Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $49,509,935Details
International Box Office $242,306Details
Worldwide Box Office $49,752,241
Further financial details...

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$7,009,482 (14.2% of total gross)
Legs:7.06 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:99.5% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:1,118 opening theaters/1,684 max. theaters, 8.9 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $131,967,288

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play
Vudu:Vudu

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: November 25th, 1987 (Wide) by Paramount Pictures
November 6th, 2022 (Special Engagement) by Fathom Events
International Releases: April 28th, 1988 (Wide) (Germany)
Video Release: July 22nd, 1997 by Paramount Home Video, released as Planes, Trains and Automobiles
MPAA Rating: R (after appeal upheld)
Running Time: 92 minutes
Comparisons: vs. Home Alone
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Road Trip, Buddy Comedy, Thanksgiving, Travel Industry, Widow/Widower, Non-Chronological, Surprise Twist
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Comedy
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Contemporary Fiction
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date
Days In
Release
New Year's Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 283 $11,065,909 Jan 1, 1988 40
Christmas (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 279 $11,645,961 Dec 25, 1987 33
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 3-Day) 215 $7,009,482 Nov 27, 1987 5
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 148 $20,257,578 Nov 27, 1987 5
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 5-Day) 242 $7,009,482 Nov 27, 1987 5
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 5-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 169 $16,421,187 Nov 27, 1987 5
Thanksgiving (Opening, 3-Day) 77 $7,009,482 Nov 27, 1987 5
Thanksgiving (Opening, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 56 $20,257,578 Nov 27, 1987 5
Thanksgiving (Opening, 5-Day) 84 $7,009,482 Nov 27, 1987 5
Thanksgiving (Opening, 5-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 71 $20,257,578 Nov 27, 1987 5

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 27, 1987 3 $7,009,482   1,118 $6,270   $10,131,242 1
Dec 4, 1987 2 $5,069,770 -28% 1,118 $4,535   $17,050,728 2
Dec 11, 1987 4 $3,698,739 -27% 1,578 $2,344   $22,220,620 3
Dec 18, 1987 6 $2,638,790 -29% 1,610 $1,639   $26,099,453 4
Dec 25, 1987 7 $4,029,708 +53% 1,684 $2,393   $31,933,063 5
Jan 1, 1988 7 $4,024,857 n/c 1,684 $2,390   $39,074,006 6
Jan 8, 1988 7 $2,659,500 -34% 1,571 $1,693   $42,783,481 7
Jan 15, 1988 12 $1,421,230 -47% 1,081 $1,315   $45,076,982 8
Jan 22, 1988 15 $919,122 -35% 898 $1,024   $46,444,520 9
Jan 29, 1988 11 $701,601 -24% 775 $905   $47,438,733 10
Feb 5, 1988 10 $507,429 -28% 605 $839   $48,171,779 11
Feb 12, 1988 12 $309,406 -39% 390 $793   $48,636,852 12
Feb 19, 1988 12 $231,214 -25% 317 $729   $48,944,890 13
Feb 26, 1988 12 $156,692 -32% 222 $706   $49,183,283 14
Mar 4, 1988 11 $124,918 -20% 163 $766   $49,371,065 15
Mar 11, 1988 14 $93,698 -25% 123 $762   $49,509,935 16

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 27, 1987 2 $8,859,198   1,118 $7,924   $11,980,958 2
Dec 4, 1987 2 $6,540,923 -26% 1,118 $5,851   $18,521,881 3
Dec 11, 1987 4 $4,938,782 -24% 1,578 $3,130   $23,460,663 4
Dec 18, 1987 6 $4,442,692 -10% 1,610 $2,759   $27,903,355 5
Dec 25, 1987 7 $7,145,794 +61% 1,684 $4,243   $35,049,149 6
Jan 1, 1988 7 $5,074,832 -29% 1,684 $3,014   $40,123,981 7
Jan 8, 1988 7 $3,531,771 -30% 1,571 $2,248   $43,655,752 8
Jan 15, 1988 12 $1,869,646 -47% 1,081 $1,730   $45,525,398 9
Jan 22, 1988 12 $1,211,734 -35% 898 $1,349   $46,737,132 10
Jan 29, 1988 8 $927,218 -23% 775 $1,196   $47,664,350 11
Feb 5, 1988 8 $663,096 -28% 605 $1,096   $48,327,446 12
Feb 12, 1988 11 $386,230 -42% 390 $990   $48,713,676 13
Feb 19, 1988 11 $312,915 -19% 317 $987   $49,026,591 14
Feb 26, 1988 10 $219,556 -30% 222 $989   $49,246,147 15
Mar 4, 1988 11 $170,090 -23% 163 $1,043   $49,416,237 16

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Germany 4/28/1988 $0 0 0 0 $0
 
International Total$242,306

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Weekly US Blu-ray Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Nov 27, 20221318,656 18,656$241,782$241,7821,323

Our DVD and Blu-ray sales estimates are based on weekly retail surveys, which we use to build a weekly market share estimate for each title we are tracking. The market share is converted into a weekly sales estimate based on industry reports on the overall size of the market, including reports published in Media Play News.

For example, if our weekly retail survey estimates that a particular title sold 1% of all units that week, and the industry reports sales of 1,500,000 units in total, we will estimate 15,000 units were sold of that title. The consumer spending estimate is based on the average sales price for the title in the retailers we survey.

We refine our estimates from week to week as more data becomes available. In particular, we adjust weekly sales figures for the quarter once the total market estimates are published by the Digital Entertainment Group. Figures will therefore fluctuate each week, and totals for individual titles can go up or down as we update our estimates.

Because sales figures are estimated based on sampling, they will be more accurate for higher-selling titles.

DEG Watched At Home Top 20 Charts

Leading Cast

Steve Martin    Neal Page
John Candy    Del Griffith

Supporting Cast

Edie McClurg    Car Rental Agent
Ben Stein    Wichita Airport Representative
Larry Hankin    Doobie
Dylan Baker    Owen
Michael McKean    State Trooper
Susan Kellerman    Waitress
Kevin Bacon    Taxi Racer

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

John Hughes    Director
Janet Hirshenson    Casting Director
Jane Jenkins    Casting Director

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for November 6th, 2012

November 6th, 2012

It's a mixed week on the home market. Granted, there are about a dozen Amazing Spider-man releases coming out this week, but not till Friday. The second best selling new release is Arthur Christmas, which missed expectations last year. Another major release of the week is The Muppets Christmas Carol, which is making its Blu-ray debut, but it is a catalogue title and likely won't sell a huge number of units. On a side note, the screener is late, but I've seen the film so many times that seeing it one more time likely won't change my opinion of the film, but I'm not sure if it is Pick of the Week material. On the other hand, I'm very sure Sunset Boulevard's Blu-ray debut is worthy of that title. More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

November 3rd, 2012

Last year, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles was one of three films released on DVD as Best Buy / Future Shop exclusives. (Where this was an exclusive depends on which side of the 49th parallel you live.) Now it is coming out on wide release, so for those who do all of their shopping on Amazon.com can grab it. Is it worth picking up if you missed it the first time? More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for October 11th, 2011

October 12th, 2011

It's not a particularly strong week on the home market. The biggest first run release coming out this week is Horrible Bosses, which was a surprise $100 million hit. Green Lantern will likely be the best selling release of the week, but it disappointed with critics and at the box office. As far as the best of the best goes, The Tree of Life Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack is the best bet as far as Pick of the Week goes, bu there are a few others that are worth picking up. There are also a couple of late arrivals that deserve honorable mentions this week: Castle: Season Three and Dumbo - Blu-ray Combo Pack. More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: Airplane, Naked Gun, and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

October 8th, 2011

At the end of September, a trio of comedies from the 1980s were released on Blu-ray for the first time: Airplane, The Naked Gun, and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. At the moment, they are exclusive to Best Buy in the States and Future Shop up here in Canada. But are they worth going out of your way to grab? More...


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Cast & Crew
  7. Trailer

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$7,009,482 (14.2% of total gross)
Legs:7.06 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:99.5% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:1,118 opening theaters/1,684 max. theaters, 8.9 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $131,967,288

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play
Vudu:Vudu

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: November 25th, 1987 (Wide) by Paramount Pictures
November 6th, 2022 (Special Engagement) by Fathom Events
International Releases: April 28th, 1988 (Wide) (Germany)
Video Release: July 22nd, 1997 by Paramount Home Video, released as Planes, Trains and Automobiles
MPAA Rating: R (after appeal upheld)
Running Time: 92 minutes
Comparisons: vs. Home Alone
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Road Trip, Buddy Comedy, Thanksgiving, Travel Industry, Widow/Widower, Non-Chronological, Surprise Twist
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Comedy
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Contemporary Fiction
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date
Days In
Release
New Year's Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 283 $11,065,909 Jan 1, 1988 40
Christmas (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 279 $11,645,961 Dec 25, 1987 33
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 3-Day) 215 $7,009,482 Nov 27, 1987 5
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 148 $20,257,578 Nov 27, 1987 5
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 5-Day) 242 $7,009,482 Nov 27, 1987 5
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 5-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 169 $16,421,187 Nov 27, 1987 5
Thanksgiving (Opening, 3-Day) 77 $7,009,482 Nov 27, 1987 5
Thanksgiving (Opening, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 56 $20,257,578 Nov 27, 1987 5
Thanksgiving (Opening, 5-Day) 84 $7,009,482 Nov 27, 1987 5
Thanksgiving (Opening, 5-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 71 $20,257,578 Nov 27, 1987 5

Leading Cast

Steve Martin    Neal Page
John Candy    Del Griffith

Supporting Cast

Edie McClurg    Car Rental Agent
Ben Stein    Wichita Airport Representative
Larry Hankin    Doobie
Dylan Baker    Owen
Michael McKean    State Trooper
Susan Kellerman    Waitress
Kevin Bacon    Taxi Racer

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

John Hughes    Director
Janet Hirshenson    Casting Director
Jane Jenkins    Casting Director

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for November 6th, 2012

November 6th, 2012

It's a mixed week on the home market. Granted, there are about a dozen Amazing Spider-man releases coming out this week, but not till Friday. The second best selling new release is Arthur Christmas, which missed expectations last year. Another major release of the week is The Muppets Christmas Carol, which is making its Blu-ray debut, but it is a catalogue title and likely won't sell a huge number of units. On a side note, the screener is late, but I've seen the film so many times that seeing it one more time likely won't change my opinion of the film, but I'm not sure if it is Pick of the Week material. On the other hand, I'm very sure Sunset Boulevard's Blu-ray debut is worthy of that title. More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

November 3rd, 2012

Last year, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles was one of three films released on DVD as Best Buy / Future Shop exclusives. (Where this was an exclusive depends on which side of the 49th parallel you live.) Now it is coming out on wide release, so for those who do all of their shopping on Amazon.com can grab it. Is it worth picking up if you missed it the first time? More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for October 11th, 2011

October 12th, 2011

It's not a particularly strong week on the home market. The biggest first run release coming out this week is Horrible Bosses, which was a surprise $100 million hit. Green Lantern will likely be the best selling release of the week, but it disappointed with critics and at the box office. As far as the best of the best goes, The Tree of Life Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack is the best bet as far as Pick of the Week goes, bu there are a few others that are worth picking up. There are also a couple of late arrivals that deserve honorable mentions this week: Castle: Season Three and Dumbo - Blu-ray Combo Pack. More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: Airplane, Naked Gun, and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

October 8th, 2011

At the end of September, a trio of comedies from the 1980s were released on Blu-ray for the first time: Airplane, The Naked Gun, and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. At the moment, they are exclusive to Best Buy in the States and Future Shop up here in Canada. But are they worth going out of your way to grab? More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 27, 1987 3 $7,009,482   1,118 $6,270   $10,131,242 1
Dec 4, 1987 2 $5,069,770 -28% 1,118 $4,535   $17,050,728 2
Dec 11, 1987 4 $3,698,739 -27% 1,578 $2,344   $22,220,620 3
Dec 18, 1987 6 $2,638,790 -29% 1,610 $1,639   $26,099,453 4
Dec 25, 1987 7 $4,029,708 +53% 1,684 $2,393   $31,933,063 5
Jan 1, 1988 7 $4,024,857 n/c 1,684 $2,390   $39,074,006 6
Jan 8, 1988 7 $2,659,500 -34% 1,571 $1,693   $42,783,481 7
Jan 15, 1988 12 $1,421,230 -47% 1,081 $1,315   $45,076,982 8
Jan 22, 1988 15 $919,122 -35% 898 $1,024   $46,444,520 9
Jan 29, 1988 11 $701,601 -24% 775 $905   $47,438,733 10
Feb 5, 1988 10 $507,429 -28% 605 $839   $48,171,779 11
Feb 12, 1988 12 $309,406 -39% 390 $793   $48,636,852 12
Feb 19, 1988 12 $231,214 -25% 317 $729   $48,944,890 13
Feb 26, 1988 12 $156,692 -32% 222 $706   $49,183,283 14
Mar 4, 1988 11 $124,918 -20% 163 $766   $49,371,065 15
Mar 11, 1988 14 $93,698 -25% 123 $762   $49,509,935 16

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 27, 1987 2 $8,859,198   1,118 $7,924   $11,980,958 2
Dec 4, 1987 2 $6,540,923 -26% 1,118 $5,851   $18,521,881 3
Dec 11, 1987 4 $4,938,782 -24% 1,578 $3,130   $23,460,663 4
Dec 18, 1987 6 $4,442,692 -10% 1,610 $2,759   $27,903,355 5
Dec 25, 1987 7 $7,145,794 +61% 1,684 $4,243   $35,049,149 6
Jan 1, 1988 7 $5,074,832 -29% 1,684 $3,014   $40,123,981 7
Jan 8, 1988 7 $3,531,771 -30% 1,571 $2,248   $43,655,752 8
Jan 15, 1988 12 $1,869,646 -47% 1,081 $1,730   $45,525,398 9
Jan 22, 1988 12 $1,211,734 -35% 898 $1,349   $46,737,132 10
Jan 29, 1988 8 $927,218 -23% 775 $1,196   $47,664,350 11
Feb 5, 1988 8 $663,096 -28% 605 $1,096   $48,327,446 12
Feb 12, 1988 11 $386,230 -42% 390 $990   $48,713,676 13
Feb 19, 1988 11 $312,915 -19% 317 $987   $49,026,591 14
Feb 26, 1988 10 $219,556 -30% 222 $989   $49,246,147 15
Mar 4, 1988 11 $170,090 -23% 163 $1,043   $49,416,237 16

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Germany 4/28/1988 $0 0 0 0 $0
 
International Total$242,306

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Weekly US Blu-ray Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Nov 27, 20221318,656 18,656$241,782$241,7821,323

Our DVD and Blu-ray sales estimates are based on weekly retail surveys, which we use to build a weekly market share estimate for each title we are tracking. The market share is converted into a weekly sales estimate based on industry reports on the overall size of the market, including reports published in Media Play News.

For example, if our weekly retail survey estimates that a particular title sold 1% of all units that week, and the industry reports sales of 1,500,000 units in total, we will estimate 15,000 units were sold of that title. The consumer spending estimate is based on the average sales price for the title in the retailers we survey.

We refine our estimates from week to week as more data becomes available. In particular, we adjust weekly sales figures for the quarter once the total market estimates are published by the Digital Entertainment Group. Figures will therefore fluctuate each week, and totals for individual titles can go up or down as we update our estimates.

Because sales figures are estimated based on sampling, they will be more accurate for higher-selling titles.

DEG Watched At Home Top 20 Charts