Holiday Favorites 2012: Mark Potts, 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles'

Our "Holiday Favorites" series in 2011 was so popular and fun that we're bringing it back again. Slackerwood contributors, Austin filmmakers and other local film community friends will all be sharing their favorite holiday movies from now until the end of the year.

Filmmaker Mark Potts doesn't live in Austin, but he shot his latest feature film, Cinema Six, in Austin and Lockhart with a lot of local cast and crew. Slackerwood and Austin Film Society are co-hosting the Austin premiere of Cinema Six on Friday, November 30 at 8 pm at Blue Starlite (tickets still available!).

Here's Mark's description of a movie that's perfect to watch this weekend:

Planes, Trains & Automobiles is the only film set around Thanksgiving* and while I'm almost certain that's true, I don't care enough to Google it.** But to me, it's a film that transcends the holiday and can be watched at any time of the year. As much as I love National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, you can't really watch it in March or August without feeling sort of weird about it.

I first watched this movie when my late grandfather recommended it. Now, it was an interesting recommendation because he really wasn't a movie watcher. He liked John Wayne and that was it. But he told me to watch Planes, Trains & Automobiles, so I went and bought it on DVD and watched it with him. I liked it at the time, but didn't really feel that strongly about it. Years later, when I was in college and got to experience being away from family, did I really find something special in there.

This movie isn't about a holiday: It's about people. It's about stories and sadness and the celebration of life and the inevitable conclusion that we all lose the ones we love but until then, we need to fight to be with them when it matters and as much as possible. John Hughes was a master and still is the master of making something funny and heartbreaking at the same time. No other writer and director can open a wound, throw salt in there, and make you laugh at the same time.

And two of the funniest men alive, John Candy and Steve Martin, are perfect together.

If I could make something that had 10 percent of the humor and heart this film did, I'd be happy. I love it enough that I'll even forgive it for ignoring the Oxford comma.***

Want to watch? Planes, Trains & Automobiles is available on DVD and Blu-ray. If you have Amazon Prime you can stream it online at no extra cost.

* That can't be true.
** I do care enough and I did Google it. There are some others, but not many. Apparently Funny People is set around Thanksgiving, but I don't remember due to the fact they were in that house for about 19 hours towards the end, right?
*** Who gives a fuck about the Oxford comma?