MovieChat Forums > Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) Discussion > The ending makes no sense (travelwise)

The ending makes no sense (travelwise)

posted 2 years ago by avortac4 (3752)
8 replies | jump to latest

I started wondering why someone as rich as Neal would ever walk such a long street to his own house, let alone with someone fat to carry a heavy trunk with him.

Also, why would he ever take a train, if he could just take a taxi cab? He's OK with taking a cab earlier in the movie, but suddenly he takes the train?

I mean, you have to PAY for trains, you can't just ride them for free, so that's one problem right there. They supposedly had no money left, so how is he going to pay for a train?

Taxi cab would be easier, because you can just tell the driver to wait until you get money from the house, and leave your jacket or something for assurance or whatnot.

So why and how is Neal taking a train in the end?

Why would he be WALKING, especially such a long street, especially with Del and his heavy trunk? Look at how long that street is - WHERE did they stop, WHAT did they use to get there? You can't tell me they walked ALL THE WAY from the train station with that heavy trunk!

They MUST have used some form of transportation, so why walk at all, why not use that transportation all the way until the house?

This is just like that shower scene; no matter HOW you try to figure it out, one puzzle piece is always missing and nothing fits together completely, and thus, it MAKES NO SENSE.

Where was Del going anyway, and what was he going to do? If he has no home and no one to go to, why travel at all instead of saving that money for food and maybe rent for a small, crappy apartment?

If he still works as a light fixture guy, shouldn't he be able to afford rent anyway? What happened to he house/apartment they lived in when his wife died, wouldn't he have gotten some sort of inheritance, and wouldn't they still be friends with the wife's family, sort of comforting each other?

The more you think about movies, the less they seem to make sense. It's sad to see a classic movie like this fall to this nonsensical pattern, too.

[–] avortac4 (3752) 2 years ago

In retrospect, I probably should've said 'transitwise' instead of 'travelwise'..

In any case, I thought of more weirdness that doesn't make sense. Why is the wife so passive?

I mean, the wife could say 'stay put, I'll come pick you up' at SOME point, right? What's faster and more fun, using your car to pick up your husband, or just watching crappy TV shows while waiting inside the house? How passive can you get?

Also, can't Neal tell her wife to come pick him up at ANY point? If he has money to use a train, he has money to make a phone call (or do a collect call). There is NO excuse for him to first try to use a train, then WALK that very long street with Del, as if Del's physique could even handle it in the first place..

This guy is rich, connected, successful adman with enormous house. How the heck doesn't HE have any friends or family to call to pick him up?

Also, think about where the truck dropped them off. Where was that, a truck depo? Some mall? Did the truck driver know to drop them off at a train station?

In any case, I can't figure out how they ended up in the train station in the first place. Neal had so many better options..

1) Just use a taxi cab, like originally planned, and do the old 'hold my jacket, I'll get the money from my ENORMOUS MANSION'-stuff.

2) Call his wife to come pick him up OR at least be waiting at the door with money when he arrives in a taxi cab to pay the driver. Remember, in the 1980s in USA, you could do a 'collect call', so he doesn't even need money for that.

3) Call literally any of his friends or family he must have a lot of, to come pick him up and then give them gas money for that after they arrive (he must have money in his massive manor).

4) Use Del's two dollars to make that call, if absolutely necessary.

I mean, COME ON, what's with this train-plan, when he has no money for the train ticket? He COULD have some kind of 'train pass', of course, but look at him, his mansion, his suit, lifestyle.. would he?

[–] Seperatrix (1293) 2 years ago

The film is implausible on many levels, almost on a frame-by-frame basis. But that doesn't diminish my enjoyment of the film. For a comedy is that supposed to be silly, almost surreal, I can make allowances. But to each his/her own.

To your point, and to provide another example, how does Neal not know there is a shortage of towels before he gets into the shower? He HAS to see the condition of the bathroom when entering the room and heading for the shower. But we get his POV starting in the shower, so as he exits the shower and looks around the room, we're seeing it for the first time and it's as if we're supposed to assume Neal is seeing it for the first time as well. Silly.

[–] Kowalski (76875) 2 years ago

I BELIEVE THERE IS A DELETED SCENE THAT SHOWS DEL INTRUDING INTO THE BATHROOM WHILE NEIL IS SHOWERING AND TALKING INTO THE MIRROR...LEAVING THE BATHROOM IN THE CONDITION THAT NEIL FINDS IT IN WHEN HE GETS OUT OF THE SHOWER.

[–] Seperatrix (1293) 2 years ago

Thank you.

I considered that as a solution, that there was a deleted scene that might explain that moment in the film. And also that there were other deleted scenes that may explain other issues.

But at the end of the day -- even without deleted scenes -- I think the film works just fine. I still enjoy it and watch it at least once a year.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

This goes over what Kowalski said. Great channel
https://youtu.be/mmApp8CzTfg

[–] Seperatrix (1293) 2 years ago

Thank you for the link.

I actually have the 4k with the deleted scenes -- only I haven't had a chance to see it yet!

So something to look forward to . . .

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

The channel creator thinks so. He's a big fan of Jon Candy and he really seems to love this movie.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

While it's fun at times to dissect films and every single scene looking for unrealistic parts, i mean look at home alone! as soon as kevin heard marv and harry talking about coming back to break in, why not call the cops? why not infact call the cops the moment he knew his parents had left without him?! you can do this with every single film.

You have to take the film for what it is, it's a comedy that requires you not to over analyze these things and focus more on what the story is about. it's a film thats there to make you smile/laugh to offer some kind of message of thanksgiving of "no matter what, someone cares"

If what you took from this amazing film is "how could del pay his rent?" then jeezz, when did people become so serious?