Unseen Heartbreak: The Cut Monologue from Planes, Trains and Automobiles That Made Steve Martin Cry
The iconic film “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” written and directed by John Hughes, is widely regarded as a quintessential Thanksgiving movie, cementing its place in holiday film canon. However, the version audiences know today differs significantly from Hughes’ original screenplay. Notably, many scenes and subplots were omitted during production, including one involving Steve Martin’s character, Neal Page. In an intriguing twist, it was revealed that this subplot featured Neal’s wife, Susan, grappling with suspicions of infidelity, a theme underscored by the film’s famously intimate “pillow” scene.
Among the many edits, one poignant moment stood out, particularly in the eyes of Martin, who expressed his deep emotional connection to it. In the final cut, the film concludes with a heartwarming reunion between Neal and John Candy’s character, Del Griffith, who confides in Neal about the loss of his wife, Marie, who had passed away eight years prior. Del’s confession is both touching and tragic, leading to a scene where both characters carry Del’s trunk to Neal’s home, a moment that resonates with audiences.
In the original script, however, Del’s backstory was given more depth through a prolonged monologue detailing the sorrowful circumstances surrounding his wife’s illness, their unfulfilled dreams of starting a family, and how he was forced to sell their home after her death because he “didn’t much feel like being there.” Martin recalled this version, noting how profoundly it affected him, especially the line where Del lamented, “Every year I travel on my own. And every year around the holiday, I latch onto somebody. But this time I couldn’t let it go.”
Interestingly, this ad-libbed line—“but this time I couldn’t let it go”—was a spontaneous addition by Candy during the performance. Martin had expressed his disbelief that such an emotionally potent line was ultimately excluded from the final edit. “It surprised me,” he said, reflecting on the editing choices. He climbed back to the trimming in a 2022 interview, noting, “I never understood why John and I didn’t ask John [Hughes] because that’s his business.”
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According to “John Candy: A Life in Comedy” by Paul Myers, the decision to cut the scene stemmed from test screenings where the emotional weight of Del’s story unintentionally elicited laughter, slowing the movie’s pace. Hughes’ son, James Hughes, confirmed that the seriousness of Del’s monologue created an unexpected comedic juxtaposition in test audiences, leading to the decision to revise it significantly. Editor Paul Hirsch elaborated, asserting that the film’s momentum came to a halt during Del’s storyline.
Despite these cuts, the final film remains a classic, preserving the comedic elements that fans adore while still delivering a poignant narrative. The loss of some of Del’s backstory, however, highlights the delicate balance that filmmakers must navigate when crafting a story that resonates both emotionally and humorously with audiences. As it stands, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” endures as a touchstone of holiday cinema, even as it carries traces of what might have been a deeper exploration of its characters’ emotional landscapes.
