Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Planes, Trains and Automobiles. 1987 Paramount Pictures.
Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins, Michael McKean, Kevin Bacon, Edie McClurg, Ben Stein
Written, produced and directed by John Hughes
Available from Amazon (Those Aren't Pillows edition).

Ad exec Neal Page (Martin) is stuck in a meeting that seems to drag on forever, which may mean that he won't be able to catch a taxi to JFK to connect to his flight to Chicago, two days before Thanksgiving. Neal plans to be at home "by nine". That ain't happening. He first encounters Del Griffith (Candy) when the latter inadvertently gets into the cab that Neal hailed for himself. Neal does get to JFK just in time, only to find out two things:

1. The flight to Chicago is delayed, thanks to the mother of all snowstorms, and
2. While waiting, Del recognizes Neal. To Neal's annoyance, he's stuck in coach right next to Del!

The flight to the Windy City is diverted to Wichita due to the storm, which not so coincidentally clears up shortly after Del and Neal land, and settle into a crummy hotel in a rough part of town. Being robbed of nearly a thousand dollars by an unidentified thief does not help matters. Neal and Del are stuck together, and they gradually overcome their differences after much arguing, and they pull together to make their way back to Chicago over the course of the next three days, using just about every method of transportation they can. Once they make it back home, Neal realizes that Del, the seemingly happy-go-lucky kind of fella, actually is a widower (he has been carrying around a framed picture of his deceased wife Marie), and he has nowhere to go home to.

Highly recommended film, perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday.

...those aren't pillows!