The Lost Version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles 

I have to tell you this... Planes, Trains and Automobiles was the last movie my brother and I watched together before he passed away from cancer a few weeks after Thanksgiving in 1994. He was so eaten up from battling it that he could barely speak. As we watched we kept laughing and smiling from scene to scene. Right after the freeze frame ending on Candy's face he looked over at me with a tear in his eye and with heavy breath uttered, "That was a good movie." I didn't know it at the time that they would be the last words he ever spoke to me. Now, every Thanksgiving I watch this movie and relish the found memory of my brother, Paul. This is why it is my favorite movie of all time! To see the uncut version would be the greatest gift.

I would much rather see the full uncut version rather than a remake.

It bothers me way more than perhaps it should. That there's 2 more hours of John Candy out there and we can't see it.

Candy should’ve gotten an Oscar nomination for his role. He was fantastic

It really is a crime that these studios just keep priceless footage locked away and deteriorating in a vault somewhere.

I wondered why Neal's wife was so emotional at the end. It always seemed a little over the top. "Jeez, lady, he had some delays. Get a grip." But now it makes sense.

I have only shed a tear once for an actor that passed and that was John Candy. Every time I watch him in a movie…he was just incredibly sincere in every role. As for a remake??? Why? They will NEVER capture the magic of the original, NEVER. The other actors are talented in their own way but they are no Martin and Candy, not even close.

I just learned some wonderful news: A brand new 4K Blu Ray of this film is going to be released next month with over an hour of never before seen deleted & extended scenes finally being shown to the public.

It’s so cool that Steve Martian actually tweeted about this video.

John Candy was such a kind and decent man.

Fun fact: after the credits, Neal's boss is still at his desk analyzing the ads, his Thanksgiving dinner sitting on his desk.

"YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAYYYY!!" How would he know where we're going? Yeah, how would he know... Classic- I'd love to see the whole version.

So Del drives past Chicago while Neil is sleeping purposefully to spend more time with him and avoid going 'home'. That adds another layer.

I can't believe Steve Martin tweeted about this video Absolutely deserved ecause of the great quality of work you put in

I was working out in South Lake Tahoe at the Edgewood Golf Course back in 89 when standing on the #10 tee box watering the grass next to the half way house when a foursome consisting of John Candy, Wayne Gretzky, owner of the LA Kings and one other playing partner came through. John had placed an order for a bunch of food to take with him on the back nine and was forced to wait as his playing partners had already headed down the fairway leaving John Candy behind, figuring he'd be catching up with them shortly. Standing there, I recalled a line from this movie and joked with him " Hey John, how about a nice hot dog and a beer." He turns and says to me "how about six hotdogs and a case of beer." which is what he was waiting for. It wasn't too long after that event where I would learn he had passed away, making me think that day I witnessed an act which would later contribute to his early demise. Made me very sad for everybody loved John Candy and I think he had a heart of gold. RIP John Candy.

I feel cheated that I didn’t get the back story of his wife thinking he was cheating. It makes so much sense now. Thank you for this.

So much talent, charisma, and warmth between Candy and Martin, truly a shame we didn't get more with these two.

This and Uncle Buck is what makes John Candy one of my favourite actors, I wish he was still alive today

As a huge, Hughes/Candy fan, this pains me to death. To know there’s a Hughes original cut of Plans, Trains and Automobiles and Uncle Buck... damn! And to think these original cuts are just sitting in their canisters deteriorating brings a tear to my eye. These are both Hughes/Candy classics and both versions of each film should most definitely be available for the fans.

I love John Candy. This will always be one of my favourites up there with Uncle Buck. One of the most beautiful final scenes in film. It epitomizes everything Mr Candy was about and makes me proud just to be a Canadian. And God bless, John Hughes.

What's great about this video is I can tell that the creator really cares about the film.

The theatrical cut is a near perfect film but I certainly would like to see the four hour version. Definitely no need for a remake.

For the record, this is still my absolute favorite movie. I do NOT, repeat: DO NOT want them to remake it.

For as much as they cut out, the editors were brilliant at creating a masterpiece. The continuity is nearly flawless. I would never had guessed so much was left out if I hadn't seen this video.

"...Well, about seven hours ago, it was lasagna" I swear, that line alone busted my gut...due mainly to Candy's read. By the way, the fact that we never SEE Candy putting the beer on the shaky bed, but the event is DESCRIBED or alluded to later actually works better for the 'it never occurred to me, it's been a long day' line, IMHO... Also, one last thing...the idea of a REMAKE of this genuine holiday classic literally turns my stomach.

There will never be another actor who can make you smile and then painfully squeeze every last tear from your heart the way John Candy could.

12:28, I think that Hughes had the right idea. Del saying those two lines in the train station really encapsulates the message which is cut in the coffee house. I believe that Hughes believed that audience does not need everything explained word by word, if you had watched the movie, you would understand everything that was said in the coffee house without even needing to see the coffee house scene. I for one almost always cry at Del at the train station scene, I don't need additional 5 minute scene to Del explain everything, I understand it just from those two lines. And also Steve Martins beautiful reaction to Dels revalation speaks for itself. Showing without telling...

With the 4K and its deleted footage... Did we just win?! Hopefully the scenes are in good enough quality, and enough of them, that we can recreate the 2 hour cut, and maybe even a good chunk of the 3 hour cut! Amazing. Can't wait to see. If it's good quality and does well, hope we get the same for Uncle Buck.

Will Smith & Kevin Hart in a remake??? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Why would you even want to do that? Just leave it well alone!! or Release an uncut version.

This was John Candy's opus. Love Uncle Buck, but PTaA shows that there are those unique characters we encounter in life who have a deeper backstory we never realize unless they tell us.

My grandmother loved this movie. I remember me, her and my mom watching it together every Thanksgiving and never getting tired of it. The actors, the plot, the delivery, the chemistry; just perfect. Now that my grandmother is gone, I still watch it every year during the holidays with my mom and it always brings us joy.

Steve Martin has gone on record to say this is his favorite movie he was in, which says a lot

Count me in for hoping for an extended version at some point. That scene with Del and Neal at the cafe at the end sounds heartbreakingly wonderful and you know Candy hit it out of the park. Would love to see it.

I always thought that Del's black eye was by the truck driver when he tells Neal the driver doesn't like anyone sitting up with him.

A precious gem of a movie. Alongside Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, this is Martin's best performance and Candy's performance is one of the greatest ever performances of all time. A true classic.

After purchasing the first ever DVD of the movie when it was released in the 1990's I realized that the airplane scene was removed. I was so livid I sent a nasty letter to Paramount demanding to know why the scene (one of the funniest in the film) was deleted. They actually wrote back to me saying that they didn't have the permission of the old guy in the scene and had to remove it from the DVD version. It was still on the VHS version from the 1980's however. It makes me so angry that there is another 90 minutes of footage rotting away in a vault somewhere when it could have been re-edited, cleaned up and preserved for release. My goodness they just did that with the Beatles "Get Back" film. I wonder if Steve Martin would have any clout in making this happen?

I want that 4 hour cut. Gimmie gimmie. The 1 deleted scene is Candy greatness.

it's nice of you to compile all of these scenes together and Stitch it together. I really appreciate it, thank you.

So glad I watched this video! The exchange of greetings in the final scene ("Hello, Mr. Griffith" "Hello, Mrs. Page") always bugged me just a touch, as if it carried an emotional weight that it never earned. Now I know that it was earned in the cut storyline about Neal's suspected infidelity and the cut coffee shop scene between Neal and Del. Thanks for that!

I would watch a 3 hour version of this classic. Knowing this is actually pretty cool because I always felt like there was more to this movie.

FYI, Steve Martin shared an article on his Twitter that appears to be written in response to this video/documentary and this video was embedded within it. So perhaps Steve Martin has now watched your video which is insanely awesome!

You really should create an online petition for the uncut version to be released.

Let's petition Paramount to release the full uncut version of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles on behalf of the John Hughes family. A comedy treasure like this deserves to be released in its entirety, restored on Blu-Ray!!!

We will be watching this movie tonight, as we always do the day before Thanksgiving. It's a classic in every sense of the word.

I WANT TO SEE THIS 3 HOURS AND 40 MINUTES CUT!!!!! Gimme, Gimme, Gimme a John Candy after midnight...

Watching this makes me really disappointed that I can’t see this original cut version. Also annoyed that I now know and will know every time I rewatch this brilliant movie.

We are Nearing Thanksgiving 2023, but I need to share a story from the past. Back in 96, one of my brothers who had been in decline and suffering physically due to drug abuse, was able to get transport across country, back to see family. Some of us had an overwhelming sense that his demise would be soon, and not in a sense of any salvation, other than to escape physical pain from Hepatitis C. I was Blessed that he came to spend some time with me, and I played my VCR tape of this movie. Even with his physical (and later to realize, spiritual) pain, he laughed heartily at this movie. I was so happy to have shared that with him. He had actually been under suicide watch from the methadone clinic from which he was receiving treatment. But went back to his home, and then just disappeared. It was eventually found that he had committed suicide. I can only say that I continue to be happy about providing him with some bit of relief by sharing this completely heartfelt comedy with him. 😢

John Candy was beyond belief. An absolute titan. I think he is actually underrated, for all his fame. His comedic talent can cause one to ignore or be unaware of the sheer depth and power of his dramatic acting. Like most great comedians [Steve Martin of course as well] he runs the complete gamut from hilarity to pathos and heartbreak. A Giant.

I love the missing bits. I would certainly want that version on DVD. But not a remake. Nope, don't want that at all.

One of the funniest movies ever made. It's one of those movies you can rewatch and laugh hysterically as if seeing it for the first time.

The wish has been granted. Hughes Cut on 4K comes out next week.

Honestly, I don't need to see a longer version. The movie is perfect just the way it is. It's my favorite comedy, and in my top 10 favorite films of all time.

I think the reason the theatrical version works so well is the Hughes was really a master of editing. References to events we didn't see get used as spice for what we do see.

The one thing about restoring the original cut, is that people tend to be lazy to find or restore print of the cut. As if hollywood does not care about hungry cinephiles, wanting to see more directors cut (Such as Its a Mad mad world)

This is one of my favorite films ever made! I'd love to see the full uncut version! Forget a remake though. I'm so sick of Hollywood ruining the epic classics! No thanks!!!

I'm so glad to finally understand why the final scene is so overly emotional and why it just ends with a freeze on Candy's face. Because this is also one of my favorite films and I never though that was a fitting ending. I'd pay for a crowdfund any day, if Paramount could find enough footage.

Hands down, this is the best John Hughes film ever, and personally speaking, my favorite Holiday film that is closer to the message of the season than most Christmas movies.

No interested in the remake. This is a classic that will never be duplicated.

I first watched this film years ago with my cousin, we laughed so much we had to keep pausing and rewinding the video. An absolute classic.

I'm not disappointed that they deleted the diner scene where Del tells the story about losing his wife. I always loved the fact that Neal intuitively pieced together Del's sad life from remembering bits of "between the lines" dialogue and Del's revealing facial expressions of loss and sadness throughout the trip without the verbal explanation. Less is more works for me.

Oh wow, it's weird how when you reinsert the original subplots it all makes so much sense, yet the film works so well without them as well

John Candy could read the phone book and be funnier than ANYONE in Hollywood!

I think the only detriment caused by the editing is that Neil's outburst at Del in the motel seems to come from nowhere - it seems a lot of scenes involving Del rambling on and on to Neil at the airport and on the plane were cut out, not enabling us to realise how overly talkative the character is supposed to be.

I was always so confused as to what was up with the ending where Neal’s wife seems so happy to see Del, it all makes sense now.

"Sorry folks, director's cut's closed. The moose out front shoulda told ya'."

If Criterian can release the extended roadshow cut of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World they most certainly could release these cuts. Please get on it Criterian, or Shout! I would love to see the 3 hour cut.

This deserves some kind of Nobel Prize for services to movies. Thank you.

Lost my mother in 2010 and watched this with my dad a few weeks ago. Hits different. Awesome movie. People are icebergs, man.

The beer can thing is honestly funnier off screen to me.

Imagine all the great material that has ended up on cutting room floors.

That is awesome. The scenes make a little more sense now with knowing what was cut. The end had always confused me a little. I couldn't figure why the wife was so relieved to see him bring someone home.

What a classic, love John Candy and wish he would have lived longer !

I'm so glad they didn't take out "those aren't pillows!"

There's a little "hint" at the beginning. When Dell steals Neal's cab, Neal looks down to the mud puddle where the cab was and there's a shower curtain ring floating in it.

I had heard tell several years ago now, that there was supposed to be a much longer extended cut being released on DVD, but I guess that’s never going to happen if all of the original film has long since deteriorated. It’s a crying shame; this has long remained one of my all-time favourite comedies from the late-80s, and I’d always hoped there were more of those beautifully delivered melancholy and sentimental scenes in it - I’d gladly do without the infamous F-Bomb scene (it really is the only scene in the movie that hasn’t dated at all well) and have the rest of the film restored. Obviously it’s an impossible dream, but as a compromise, I’d give my eye teeth to be able to read the original full, unedited script.

This is like my all time favorite movie I wish they would release all 3 hours it would be a real gem.

3:30 I watch this movie every thanksgiving, even though we don't have such holiday here in Brazil I love it to death, I cry every time in the end scene

Wow this really put the whole picture together for me. I cry everytime at the end of this film. Candy really brought the heart. And when the music swells and the camera cuts to Del and Neil carrying the trunk together, it's truly a great moment.

Such a great insight in one of my favourite movies and a yearly must watch. I agree that I always wondered why his wife was so emotional at the end, because at the end he came a few hours late to Thanksgiving and wasn't kept hostage in the middle east. But one point I don't agree with you: I think the beer exploding scene is way more funnier as is. Them almost casually talking what happened and you can clearly picture how it played out sometimes is the better way of story telling. If they left the scene in it and would have kept the scene where they talked about the exploding beer cans in the bed, it would have felt arkward. Like explaining a joke. But man I love your channel!

I ALWAYS wondered why the final line of dialogue was delivered the way it was. I've seen fan speculation asking if Del knew Neil's wife beforehand, and that was the reason for the delivery to be the way it is. This video finally put the pieces together. Thank you!! And congrats on the official bluray release.

We need to see this footage!!!!!!. It’s the only extra pieces of a movie I’ve seen that would add to the story instead of take away from it. Maybe Ryan Reynolds being such a fan and a good Canadian could help everyone out getting this footage released.

This is easily one of my favorite movies of all time. A remake existing doesn't bother me but they SHOULD release the extra footage. No harm could come of it. Thanks for this amazing video and giving us a visual of these deleted scenes. - Leo

Added fact for this, the 2010 movie Due Date is actually a hyper active remake of this movie. Saw the remake first and thought it was ok, saw this one in 2014 and loved it; then again Martin and Candy together is just gold.

I've watched this dozens of times...the perfect comedy, never wears thin...

I knew there was a longer cut, but I never realized just how much footage was cut from the film. This is quite interesting. This is one of my favorite films and it would be cool if one day we got to see all of the footage that John Hughes shot and cut out on a new Blu-Ray release of the film or something of the sort. While what Hughes believes may be true regarding the footage having deteriorated, things have happened where what was once thought to be lost footage shows up decades after being removed from a film and ends up in the deleted scenes of a DVD and/or Blu-Ray release for a film or even a new extended cut of the film if some scenes work better as being cut back into the film.

I’m glad to know now about the subplot where his wife thinks he’s cheating. That really does add impact to their moment at the end.

I can't even put into words how excited I am to finally watch the unreleased footage I first learned about from this video 2 years ago. My family is going to watch it on Thanksgiving! Absolutely cannot wait!

John Hughes made some incredible movies and this is by far my favorite holiday movie! I would love to watch the 3+ hour version! ❤️

That subplot where she suspects him of cheating adds SO much sense to the ending!!! That's the one thing I wish they hadn't cut because whenever I watched the movie, I found it VERY awkward that they were so overly emotional in that last scene!

Can they just Stop trying to remake everything already, we dont want bloody remakes or reboots D:

Breaks into Aera 51… ⬅️ Aliens ➡️Footage of Del Griffith Spilling Beer on the Bed My Car➡️➡️➡️➡️➡️

I am in the UK. We don't celebrate Thanks Giving but the film is often shown around Christmas. I agree, it is a perfect film and one of my favourites. I hate watching films a second or third time. But everytime this comes on I have to stop and watch it. The writing and casting are both perfect. I can't imagine a remake being anywhere near as good.

This movie is a timeless masterpiece. I've watched it dozens of times and always enjoy it just like the first time. Even with the revelations of deleted footage and lack of cohesive events, I'll still sit every Thanksgiving watching it, welling up with tears at the end when he goes back for Del.

I worked as background in several “cut” scenes... the first being in a strip club where Neil calls his wife. Would love to finally see this completed scene.

I also watch PTA at least once a year. Every scene is gold. Martin and Candy were perfect. I never knew how much was taken out and thank you for explaining some things I struggled with, such as why did it look like Del had a black eye and why Neil said Del went through his stuff. I would love to see more footage. I can’t imagine the great stuff that wound up on the floor! I hope someone saves it and we get to see it someday. I always want more after watching it. I hope Hollywood realizes that we don’t need a remake. I feel they go for easy over an original idea anymore. Thanks again!

Anyone else here after the announcement that P, T & A will be released on Blu-Ray with an hour of deleted scenes?? So happy that they're finally bringing that footage out for the world to see instead of letting it rot away in a vault. :)

Man I'd love to see the full cut of this, it's my favorite comedy of all time.

Whoa. As someone who has probably watched this movie 20 times, the subplot where Neal's wife suspects he's having an affair and then responds emotionally when she discovers that Dell really did exist blows my mind.

I agree totally with every word of the narrator. This is a jewel from a talented and creative man. It is a Thanksgiving institution as Home Alone is a Christmas one and The Breakfast Club and Ferris' Bueller Day Off are dream lives for high schoolers. I enjoy John Hughes' work at least once a year. It makes me sad to think that we lost him and John Candy so early in their lives.

A friend of mine told me once, which I totally agree; if Hollywood is going to remake a movie, remake an absolute failure of a movie. DO NOT remake masterpieces such as this.