us thinking about our favorite buddy comedy movies that took life on the road, which of course we’re going to round up for you right now.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles has all the perfect ingredients: a control freak who has lost all control, an annoying jolly classic late actor, everything that can go wrong on a trip (and then some), the unforgiving bitter cold, a broken convertible, Kevin Bacon being a dick, Chicago, the house from Home Alone and a little holiday cheer.
We’ve rounded up our favorite buddy comedy road trip movies, and, while we like to think they’re all the best, it’s tough to compete with one of the original buddy road trip comedies. Honorable mentions: The Blues Brothers, The Great Outdoors, Sideways.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles‘ 30th Anniversary Has Us Nostalgic For Buddy Road Trip Movies
Nothing is better than Peter Griffin’s Del Griffith tribute. Nothing.
More anniversaries to celebrate: It’s Amazing These 25th Anniversary Albums All Came Out in 1991
Buddy Roadtrips
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"Dumb & Dumber" (1994)
They got no food. They got no jobs. Their pets heads are falling off! Harry and Lloyd head to Aspen to return the briefcase of money to its rightful sexy owner, but not before spending all of it first. "Those are IOUs. Those are as good as money."
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"The Hangover" (2009)
The Wolf Pack heads to Vegas to celebrate the impending nuptials of their best friend, who goes missing in a highly forgettable rufie-induced bachelors night out.
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"Tommy Boy" (1995)
An overweight, entitled flunky rides town to town with the tiny, sarcastic know-it-all to save a dying business. They didn't plan on becoming best friends, though.
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"Easy Rider" (1969)
Two hippie dudes riding Harleys, doing drug deals and not giving a fuck as they search of enlightenment on the open road. Back when living was easy.
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"Due Date" (2010)
It's essentially Trains, Planes and Automobiles 20-plus years later, except Galifianakis is more annoying than John Candy and super effeminate, and Robert Downey Jr. is an even bigger prick than usual.
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"Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" (2004)
Drugs and burgers and Neil Patrick Harris. What could be better than finding mythical unicorns in the search for genetically modified food and gluten?
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"Road Trip" (2000)
All I remember is Tom Green in his prime, Sean William Scott getting fingers up the ass and that skinny dude getting laid somehow. The rest is a bit fuzzy, except the old dude with the boner bitching at his wife for some flapjacks.
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"Thelma & Louise" (1991)
In our gender-free world, these two are about as old school as Steve Martin and John Candy. God bless these fucking females.
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"The Darjeeling Limited" (2007)
Three brothers seek to reconnect a year after the loss of their father while traveling across India by train in search of their absent mother. The soundtrack is epic, but so is the acting.
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"Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas" (1998)
When you drive across the desert with a truckload of drugs, the only place you can really go is Las Vegas. One of the many blown-out Hunter Thompson impersonations, except Depp's the best.
